Ulster

Formed November 1, 1683 (9^th county)

Ulster County (181,856), Kingston (24,064)

On Watt Street between Main and John streets, is the stone Georgian courthouse.  The building was constructed in 1818.  New York State Highway 32 is five blocks to the southeast of the site.  Jacob Ten Broeck, John Beekman and James Cockburn are the architects.  The building was enlarged in 1897.  There was a 1773 courthouse previously.  The county was founded as one of the original twelve counties (9^th county) on November 1, 1683.  Kingston has always been the county seat.  The county is named for Ulster, Ireland.  Kingston is named for Kingston, England. 

Ulster County government consists of a sheriff and 23 Legislators.  One County Court Judge, Two Family Court Judges, and One Surrogate Court Judge serve Ulster County.  Ulster County is in the southern tip of New York.  New York City, New York is south and Albany, New York is north of the county.  The Hudson River forms its eastern border. 

The area of the county is 1161 square miles.  It is 18 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 20 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 156.6 persons per square mile making it 26 out of 62 in the state.  Ulster County has 21.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 87 passes north to south through the county from Greene County to Orange County.  United States Highway 9 West parallels Interstate Highway 87 from Greene to Orange counties.  United States Highway 44 enters from the east, Dutchess County, and terminates.  United States Highway 209 originates and travels south into Sullivan County.  The county center is 10.8 miles Southwest of Kingston nearer Stone Ridge.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Greene, Columbia, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan, and Delaware counties.  The county looks like a fat letter Y.  Kingston is located on the northeast border of the county.  Kingston is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.2% of the county population.  This county is in the Kingston Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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