Geography of New York (state)

Geography of New York
Geographic map of New York
RegionNortheast United States
Coordinates43°00′N 75°30′W / 43°N 75.5°W / 43; -75.5
Area
 • Total54,555[1] sq mi (141,300 km2)
 • Land86.4[1]%
 • Water13.6[1]%
BordersOntario
Quebec
Vermont
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Highest pointMount Marcy, 5,343 feet (1,629 m)
Lowest pointAtlantic Ocean, sea level
Longest riverHudson River
Largest lakeLake Erie
Physical and political features of New York

The geography of New York varies widely across the state. Most of New York is dominated by farms, forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes. New York's Adirondack Park is larger than any U.S. National Park in the contiguous United States.[2] Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River as it flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, is a popular attraction. The Hudson River begins near Lake Tear of the Clouds and flows south through the eastern part of the state without draining lakes George or Champlain. Lake George empties at its north end into Lake Champlain, whose northern end extends into Canada, where it drains into the Richelieu River and then the St. Lawrence. Four of New York City's five boroughs are on the three islands at the mouth of the Hudson River: Manhattan Island, Staten Island, and Brooklyn and Queens on Long Island.

"Upstate" is a common term for New York counties north of suburban Westchester, Rockland and Dutchess counties. Upstate New York typically includes the Catskill Mountains or areas North of the Catskill Mountains, the Capital District, The Adirondacks, the Erie Canal, Lake Champlain, Otsego Lake, Oneida Lake; rivers such as the Delaware, Genesee, Mohawk, and Susquehanna. The highest elevation in New York is Mount Marcy of the Adirondack Mountains.[3] New York is the 27th-largest state.

  1. ^ a b c "How Wet is Your State? The Water Area of Each State | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "The Adirondack Park". NYS Adirondack Park Agency. 2003. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  3. ^ "Highest and Lowest Elevations | U.S. Geological Survey". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved November 7, 2024.