The member counties of the New York State Association of Counties have played roles in the French and Indian and the Revolutionary wars. We’ve led the nation in agriculture and manufacturing. Our waterways opened the way for travel and commerce to the west, and the counties along the Hudson and Mohawk rivers and the Erie Canal were critical to the strength and growth of New York State.
Links to individual websites for New York's counties can be found to the right.
Sketches of New York State’s colorful early history are wrapped up in the everyday words that name our 62 counties. They recall the Indians, the English and Dutch colonists, heroes of the Revolutionary War years, Presidents and early politicians – and the inventor of the steamboat. The derivations of how the counties got their names was compiled by state historians, and used to appear in New York’s Legislative Manual.