Fort Edward (town), New York

Fort Edward is a town in Washington County New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,892 at the 2000 census.

The Town of Fort Edward has a village named Fort Edward within the town. The town is on the west border of the county, and is the county seat of Washington County.

History

Fort Lyman, constructed in 1755 during the French and Indian War by General Phineas Lyman, had its name changed to Fort Edward by Sir William Johnson in 1756 for King George II's grandson Prince Edward, a younger brother of the later King George III. The Town of Fort Edward was established in 1818.

Geography

The west town line is defined by the Hudson River and is the border of Saratoga County, New York. US Route 4 follows the course of the Hudson River along the west side of the town.

The Champlain Canal passes through the northern part of the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.4 square miles (71.0 km²), of which, 26.8 square miles (69.4 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (2.19%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,892 people, 2,248 households, and 1,571 families residing in the town. The population density was 219.9 people per square mile (84.9/km²). There were 2,487 housing units at an average density of 92.8/sq mi (35.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.59% White, 0.34% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.

There were 2,248 households out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,973, and the median income for a family was $41,630. Males had a median income of $31,875 versus $23,429 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,201. About 6.5% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.8% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Rail Transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Fort Edward. The "Adirondack" operates daily in both directions between Montreal and New York City. The Ethan Allen Express operates daily in both directions between Rutland, Vermont, and New York City. The Amtrak stop is designated Fort Edward-Glens Falls as it serves both those communities as well as Hudson Falls and Fernwood.

Communities and locations in the Town of Fort Edward

*Durkeetown -- A hamlet on the eastern town line.
*Fort Edward -- The Village of Fort Edward, in the northwest part of the town.
*Fort Miller -- A hamlet in the south part of the town.

References

External links

* [http://www.fortedwardnewyork.net Town and Village of Fort Edward]
* [http://www.washingtoncounty.org/fortedward/town.htm Fort Edward]