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Poughkeepsie, New York

Poughkeepsie is a city in and is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, United States.
Population 31,577

Top Events in Poughkeepsie History

1
1720Government
The settlement grew quickly, and the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie was established by 1720.
2
1788History
In 1788, the Ratification Convention for New York State included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and George Clinton.
3
1796Government
It is the oldest college preparatory school in New York State, founded in 1796.
4
1799History
In 1799, a new seal was created for the city.
5
1854Government
It was chartered as a city in 1854.
6
1869History
The city is home to the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, the oldest continuously operating entertainment venue in the state.
7
1889Disaster
The Poughkeepsie Bridge opened in 1889 to carry railroad traffic across the Hudson, the usage of the bridge came to an end when a 1974 fire damaged its decking.
8
1895Infrastructure
One of Poughkeepsie's most notable sports events was the annual Poughkeepsie Regatta of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, which was held on the Hudson River from 1895 to 1...
9
1930Architecture
The Mid-Hudson Bridge, opened in 1930, carries US 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland.
10
1934Government
Poughkeepsie Day School, also outside the city, is a progressive co-ed pre-K-through-12 day school serving approximately 140 students, founded in 1934 by local families and memb...

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Historical Timeline

1720Government
The settlement grew quickly, and the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie was established by 1720.
1788History
In 1788, the Ratification Convention for New York State included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and George Clinton.
1796Government
It is the oldest college preparatory school in New York State, founded in 1796.
1799History
In 1799, a new seal was created for the city.
1854Government
It was chartered as a city in 1854.
1869History
The city is home to the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, the oldest continuously operating entertainment venue in the state.
1889Disaster
The Poughkeepsie Bridge opened in 1889 to carry railroad traffic across the Hudson, the usage of the bridge came to an end when a 1974 fire damaged its decking.
1895Infrastructure
One of Poughkeepsie's most notable sports events was the annual Poughkeepsie Regatta of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, which was held on the Hudson River from 1895 to 1...
1930Architecture
The Mid-Hudson Bridge, opened in 1930, carries US 44 and NY 55 across the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie to Highland.
1934Government
Poughkeepsie Day School, also outside the city, is a progressive co-ed pre-K-through-12 day school serving approximately 140 students, founded in 1934 by local families and memb...
1961History
Extremes range from −30 °F (−34 °C) on January 21, 1961, to 106 °F (41 °C) on July 15, 1995.
1984Sports
From July 1984 to August 5, 1986, the Civic Center was the location for filming WWF Championship Wrestling.
1987Architecture
The mall, which opened in 1987, consists of two floors with 250 shops, restaurants, and a multi-plex theater with 16 screens.
1988Government
=== Library === The Poughkeepsie Public Library District serves the City and Town of Poughkeepsie through a special legislative library district established in 1988.
2003History
Poughkeepsie hosted a founding member of the North Eastern Hockey League with the formation of the Poughkeepsie Panthers in 2003.
2008Economy
It was once referred to as IBM's "Main Plant", although much of the workforce has been moved elsewhere in the company (2008).
2009Architecture
Major bridges in the city include the Walkway over the Hudson, a former railroad bridge which reopened as a public walkway in 2009; and the Mid-Hudson Bridge, a major thoroughfa...
2010History
== Demographics == === 2010 census === At the 2010 census there were 32,736 people.
2011History
Falcone on February 18, 2011.
2014Government
Falcone Memorial Highway" in 2014 by governor Andrew Cuomo to memorialize the city's first police officer slain in the line of duty.
2016Culture
The Chance Theater and Mid-Hudson Civic Center ranked #4 and 5, respectively, on a list of Poughkeepsie's most Instagrammed locations in 2016.
2018Education
Colleges formerly located in Poughkeepsie were the Ridley-Lowell Business and Technical Institute, which closed in 2018, and the Eastman Business College (1859–1931).
2020History
The City of Poughkeepsie and neighboring Town of Poughkeepsie are generally viewed as a single place and are commonly referred to collectively as "Poughkeepsie", with a combined...
2024History
In 2024 and 2025, Poughkeepsie was ranked as one of the top cities in the U.S.

Did You Know?

1
Poughkeepsie is located in the state of New York.
2
Poughkeepsie has a population of 31,577 residents.
3
Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson Valley region, midway between the core of the New York metropolitan area and the state capital of Albany.

Famous People from Poughkeepsie, New York

LM
Lee Miller
Photographer, War Correspondent · Born Apr 23, 1907 · Died Jul 21, 1977 (age 70)
EW
Ed Wood
Screenwriter, Writer · Born Oct 10, 1924 · Died Dec 10, 1978 (age 54)
TH
Tom Holland
Screenwriter, Actor · Born Jul 11, 1943 · Age 82
BD
Bill Duke
Actor, Playwright · Born Feb 26, 1943 · Age 82
CP
Charlie Plummer
Actor, Television Actor · Born May 24, 1999 · Age 26

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