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Maps of New York

Physical Map of New York. It shows the physical features of New York including its mountain ranges, rivers and major lakes.

New York is a state in the northeastern United States located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. It has a population of almost 20 million, making it one of the most populous states in the country. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and the Canadian province of Ontario border New York State. The geography of New York is divided into four distinct regions: the Appalachian Plateau, Hudson Valley, Adirondack Mountains, and Adirondack Lowlands. 

The Appalachian Plateau region covers much of Western and Southwestern New York, extending from Lake Erie to the Mohawk River Valley. It is mainly flat, with rolling hills, forests, and streams. Many lakes and reservoirs comprise this region, including Chautauqua Lake and Canandaigua Lake. The economy here focuses on agriculture, dairy farming, fruit production, and technology companies like Eastman Kodak. 

The Hudson Valley extends along the course of the Hudson River from Albany to New York City. This region is lush with rivers and streams that provide abundant water resources for agricultural activities and hydroelectric power generation. In addition, the area has historically been known for its orchards, wineries, and farms. Today this region offers numerous outdoor recreation opportunities, such as skiing at Whiteface Mountain or hiking in Bear Mountain State Park. 

The Adirondack Mountains are located primarily in Upstate New York near Lake Placid. This mountain range contains some of the oldest peaks in North America, with elevations ranging from 2,000 to 5,344 feet high (Mount Marcy). The area is home to vast tracts of wilderness along with alpine lakes for fishing and camping getaways all year round. Furthermore, this region boasts numerous ski resorts like Whiteface Ski Resort, where visitors enjoy winter recreations from November until April each year. 

Finally, the Adirondack Lowlands encompass much of Northern New York with its expansive low-lying plains stretching across upstate counties like Oneida County near Utica or Greene County near Albany. Agriculture remains a primary economic driver in this region which includes numerous fields dedicated to soybean production or potato processing plants nearby Rome in Oneida County.

New York State is home to several iconic waterways, including the Hudson River, which Indigenous Americans and European settlers have used for centuries. The Mohawk, Genesee, Susquehanna, and Oswego rivers form five additional watersheds. The state also has several picturesque lakes, such as Lake Champlain, Cayuga Lake, and Otsego Lake, which offer numerous recreational opportunities for fishing, boating, and swimming. Finally, the border between U.S.A and Canada is marked by Niagara Falls - a highly celebrated natural wonder.

Furthermore, New York City is located at the southeastern corner of the state of New York, at the northern tip of an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of North America. The city's five boroughs -- Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, and the Bronx -- spread across more than 300 miles of land. The city includes four islands: Ellis Island, Liberty Island, Governors Island, and Randall's Island.

 The geography of New York City is varied and diverse, with many elements like waterfronts, skyscrapers, hillsides, plains for housing projects, and parks such as Central Park. Some of its many features include its harbor rivers, like East River; various island chains; parks, including Battery Park City; and beaches, such as Brighton Beach. These attractions have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S., attracting millions yearly.

Counties Map

The State of New York is divided into 62 counties. In alphabetical order, these counties are: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Kings, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Nassau, New York County, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westchester, Wyoming, Yates.

With an area of 141,300 sq. km, New York is the 27th largest and the 4th most populous state in the USA. Located on the Hudson River, about 230km north of New York City is Albany – the capital city of New York. It serves as the administrative, cultural, industrial, transport, and economic center of the state. Situated on the edges of a natural harbor in the southeastern part of the state, New York City is the largest city in the New York state and the largest and the most populous city in the United States. It serves as a center for media, finance, research, culture, education, politics, sports, and tourism. It also hosts the headquarters of the United Nations and is one of the most populous megacities of the world.

Where is New York?

Map showing location of New York in the world.

The State of New York is located in the northeastern United States. New York is bordered by New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Delaware River in the south; by the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont in the east; by the Canadian province of Quebec in the north and by Ontario, St. Lawrence River, and Lake Ontario in the northwest. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the southeast. New York also shares a maritime border with Rhode Island, in the east of Long Island.

Regional Maps: Map of North America

Outline Map of New York

The above blank map represents the State of New York, located in the northeastern United States. The above map can be downloaded, printed and used for geography education purposes like map-pointing and coloring activities. 

The above outline map represents the State of New York, located in the northeastern United States. New York has been nicknamed as the "Empire State" and is the only U.S. state that include both parts of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, within its borders.

Key Facts

Legal Name State of New York
ISO 3166 Code US-NY
Capital City Albany
Major Cities
  1. New York-Newark (18,803,552)
  2. Buffalo (890,641)
  3. Rochester (743,189)
  4. Albany (629,609)
  5. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh (507,368)
  6. Syracuse (419,994)

This page was last updated on February 14, 2023

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