1. Home
  2. North America
  3. United States
  4. New York

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 State, located in the northeastern United States, shares its borders with several states and bodies of water. To the north, it is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, separated partly by the Saint Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. The state adjoins Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut to the east, Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, and Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to the northwest. The Atlantic Ocean lies to its southeast. Covering a total area of approximately 54,556 mi2 (141,299 km2), New York consists of several significant geographical regions.

Adirondack Mountains: This mountainous region is located in the northeastern part of the state. Characterized by a vast, forested wilderness, the Adirondacks are known for their rugged landscape and high peaks. Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York at 5,344 feet (1,629 metres), is located here. This region is also home to numerous lakes and waterways, including part of the Upper Hudson River.

Catskill Mountains: Situated to the west of the Hudson River and south of the Mohawk River, the Catskill Mountains feature rolling hills and deep valleys. These mountains are not as high as the Adirondacks but are renowned for their scenic beauty. The Hudson River flows along the eastern edge of this region, contributing to its rich topography.

Hudson Valley: Extending from the tip of Manhattan north to the city of Albany, the Hudson Valley is defined by the Hudson River. This river valley is known for its fertile lands and scenic vistas. The region is flanked by the Catskill Mountains to the west and the Taconic Mountains to the east.

Finger Lakes: Central New York is home to the Finger Lakes region, named for its series of long, narrow lakes resembling fingers. The two largest and most prominent of these are Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. This region is characterized by rolling hills, deep lakes, and fertile farmland.

Niagara Frontier: Located in the western part of the state, the Niagara Frontier is best known for Niagara Falls, a major natural attraction. This region borders Lake Erie to the west and the Niagara River to the north, which serves as the border with Canada.

Tug Hill Plateau: Situated between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks, the Tug Hill Plateau is a sparsely populated area known for its heavy snowfall and rugged terrain. The Black River carves through this plateau, contributing to its distinct topography.

Allegheny Plateau: Extending into the southern tier of New York, the Allegheny Plateau features a landscape of rolling hills and valleys. This plateau gradually rises from the Pennsylvania border to the Catskill Mountains in the east. The region includes part of the Susquehanna River basin.

Long Island: Stretching eastward from New York City into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island is characterized by sandy beaches on its south shore and rocky coastline on the north. The island is relatively flat, with the highest point being Jayne's Hill at 400.9 feet (122.2 m) above sea level. The island is surrounded by several bodies of water, including the Long Island Sound to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south.

Bodies of Water: The Hudson River is a major north-south waterway in the eastern part of the state. The Erie Canal, historically significant for trade and transportation, connects the Hudson River with the Great Lakes. Additionally, the state includes parts of two of the Great Lakes: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Saint Lawrence River, forming part of the northern border with Canada, is another vital waterway.

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 (18,937,269)
  2. Buffalo (884,230)
  3. Rochester (749,425)
  4. Albany (638,058)
  5. Poughkeepsie-Newburgh (526,661)
  6. Syracuse (422,497)

This page was last updated on February 14, 2023

Latest by WorldAtlas