North Elba, New York

North Elba
—  Town  —
Lake Placid
North Elba
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates:
Country United States
State New York
County Essex
Government
 • Type Town Council
 • Town Supervisor Robert T. Politi
 • Town Council
Area
 • Total 156.5 sq mi (405.2 km2)
 • Land 151.9 sq mi (393.4 km2)
 • Water 4.6 sq mi (11.8 km2)
Elevation 1,949 ft (594 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 8,661
 • Density 57.0/sq mi (22.0/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
FIPS code 36-51935
GNIS feature ID 0979286

North Elba is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2000 census.[1] The town is named after the island of Elba.

North Elba is on the western edge of the county. It is 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Plattsburgh.,[2] 42 miles (68 km) west-northwest from Burlington, VT, 88 miles (142 km) south-southwest of Montreal, Quebec, and 113 miles (182 km) north of Albany, NY.[3]

The entirety of the village of Lake Placid is located within the boundaries of North Elba, as is part of the village of Saranac Lake.

North Country Community College is located in North Elba. The Adirondack Scenic Railroad traverses the town.

Contents

History

The town was first settled around 1814.

The town was formed from part of the town of Keene in 1849.

John Brown, attracted by the views of local Abolitionist Gerrit Smith, came to the town in 1849 to found a community for former black slaves. Brown left from his farm for the raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.

The town and its village, Lake Placid, were the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.

Notable residents

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 156.4 square miles (405 km2), of which, 151.9 square miles (393 km2) of it is land and 4.6 square miles (12 km2) of it (2.92%) is water.

Some of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Park are in the town. The West Branch of the Au Sable River flows out the northeast corner of the town.

The west town line is the border of Franklin County.

New York State Route 73 and New York State Route 86 are east-west highways in the town that intersect at Lake Placid village.

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 8,661 people, 2,944 households, and 1,675 families residing in the town. The population density was 57.0 people per square mile (22.0/km²). There were 3,991 housing units at an average density of 26.3 per square mile (10.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.71% White, 10.10% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.87% Asian, 0.20% Pacific Islander, 1.82% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.51% of the population.

There were 2,944 households out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.1% were non-families. 35.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town the population was spread out with 17.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 39.6% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 146.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 158.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,329, and the median income for a family was $44,828. Males had a median income of $27,787 versus $23,356 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,259. About 7.3% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in North Elba

References

External links