Inside North Country
The North Country is a rural region that spans from the
eastern shores of Lake Ontario to the western shores of Lake
Champlain and the northern part of the region adjacent to
the Canadian border. It includes 7 counties and is the
largest of New York's economic development regions in land
area and the smallest in population. The region is anchored
by two modest-sized cities, Watertown in the west and
Plattsburgh in the east.
A massive 107,265 acres of the North Country is occupied by
Fort Drum, a U.S. Army military reservation that is home to
the 10th Mountain Division (light infantry), as well as
approximately 1,500 additional military personnel. Fort Drum
is a major training center for reserve component forces, and
units of the New York Army National Guard rank among the
post’s most frequent customers.
Among its assets, the North Country is home to several state and private universities located throughout the region as well as the Adirondack Park, the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States – greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined.
The North Country’s location as gateway to US NY is a key factor in the attraction of new manufacturing operations to our region. Yet this region has been transforming over the past two decades from its traditional manufacturing, mining and agriculture sectors to niche industries in those sectors as well as emerging sectors like biotech.
General Overview
Area – 11,913.57 square miles
Population (2009) – 429,092
By county:
Clinton: 81,618
Essex: 37,686
Franklin: 50,274
Hamilton: 4,923
Jefferson: 118,719
Lewis: 26,157
St. Lawrence: 109,715
2009
Labor Force:197,100
2009
Per capita income: $21, 211
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Market Access
Highways
Two major interstate highways provide access. The eastern
part of the region is served by the scenic Adirondack
Northway, I-87, which connects Albany and the New York State
Thruway with Canada. I-81 passes through the western part of
the region, connecting it with Syracuse and the New York
State Thruway to the south, and with Highway 401 and major
population and industrial centers to the north in Canada.
Air Service
Passenger service is provided at airports in Watertown,
Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Massena and Saranac Lake.
Rail Service
Commercial rail service is provided by CSX and Canadian
Pacific. Amtrak operates passenger service on the eastern
portion of the region from Montreal south to New York City.
Bus Service
Regular service is provided by Greyhound Bus Lines and
Adirondack Trailways in several communities throughout the
region.
Port Services
Many North Country businesses use the nearby Port of
Montreal, the second-largest inland port in North America.
The I-87 Trade Corridor provides easy access to the ports of
New York City, Albany, and Montreal. The Port of Ogdensburg
provides deep-water port facilities for ocean-going vessels
via the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Champlain Canal, part of
the New York State Canal System, connects Lake Champlain and
Montreal with the Hudson River and New York City, and serves
recreational boaters.
Hospitals
Notable hospitals in the North Country:
Adirondack Medical
Center, Saranac Lake
Canton-Potsdam Hospital
Alice Hyde Medical Center
Champlain Valley Physicians
Hospital Medical Center, Plattsburgh
Claxton-Hepburn
Medical Center, Ogdensburg
Massena Memorial
Hospital, Massena
Samaritan Medical
Center, Watertown
Principal Industries
Agriculture
Tourism
Pharmaceutical Bio tech med
Materials Processing - Metals & Plastics
Transportation Equipment
Wood Products
Distribution
Food Processing
Colleges and Universities
The North Country Region is home to eight colleges and
universities, with more than 20,000 students enrolled,
including five four-year and three two-year colleges and
universities. Clarkson University is home to the state's
Center for Advanced Technology in Advanced Materials
Processing.
Clarkson University,
Potsdam
Paul Smith's College of
Arts and Sciences
St. Lawrence University,
Canton
SUNY College of Technology
at Canton
SUNY College at Potsdam
SUNY College at
Plattsburgh
Local Utilities
National Grid
New York State Electric &
Gas Corp.
North Country Region – Top Ten Employers (Private & Public)
Alcoa
Champlain Valley Physicians
Claxton-Hepburne
Medical Center
Fort Drum
International
Paper Company
NYS Dept of
Correctional Services
Samaritan Medical
Center
Stream Global Services
Sunmount
St Lawrence University