The Village of Nelsonville is a small one mile square community located approximately fifty miles north of New York City. It sits at the center of the Hudson Highlands State Park, adjacent to the Hudson River and the Village of Cold Spring. The population was 628 at the time of the 2010 census.

 

Officially incorporated in 1855 by the state of New York, the Village is situated within the boundaries of Putnam County and the Town of Philipstown. The population has remained somewhat constant over the past twenty years, with residents commuting to work via the Metro North train or easily accessible main roads and thoroughfares. Nelsonville falls within the Haldane Central School District, which is K-12th grades and has a student body of approximately 950.

 

Major attractions of the area include the Hudson River, numerous antique stores, Revolutionary War battlefields, The United States Military Academy, the West Point Foundry, Boscobel Restoration (with its famous summer Shakespeare Festival) and of course the scenic hiking trails of the Hudson Highlands. In fact, Nelsonville has been named "The Hiker's Hamlet" by the New York State Greenway Conference. In 1993, it received a Scenic Area of Statewide Significance designation from New York State.