New York State Route 207 (
NY 207) is a
state highwayState highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
located entirely within
Orange County, New YorkOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
, in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It serves as a connector between the
village of GoshenGoshen is a village in and the county seat of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
and the
city of NewburghNewburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
. It has for a long time provided the main access to
Stewart International AirportStewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...
. The highway follows the path of the old Goshen–Newburgh Turnpike and is a two-lane road through its entire length. It is also shared with New York State Bicycle Route 17.
Route description
The route begins in southwest
GoshenGoshen is a village in and the county seat of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
, at the intersection of the Quickway (
US 6U.S. Route 6 is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from Bishop, California, to Provincetown, Massachusetts. In New York, US 6 extends from the Pennsylvania state line at Port Jervis to the Connecticut state line east of Brewster...
and
NY 17New York State Route 17 is a state highway that extends for through the Southern Tier and Downstate regions of New York in the United States...
) and
NY 17MNew York State Route 17M is an east–west state highway in Orange County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from west of the city of Middletown to what is currently the north–south section of NY 17 just southeast of the village of Harriman...
. South of the junction
NY 17ANew York State Route 17A is a state highway in southern New York, United States, entirely within Orange County. Its western terminus is located at Goshen at a junction with NY 17, and its eastern terminus is at another intersection with NY 17 located in Southfields. It runs...
continues as Pulaski Highway toward
FloridaFlorida is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York:*Florida, Montgomery County, New York, a town*Florida, Orange County, New York, a village...
and
WarwickWarwick is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,412 at the 2000 census. The 2010 census population was 6,731...
. It enters Goshen as Greenwich Avenue, becoming Main Street at a five-way intersection at the southwest corner of the village's large triangular central green (Westbound traffic sometimes misses the Greenwich fork and continues on Main as there is no overhead sign, just one at the side of the road). The historic buildings in this area of Goshen have been
federally recognizedThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as the
Church Park Historic DistrictThe Church Park Historic District is part of downtown Goshen, the seat of Orange County, New York, USA. It takes its name from the large triangular park formed at the center of the village by Main Street , Park Place and South Church Street...
. At the triangle's northern end, after passing next to Orange County's
original courthouseThe 1841 Goshen Courthouse is located along Main Street in the center of Goshen, New York, the seat of Orange County, New York, USA. It was designed by popular local architect Thornton Niven in a Greek Revival style, meant to be a twin of the one he had already built in Newburgh, which at that...
and the
Orange BlossomsThe 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Orange Blossoms, was a volunteer regiment from Orange County, New York, during the American Civil War. Formed in Goshen during the summer of 1862, The unit was officially mustered into United States Service on September 5, 1862,...
monument, it is joined by Park Place and passes the
Harness Racing Museum & Hall of FameThe Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame is a museum in Goshen, New York. The museum collects and preserves the history of harness racing and serves as a hall of fame for trotter horses....
on the right, then the
Orange County Government CenterThe Orange County Government Center, located on Main Street in Goshen, New York, is as its name suggests the main office of the government of Orange County. It houses most county officials' offices and meetings of the county legislature. The records of Orange County Court and all deeds and...
on the left, before leaving the village.
Entering the countryside, it begins to veer more to the east. Six miles (9.6 km) later in
the Town of HamptonburghHamptonburgh is a town located in the northern part of Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 4,686 at the 2000 census. The name was provided by an early settler, William Bull....
, Route 207 goes into a short
tunnelA tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
under the
Metro NorthThe Metro-North Railroad Port Jervis Line is a predominantly single-track commuter rail line running from Suffern, New York to Port Jervis. At Suffern, the line continues south into New Jersey as NJ Transit's Main Line....
-Norfolk Southern tracks and then immediately bears right, more due east, where
NY 416New York State Route 416 is a state highway located entirely within the towns of Hamptonburgh and Montgomery in Orange County, New York, in the United States. It does not intersect any other state routes besides those at its termini, nor pass through any settlements...
splits off to the left, northward, toward
MontgomeryMontgomery is a village located in Orange County, New York, United States, 60 miles northwest of New York City, and 90 miles southwest of Albany. The population was 3,636 at the 2000 census...
. It then passes through what could be called downtown Campbell Hall at a grade crossing with the former
Wallkill Valley Railroad, still used today by NS as a freight spur to
WaldenWalden is the largest of three villages of the Town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,978 at the 2010 census. It has the ZIP Code 12586 and the 778 telephone exchange within the 845 area code...
.
Three miles further down it goes through a slightly staggered intersection with
NY 208New York State Route 208 is a state highway located in southern New York in the United States. The southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 17M in the Orange County village of Monroe...
in the hamlet of Rock Tavern between
MaybrookMaybrook is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,084 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
and
WashingtonvilleWashingtonville is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
. Now known as Little Britain Road, it skirts the southern boundary of Stewart State Forest for several miles, passes Little Britain Elementary School and a new medical office park.
The intersection with Drury Lane, long the dividing lane between the airport proper and lands
seizedEminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
in the early 1970s for a massive expansion that was later canceled, has been expanded and rebuilt to support a new exit on
Interstate 84Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
. A traffic light was installed, and Drury became
NY 747New York State Route 747 is a state highway in northeast Orange County, New York, in the United States. The route extends for about from NY 207 in the town of New Windsor to NY 17K in the town of Montgomery. It officially came into existence when exit 5A on Interstate 84...
. A mile and half later 207 reaches an entrance to
Stewart International AirportStewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...
. After that, it passes under (but does not intersect with) the
New York State ThruwayThe New York State Thruway is a system of limited-access highways located within the state of New York in the United States. The system, known officially as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway for former New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, is operated by the New York State Thruway Authority and...
(Interstate 87), immediately west of its junction with
NY 300New York State Route 300 is a state highway located west of the city of Newburgh in the Hudson Valley of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at a five-way intersection with NY 32 and NY 94 in the hamlet of Vails Gate...
.
After a
concurrentA concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
section of 0.2 mile (0.321868 km), 207 then splits to the northeast at the
Squire Patton HouseThe James "Squire" Patton House is located along the brief overlap of NY 207 and 300 in New Windsor, New York, United States. It is on a five-acre parcel owned by the nearby city of Newburgh, used for police K-9 training....
, now the
city of NewburghNewburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
's
police K-9A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
training facility. It runs past
Lake Washington reservoirLake Washington is the primary reservoir for the city of Newburgh, New York. It is located just southwest of the city, lying partially within it and the neighboring towns of Newburgh and New Windsor...
, the water supply for the city of Newburgh, into the
town of NewburghNewburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
and then into the city itself and, shortly afterward, its eastern terminus at a junction with
NY 17KNew York State Route 17K is an east–west state highway located within Orange County, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with County Route 76 east of Bloomingburg to a junction with U.S. Route 9W midway across the city of Newburgh...
.
History
NY 207 was assigned to its current alignment as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. When it was widened, the short section
concurrentA concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with
NY 300New York State Route 300 is a state highway located west of the city of Newburgh in the Hudson Valley of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at a five-way intersection with NY 32 and NY 94 in the hamlet of Vails Gate...
was relocated just to the south. The former right of way can still be seen. While much of the countryside surrounding NY 207 is rural and picturesque, increasing development within the county has given it the highest growth in traffic volume of any
Orange CountyOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
state highway in the early 2000s, according to
New York State Department of TransportationThe New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
data analyzed by the
Times Herald-RecordThe Times Herald-Record, often referred to as The Record or Middletown Record in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties in New York; Pike County in Pennsylvania; and...
.
Major intersections