Putnam Valley

Valley calls itself the "Town of Lakes".

• Name — Putnam Valley, New York • Official Name — Town of Putnam Valley • Settlement Type — Town • Nickname — Town of Lakes • Image Skyline — Tompkins Corners United Methodist Church, Putnam Valley, NY.jpg • Image Caption — Tompkins Corners Cultural Center in Putnam Valley • Image Seal — Putnam Valley, NY Seal.png • Image Map — Putnam County New York incorporated and unincorporated areas Putnam Valley highlighted.svg • Map Caption — Location of Putnam Valley in New York • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — United States • Subdivision Type1 — State • Subdivision Name1 — New York • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Putnam • Leader Title — Supervisor • Leader Name — Alison Jolicoeur • Leader Title1 — Town Board • Leader Name1 — * Louie Luongo • Christian Russo • Stacey Tompkins • Sherry Howard • Unit Pref — Imperial • Area Total Km2 — 110.80 • Area Land Km2 — 106.64 • Area Water Km2 — 4.16 • Area Total Sq Mi — 42.78 • Area Land Sq Mi — 41.17 • Area Water Sq Mi — 1.60 • Population As Of — 2020 • Population Total — 11762 • Population Density Km2 — auto • Population Density Sq Mi — auto • Timezone — Eastern (EST) • Utc Offset — -5 • Timezone Dst — EDT • Utc Offset Dst — -4 • Elevation M — 172 • Elevation Ft — 564 • Postal Code Type — ZIP code • Postal Code — 10579 • Area Code — 845 • Blank Name — FIPS code • Blank Info — 36-60147 • Blank1 Name — GNIS feature ID • Blank1 Info — 0979403 • Website — https: www.putnamvalley.gov Putnam Valley is a town in Putnam County, New York, United States. The population was 11,762 at the 2020 census. Its location is northeast of New York City, in the southwestern part of Putnam County. Putnam Valley calls itself the "Town of Lakes".

The retreating glaciers of the last ice age did much to shape the landscape of Putnam Valley, including the shearing of hills to expose springs (creating, for example, Bryant Pond) and leaving the glacial deposits of stone and large boulders. The current area of Putnam Valley was occupied by paleo-Indians, followed by the historic Wappinger Indians who lived by the many lakes. Dutch and English farmers moved into the area toward the end of the 17th Century. In 1697, the Highland Patent was granted to Adolph Philipse. The first settlers arrived circa 1740. In 1745, the Smith property was sold to the Bryant family, who renamed their pond Bryant Pond and the nearby hill, Bryant Hill. The Smith family homestead is the oldest house in Putnam Valley, located just east of the Taconic Parkway on Bryant Pond Road. Putnam Valley incorporated in 1839 as the town of Quincy, when it was separated from the town of Philipstown, and it took the name "Putnam Valley" in 1840, possibly because local inhabitants were not favorably impressed by John Quincy Adams. In 1861, a small part of the town of Carmel was added to Putnam Valley.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.0 sqmi, of which 41.4 sqmi is land and 1.6 sqmi, or 3.72%, is water. A total of 14,089 acres of Clarence Fahnestock State Park lie within the boundaries of Putnam Valley, and 1,000 acres are owned by the Hudson Highlands Land Trust, an environmental preservation trust in the Hudson Valley. The southern town line is the border of Westchester County. The Taconic State Parkway passes through the eastern part of the town. New York State Route 301 straddles the town's northern border.

At the 2000 census, there were 10,686 people, 3,676 households and 2,874 families residing in the town. The population density was 258.2 PD/sqmi. There were 4,253 housing units at an average density of 102.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.54% White, 1.60% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 1.28% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.28% of the population. There were 3,676 households, of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.28. Age distribution was 26.7% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males. The median household income was $72,938, and the median family income was $82,576. Males had a median income of $56,976 versus $36,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,215. About 2.7% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

The Putnam Valley Central School District operates three schools: Putnam Valley Elementary School starting at kindergarten, Putnam Valley Middle School starting at 5th grade, and Putnam Valley High School starting at 9th grade. The district was created in 1934, and was dedicated in 1935. The high school is the most recent addition to the district, being built in 2000. It shares a campus with the middle school and uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling, has three computer labs, a performing arts center and wireless Internet access in all classrooms. Before the high school was built, Putnam Valley students were previously sent to neighboring town high schools including Lakeland High School in Shrub Oak, Peekskill High School or Walter Panas High School, all of which are in Westchester County.

Rail service is provided by Metro-North's Hudson Line at the Peekskill station in Westchester County, which is a 15 minute drive southwest from Putnam Valley.

• Illustration — The town hall in June 2025 The Town of Putnam Valley is governed by a town board. The town board consists of a Supervisor, Alison Jolicoeur, and four town board members: Louie Luongo, Christian Russo, Stacey Tompkins and Sherry Howard. Jolicoeur, a Democrat, was elected by a 23-vote margin in 2025. The town hall is located at 265 Oscawana Lake Road in Putnam Valley. Law enforcement services for Putnam Valley are provided by the New York State Police and the Putnam County Sheriff's Department. Fire protection is provided by the Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department, and medical emergencies are served by Putnam Valley Ambulance Corp Volunteers.

• Adams Corners – A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town. • Amen Hill – A hill inside the Putnam Valley Park, known for its steep slope. • Appalachian Trail – The Appalachian Trail runs through the town of Putnam Valley. • Bullet Hole – A hamlet by the eastern town line. • California Hill State Forest • Christian Corners – A hamlet north of Oscawana Lake. • Clarence Fahnestock State Park – A state park partly in the northern part of the town. • Crofts Corners – A hamlet in the southern half of the town. • Dennytown Lake – Historic lake in the hamlet of Dennytown. • Dennytown – A hamlet near the western town line. • Floradan Estates – A privately owned cooperative community located just south of the Town Park. • Gilbert Corners – A hamlet west of Oscawana Lake. • Lake Peekskill – A hamlet near the southern town line that includes a small body of water called Lake Peekskill. • Oscawana Corners – A hamlet south of Oscawana Lake. • Oscawana Lake – A lake in the center of the town. • Putnam Valley Town Park – A town park primarily in the southern part of town. • Roaring Brook Lake – A hamlet around Roaring Brook Lake, east of the Taconic State Parkway. • Roaring Brook – A historic stream running through the town and across the Taconic State Parkway. Flows into Roaring Brook Lake. • Sunnybrook – A hamlet by the southwestern shore of Oscawanna Lake. • Three Arrows Cooperative Society – A cooperative colony near Shrub Oak. • Tompkins Corners – A hamlet in the eastern part of the town. The United Methodist Church there, since closed, is the only building in town listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was sold in 2014 and became home to the Tompkins Corners Cultural Center (TCCC), a non-profit organization founded by local community members to foster the arts.