Poughkeepsie, New York

Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie during its annual balloon festival
Etymology: U-puku-ipi-sing: "The reed-covered lodge by the little-water place"
Nicknames: 
The Queen City of the Hudson, PK
Interactive map of Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie
Coordinates: 41°41′42″N 73°55′16″W / 41.69500°N 73.92111°W / 41.69500; -73.92111
Country United States
State New York
CountyDutchess
Founded1686 (1686)
Incorporated (town)1799 (1799)
Incorporated (city)1854 (1854)
Government
 • TypeMayor–council government
 • MayorYvonne Flowers (D)
 • Common Council
List
  • At-Large: Da'Ron Wilson (D)
  • W1: Ernest Henry (D)
  • W2: Evan Menist (D)
  • W3: Terriciena Brown (D)
  • W4: Nathan Shook, Vice-Chair (D)
  • W5: Ondie James (D)
  • W6: Christopher Grant (D)
  • W7: Nedra Thompson, Majority Leader (D)
  • W8: Daniel Atonna (D)
Area
 • City
5.72 sq mi (14.81 km2)
 • Land5.14 sq mi (13.32 km2)
 • Water0.58 sq mi (1.49 km2)
 • Urban
327.1 sq mi (847.3 km2)
Elevation
180 ft (55 m)
Highest elevation
(College Hill)
380 ft (120 m)
Lowest elevation0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
31,577
 • Density6,137.9/sq mi (2,369.86/km2)
 • Urban
314,766 (US: 131st)
 • Urban density1,499/sq mi (578.9/km2)
 • Metro
697,221 (US: 84th)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
12601–12603
Area code845
FIPS code36-59641
GNIS feature ID979392
Websitewww.cityofpoughkeepsie.com

Poughkeepsie (/pəˈkɪpsi/ pə-KIP-see) is a city in and is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is surrounded by the Town of Poughkeepsie and had a population of 31,577 at the 2020 census, while the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area has an estimated 712,000 residents. Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson Valley region, midway between the core of the New York metropolitan area and the state capital of Albany. It is served by the nearby Hudson Valley Regional Airport and Stewart International Airport in Orange County, New York.

Poughkeepsie has been called "The Queen City of the Hudson". Originally part of New Netherland, it was settled in the 17th century by the Dutch and became New York State's second capital shortly after the American Revolution. It was chartered as a city in 1854. Major bridges in the city include the Walkway over the Hudson, a former railroad bridge which reopened as a public walkway in 2009; and the Mid-Hudson Bridge, a major thoroughfare built in 1930 that carries U.S. Route 44. The city of Poughkeepsie lies in New York's 18th congressional district.

The City of Poughkeepsie and neighboring Town of Poughkeepsie are generally viewed as a single place and are commonly referred to collectively as "Poughkeepsie", with a combined population of 77,048 in 2020. Educational institutions include Marist University, Vassar College, Dutchess Community College and The Culinary Institute of America. In 2024 and 2025, Poughkeepsie was ranked as one of the top cities in the U.S.