Halfmoon, New York
Encyclopedia
Halfmoon is a town
in Saratoga County
, New York
, United States
. The population was 18,474 at the 2000 census. The town is named for the crescent shape of the land between the Hudson River
and Mohawk River
.
Halfmoon is in the southeast part of the county and is north of Albany
.
The town was formed while still part of Albany County in 1788. The name was briefly changed to “Orange” when the town of Waterford was created in 1816 from part of Halfmoon, but the current name was restored in 1820. In 1828, the western portion of the town was used to create the town of Clifton Park
.
The Erie Canal
was built along the south part of Half Moon, part of the Mohawk River.
, the town has a total area of 33.7 square miles (87.3 km²), of which, 32.6 square miles (84.4 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (3.00%) is water.
The south town line, delineated by the Mohawk River
, is the border of Albany County
. The east town line, at the Hudson River
, is the border of Rensselaer County
. The north town line is marked by Anthony Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River.
Interstate 87
, the Adirondack Northway, is a multilane north-south expressway along the western edge of Halfmoon. US Route 9 parallels the interstate farther to the east and crosses into the town from Albany County on the Crescent Bridge. New York State Route 146
, an east-west highway, intersects US-9 at the hamlet of Clifton Park. US Route 4 is a north-south highway in the eastern part of the town.
New York State Route 236
is a short state highway linking NY-146 to US-9.
of 2000, there were 18,474 people, 7,778 households, and 4,861 families residing in the town. The population density
was 565.9 people per square mile (218.5/km2). There were 8,172 housing units at an average density of 250.3 per square mile (96.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.94% White, 1.27% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.
There were 7,778 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,234, and the median income for a family was $53,515. Males had a median income of $40,076 versus $30,512 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,714. About 3.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Saratoga County
Saratoga County, New York
Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 18,474 at the 2000 census. The town is named for the crescent shape of the land between the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
and Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
.
Halfmoon is in the southeast part of the county and is north of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
.
History
The earliest settlements occurred around 1680 by the Mohawk River.The town was formed while still part of Albany County in 1788. The name was briefly changed to “Orange” when the town of Waterford was created in 1816 from part of Halfmoon, but the current name was restored in 1820. In 1828, the western portion of the town was used to create the town of Clifton Park
Clifton Park, New York
Clifton Park is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2009 population estimate for Clifton Park was 36,469. The name is derived from an early land patent...
.
The Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
was built along the south part of Half Moon, part of the Mohawk River.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 33.7 square miles (87.3 km²), of which, 32.6 square miles (84.4 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (3.00%) is water.
The south town line, delineated by the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
, is the border of Albany County
Albany County, New York
Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
. The east town line, at the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, is the border of Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County, New York
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
. The north town line is marked by Anthony Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River.
Interstate 87
Interstate 87
Interstate 87 is a Interstate Highway located entirely within New York State in the United States of America. I-87 is the longest intrastate Interstate highway in the Interstate Highway System. Its southern end is at the Bronx approaches of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in New York City...
, the Adirondack Northway, is a multilane north-south expressway along the western edge of Halfmoon. US Route 9 parallels the interstate farther to the east and crosses into the town from Albany County on the Crescent Bridge. New York State Route 146
New York State Route 146
New York State Route 146 is a state highway in the Capital District of New York in the United States. It extends for from Gallupville at NY 443 to near Mechanicville at U.S. Route 4 and NY 32. NY 146 is a major thoroughfare in the city of Schenectady, just outside of...
, an east-west highway, intersects US-9 at the hamlet of Clifton Park. US Route 4 is a north-south highway in the eastern part of the town.
New York State Route 236
New York State Route 236
New York State Route 236 is a north–south state highway located within the town of Halfmoon in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The highway is little more than a connector linking U.S. Route 9 to NY 146 while bypassing the intersection of the two routes to the south and east...
is a short state highway linking NY-146 to US-9.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,474 people, 7,778 households, and 4,861 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 565.9 people per square mile (218.5/km2). There were 8,172 housing units at an average density of 250.3 per square mile (96.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.94% White, 1.27% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.
There were 7,778 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,234, and the median income for a family was $53,515. Males had a median income of $40,076 versus $30,512 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $23,714. About 3.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Halfmoon
- Coons – A hamlet near the north town line, west of Mechanicville.
- CrescentCrescent, New YorkCrescent is a hamlet in the town of Halfmoon, New York. It lies on the north bank of the Hudson River in Saratoga County. The Erie Canal originally entered this community over an aqueduct, today it is the location of the Crescent Bridge carrying US Route 9 from Albany County. In 1860 the population...
– A hamlet in the south part of the town. - Halfmoon (formerly “Middletown”) – The hamlet of Halfmoon is in the south part of the town at the junction of County Roads 94, 95, 96, and 99.
- Halfmoon Beach – A riverbank hamlet in the southwest corner of the town.
- Grays Corners – A location in the southwest part of the town.
- Newtown – A hamlet in the northeast part of the town on NY-146.
- Smithtown – A former community south of Newtown.