Watervliet New York Map

About Watervliet, New York

Watervliet is a locality in Albany County, New York, United States. It has a population of 10,375. The population density is 2985.0 people per km². Watervliet is located at 42.7301°N, 73.7012°W. It observes the Eastern Time (America/New_York) timezone. Watervliet is an incorporated locality. ZIP code: 12189.

Watervliet anchors itself firmly along the western banks of the Hudson River, where the earth yields to a steady, deliberate flow of water. It lies 5.9 miles west of Kent, NY (from Kent, NY: bearing 263°T), and is situated 7.8 miles east-northeast of Ridgeway. The landscape here remains defined by the river’s steady presence, carving a path through the terrain that feels both ancient and functional. To the west, the horizon occasionally hints at the distant Appalachian Mountains, standing as a hazy blue suggestion against the sky. Residents often find respite at Hudson Shores Park, a green threshold that bridges the gap between the urban grid and the river. While the landscape is largely shaped by human industry, the nearby presence of Buttermilk Falls offers a sudden, sharp clarity of movement in the local topography.

Watervliet maintains a legacy of production that traces back to the essential work of the nineteenth century, when the manufacture of heavy ordinance and iron became the lifeblood of the regional economy. The rhythm of the town has always been set by the hum of machinery and the movement of goods, long supported by the proximity of the Hudson River as a primary artery for transit. Over time, the economy transitioned from strictly industrial roots toward a more diverse array of services and local commerce, though the grit of its history remains visible in the architecture of its older workshops. This evolution mirrors the broader shifts in the region, where the labor of the past informs the modest, persistent industry of the present. Even as the nature of work changes, the town retains a grounded character shaped by generations who understood the value of making things with their hands.

Watervliet possesses a quiet, unadorned resilience that defines its cultural character, moving at a pace dictated by the seasonal shifts of the inland climate. The town’s identity is anchored by the Watervliet Arsenal, a site of significant historical weight that continues to command attention as a landmark of national importance. Local life often congregates around community gatherings that reflect a deep-seated appreciation for the neighborhood’s stability and the straightforward nature of its people. While the area is not defined by excess, the proximity of Burdens Pond provides a small, reflective space for those seeking a moment of stillness away from the main streets. Notable figures such as the nineteenth-century poet and critic Fitz-Greene Halleck once walked these paths, lending a thin but enduring layer of literary history to the local narrative. Life here is measured in the small, recurring patterns of the day, where the light at dusk catches the brickwork and reminds the observer of a place that remains stubbornly, essentially itself.

About This Watervliet Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Watervliet, New York. Coordinates: 42.730078, -73.70123. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Watervliet includes the ZIP code (12189), telephone area code (518), county seat of Albany County (Albany), and school district assignment (Watervliet City School District).

Search Maps opens a second, independent map. It searches OpenStreetMap for any US town, county or landmark by name; offers USGS topographic maps and USGS aerial imagery as base layers; overlays a labelled U.S. National Grid (USNG) so the map can be read like a printed topographic quad; measures distance and grid, true and magnetic bearings between any two points; and takes a single GPS fix reporting your position as a USNG grid reference and as latitude and longitude. Map tiles require cell coverage, but a GPS position does not, so the coordinates remain correct even where the map cannot load.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.