Poughkeepsie

Panorama of Poughkeepsie

Poughkeepsie is the name of both a town and a city in Dutchess County in New York's Hudson Valley. The City of Poughkeepsie is along the Hudson River on its eastern shore, where the river marks the boundary of the city and of the county (Ulster County is on the other side). The Town of Poughkeepsie encompasses surrounding areas of Dutchess County bordering on the city, and is more suburban in character.

Get in

By plane

• Stewart International Airport, 1180 First St, New Windsor, +1 845 564-2100. The closest major airport, but offers few direct flights to major destinations.
• Westchester County Airport}, 240 Airport Road, White Plains, +1 914 995-4860 (airlines). Two counties away, but an alternative to the congestion of the 3 major international airports around New York City. Rental cars available.
• Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport: Livery cars offer service to and from 3 major international airports. It is possible in a convoluted sort of way to get to and from JFK via Metro-North Railroad and New York City Transit.

By car

• US Route 9 passes through Poughkeepsie in the north-south direction, so you can get there on it by heading north from New York City or south from Albany (or beyond in the Adirondacks), though people usually use expressways for at least part of those trips rather than taking Route 9 all the way.
• US Route 44 and New York State Route 55 pass concurrently through the city of Poughkeepsie in an east-west direction (forming the East-West Arterial, with the westbound and eastbound lanes on separate streets several blocks apart). East of the city, the two routes split, with US-44 heading northeast and NY-55 southeast, both in the direction of Connecticut. To the west, they cross the Hudson River (on the Mid-Hudson Bridge, a toll bridge) and head towards the Catskills.
• Interstate 84 goes through Fishkill, south of Poughkeepsie, where you can take it west from Connecticut or east from Pennsylvania, then get off at exit 13 and take Route 9 north to Poughkeepsie.
• The New York Thruway (Interstate 87) is west of the Hudson River, where you can get from it to Poughkeepsie by getting off at New Paltz (exit 18) or Newburgh (exit 17) and crossing the river to the east. It runs between New York City and Buffalo by way of Albany.

By train

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 1 Poughkeepsie Station, 41 Main St (near the Hudson shore). There are ample parking spaces, and connecting local buses. (updated Oct 2023) Train operators:
  • Metro-North Hudson Line commuter train out of New York City. Poughkeepsie is the terminus stop on the Hudson Line. Express service between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central Terminal is about 1 hour and 40 minutes; late-night local service (after about 10PM) takes considerably longer. A one-way ticket to or from Grand Central costs $20.00 off-peak and $27.00 peak. Local service is also available to other Metro-North commuter stations. Full weekday and weekend schedules are available online. On-board train fares are subject to a stiff surcharge, so buy your tickets at the vending machines located on the platform, from a ticket agent, or using the MTA TrainTime app (available on the App Store and Google Play store). On trains departing from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, get a seat on the left side of the train, while on trains departing from Poughkeepsie, sit on the right side. Opposite Yonkers and Hastings-on-Hudson, you will be treated to great views of the sheer cliffs of the Palisades, and between Cold Spring and Beacon, you will get a glimpse of Bannerman Castle on an island offshore, in addition to the beautiful Hudson River Valley.
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Routes stopping in Poughkeepsie:
    • Adirondack operating daily between Montreal and New York City including stops along the way in Saint-Lambert, Rouses Point, Plattsburgh, Westport, Ticonderoga, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
    • Ethan Allen Express operating daily between Burlington and New York City including in Middlebury, Rutland, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
    • Empire Service operating twice daily between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Additional daily trips operate between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City.
    • Maple Leaf operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage. Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States.
    • Lake Shore Limited, operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer). The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City. Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City include Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-on-Hudson.

Get around

• Within the City of Poughkeepsie, streets with a "North" or "South" prefix are usually north or south of Main Street, which runs east-west from the riverfront to the outskirts of town. Formerly part of Main Street was closed to traffic as the pedestrian Main Mall, but this has been converted back to a driveable street.
• Within the City of Poughkeepsie, Route 9 is an expressway, but outside the city it becomes South Road and North Road, commercial thoroughfares lined with strip malls and the like.
• There were formerly separate bus systems serving the City of Poughkeepsie and the rest of Dutchess County, but they have been combined into one county-wide Dutchess County Public Transit bus system centering on Main and Market Streets in the City of Poughkeepsie.

See

Cornaro Window, Thompson Memorial Library, Vassar College

Locust Grove.

• 1 Locust Grove, 2683 South Rd, ☏ +1 845 454-4500. Guided mansion tours daily 10:15 AM-3:15 PM, May 1-Oct 31. Closed major holidays. The former estate of Samuel F.B. Morse, whose patent of the electromagnetic telegraph revolutionized human communication. Set on 150 acres, the Italianate villa was designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis. Adults $12, youth (6-18) $6. (updated Apr 2017)
• 2 Vassar College, 124 Raymond Ave, ☏ +1 845 437-7000. Founded in 1861, Vassar College is a highly selective, residential, coeducational liberal arts college. Consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Vassar is renowned for pioneering achievements in education, for its long history of curricular innovation, and for the beauty of its campus. Especially noteworthy is the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, which has ancient, medieval, Asian, European and American art and objects, well worth a visit. The Center is free to visit; open Tuesday through Saturday, 10AM-5PM, Thursdays open until 9PM; Sundays, 1PM to 5PM. Closed Mondays. The grounds of the college are quite lovely (in good weather); the campus is maintained as an arboretum, with more than 200 varieties of trees on 1,000 acres. (updated Apr 2017)
• 3 Marist College. Private liberal arts college founded in 1905, with a 180-acre main campus overlooking the Hudson River. (updated Sep 2019)

Do

View of the Walkway Over the Hudson

• 1 Walkway over the Hudson (Entrance on Parker Ave in Poughkeepsie), ☏ +1 845 454-9649. Open from 7AM to sunset 7 days a week. Dogs Allowed, Handicap Accessible. The Bridge connects Poughkeepsie to Highland and it has a long history; it was built in 1888 as a railroad bridge, and it caught fire in 1974 and was too expensive to tear down. Today it is the longest pedestrian footbridge in the world at 6,768 feet (1.28 miles) long. Being 212 feet over the Hudson River it gives you a great view of the sunset and the skyline of Poughkeepsie and Highland.  
• Empire Cruise Lines, 29 North Water St, toll-free: +1-866-797-9024. Sightseeing cruises on the Hudson River. 
• 2 Bardavon Opera House, 35 Market St, ☏ +1 845 473-5288, +1 845 472-2072 (Box office), fax: +1 845 472-4259. The Bardavon was established in 1869, and now takes part in many legendary musical performances. Closed for the summers, reopens in September, prices varied, accepts all major credit cards, personal checks, cash, and gift cards. (updated Apr 2017)
• Casperkill Golf Club, 2320 South Rd./ Rt.9, ☏ +1 845 463-0900. Dawn until dusk open all year, weather permitting. Formerly a country club for IBM employees, Casperkill Golf Club is an 18 hole championship golf course including lessons, putting green, driving range, and pro-golf shop. call for rates and reserve online. 
• 3 Mid-Hudson Children's Museum, 75 North Water St, ☏ +1 845 471-0589. Tuesday-Friday 9:30AM-5PM, Saturday Sunday 11AM-5PM. The Mid-Hudson Children's Museum is an interactive, hands-on museum with a variety of different exhibits all focused on Hudson Valley heritage, technology, and science. For children up to age 12.  
• Bananas Comedy Club, Mercury Grand Hotel 2170 Rt. 9, ☏ +1 845 462-3333. Friday opens at 9PM, Saturday opens at 8PM-10:30PM. Bananas Comedy Club includes top comedians from television, movies, Atlantic City, and Las Vegas. Dinner and overnight packages available. $12 on Friday $15 on Saturday and Sunday. 

Buy

The downtown Poughkeepsie mall row is a designated National Historic Sight

• 1 Poughkeepsie Galleria, 2001 South Rd (go south on Route 9 (South Road) a few miles from the City of Poughkeepsie), ☏ +1 845 297-7600. M-Sa 10AM - 9:30PM; Su 11AM - 6PM. A large shopping mall in the Town of Poughkeepsie.  

Eat

• Shadows on the Hudson, 176 Rinaldi Blvd, ☏ +1 845 486-9500, fax: +1 845 486-9501. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM (Cocktails until 11PM), F Sa 11:30AM-11PM (cocktails until 2AM), Su brunch 11AM-2PM, lunch & dinner 1-9PM. Located on the riverfront, this modern restaurant is also a bar, outside seating, great views, great food, a little fancier than casual dress. 
• 1 Cosimos Trattoria, 120 Delafield St, ☏ +1 845 485-7172. Brick oven pizza, reservations for over seven, outdoor seating available, near the riverfront, underneath the Walkway on the Hudson. Easy access from Route 9. (updated Apr 2017)

Drink

• 1 Mahoney's Irish Pub & Restaurant, 35 Main St, ☏ +1 845-471-7026. Daily 11AM-4PM. (updated Apr 2017)
• Noah's Ark, 135 Mill St, ☏ +1 845 486-9295. Popular with upperclass students and 20-something locals for its happy hour, half price drinks on Thursdays 6-7:30PM, half price drinks and buffet on Fridays 6PM-7:30PM. The buffet normally consists of buffalo chicken wings and pasta. 

Sleep

A small inn in Poughkeepsie during the fall

• 1 Best Western Plus The Inn & Suites at the Falls, 50 Red Oaks Mill Rd, ☏ +1 845 462-5770, fax: +1 845 462-5943. 
• 2 Holiday Inn Express Poughkeepsie, 2750 South Rd, ☏ +1 845 473-1151, ExpressPou@aol.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Offers complimentary hot breakfast, pool, fitness center, and business center. Visit hotel website for current specials and packages. (updated Oct 2019)
• 3 Hampton Inn & Suites Poughkeepsie, 2361 South Rd, ☏ +1-845 463-7500, fax: +1-845 462-1474. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Next to IBM Headquarters. 
• 4 Courtyard Poughkeepsie, 2641 South Road, ☏ +1 845 485-6336, fax: +1 845 485-6514. (updated Apr 2017)
• 5 Residence Inn Poughkeepsie, 2525 South Rd, ☏ +1 845 463-4343, toll-free: +1-800-331-3131, fax: +1 845 463-4344. 
• 6 DoubleTree by Hilton Poughkeepsie, 40 Civic Center Plaza, ☏ +1 845 485-5300, fax: +1 845 485-4720. Downtown hotel, next to the civic center. (updated Apr 2017)
• 7 Red Roof Plus Poughkeepsie, 2349 South Rd, ☏ +1 937 328-1855. Right next to Hampton Inn. 

Go next

From Poughkeepsie you can explore the entire Hudson Valley, or head north for the Adirondacks, west for the Catskills, east for New England, or south for New York City.

Routes through Poughkeepsie

Albany (Rensselaer) ← Rhinecliff ←	N  S	→ Croton-on-Hudson → New York City
Albany (Rensselaer) ← Rhinecliff ←	N  S	→ Croton-on-Hudson → New York City
Albany ← Hyde Park ←	N  S	→ Fishkill → New York City
END ← Kerhonkson ←	W  E	→ Amenia → Hartford
END ←	N  S	→ Beacon → Croton-on-Hudson