About
Welcome to the Town of Waterford N.Y. home page. Waterford can be found at the southern tip of Saratoga County where the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers merge. The name Waterford is derived from the location of a convenient place to cross (ford) the river waters.
The First Nations tribes of Mahican and Haudenusaunee peoples have called this area home long before the first European explorers set foot in this region. The land located on the North side of the Mohawk adjacent the Cohoes Falls is held in trust today by the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge and is considered to be sacred in the in Haudenusaunee traditions. Peebles Island State Park was the historical home of Menomine”s Castle an important Mahican leader.
During the 18th century Waterford benefited from is abundant waters to power textile mills and related industries. The convergence of the Erie and Champlain Canals encouraged commerce to flourish. Waves of Irish, Italian and other European immigrants found work, built homes and raised families here. Many of their descendants still call Waterford home.
Waterford is an island in the midst of the Capital District. Residents have quick and easy access to the surrounding cities of Troy, Cohoes, Albany, Schenectady and Saratoga. We have access to major highways, trains and the Albany County Airport. The best of New York and New England is mere hours away.
I encourage residents to become involved in our many school, civic and volunteer organizations. Three fire departments are entirely manned by volunteers. Our police department is fully accredited by the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services and is staffed 24 hours a day seven day a week.
We are not without challenges. Working together we can continue to thrive and adapt to an ever changing world.