County outline
Where Clinton County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 92.9% of Clinton County’s measured area and water for 7.1%. Its combined area converts to 2,894.3 square kilometers or approximately 715,208 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 1,037.751 | 2,687.763 | 664,160.6 |
| Water | 79.762 | 206.583 | 51,047.7 |
| Total | 1,117.513 | 2,894.345 | 715,208.3 |
How Clinton County compares
By original Census land area, Clinton County ranks #15 of 62 in New York and #638 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 1.588 times the New York county-equivalent median of 653.7 square miles. It accounts for 2.2% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete New York ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Clinton County
The Census Bureau estimates that 78,138 people lived in Clinton County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #748 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #34 of 62 in New York. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 79,833, the population has declined by 1,695 (−2.1%), compared with −1% for New York as a whole.
With 1,037.8 square miles of land, that is 75 people per square mile (29 per km²), placing Clinton County #1,207 nationally for density and #43 in New York. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the New York median is 112. Put another way, there are about 8.5 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 79,713 | 79,034 | 78,011 | 77,905 | 77,832 | 78,138 |
| Change | — | −679 | −1,023 | −106 | −73 | +306 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Clinton County
Clinton County is divided into 15 cities and towns. In New York, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Plattsburgh city, with 19,744 residents (25.3% of the county). The largest by land is Black Brook town, at 130.2 mi², or 12.5% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Schuyler Falls town grew fastest since then (+2.3%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plattsburgh cityCounty seat | 19,744 | −0.5% | 5.369 | 0.5% |
| Plattsburgh townCounty seat | 11,748 | −1.2% | 45.6 | 4.4% |
| Peru town | 6,669 | −1.6% | 78.9 | 7.6% |
| Champlain town | 5,583 | −2.8% | 51.2 | 4.9% |
| Beekmantown town | 5,396 | −2% | 60.4 | 5.8% |
| Schuyler Falls town | 4,955 | +2.3% | 37 | 3.6% |
| Chazy town | 4,035 | −1.6% | 54.2 | 5.2% |
| Saranac town | 3,791 | −1.7% | 114.8 | 11.1% |
| Mooers town | 3,449 | −0.3% | 87.5 | 8.4% |
| Dannemora town | 3,291 | −18.5% | 59.1 | 5.7% |
| Au Sable town | 3,124 | −1.9% | 38.9 | 3.7% |
| Altona town | 2,522 | −5.5% | 101 | 9.7% |
| Ellenburg town | 1,788 | −2.8% | 106.6 | 10.3% |
| Black Brook town | 1,417 | −1.7% | 130.2 | 12.5% |
| Clinton town | 626 | −3.4% | 67.1 | 6.5% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Clinton County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Clinton County is a central county of the Plattsburgh, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area. Clinton County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 1,037.8 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #172 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #80 by population.
ZIP codes
27 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Clinton County; 25 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
129011290312910129111291212918129191292012921129231292412929129331293412935129441295212955129581295912962129721297812979129811298512992
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Clinton County
Clinton County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents, including 2 in Vermont. It has more land than 2 of them. The largest neighbor is Essex County (1,794.1 mi²) and the smallest is Grand Isle County (81.8 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Clinton County forms a block of 5,079.8 mi² of land, of which it holds 20.4%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Clinton | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County | 1,794.1 | 1.7× larger | Compare |
| Franklin County | 1,629.3 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Chittenden CountyVermont | 536.9 | 1.9× smaller | Compare |
| Grand Isle CountyVermont | 81.8 | 12.7× smaller | Compare |
How big is Clinton County compared with U.S. states?
Clinton County has more land than 1 of the 50 states. It is about 1 times the land area of Rhode Island (1,033.9 mi²), while Delaware, the next larger state, has 1.9 times as much land (1,948.6 mi²). New York’s county land could hold about 45 areas the size of Clinton County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 32.2 miles (51.8 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Clinton County?
Clinton County has more land than 2,584 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Clinton County at #655 nationally by total area, 17 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 7.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 6 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Clinton County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #637 | Walton County, Florida | 1,038.4 | Compare |
| #638 | Clinton County, New York | 1,037.8 | This county |
| #639 | McLennan County, Texas | 1,036.7 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 44.752710, -73.705645. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 2,687,763,058 m²; AWATER: 206,581,994 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Clinton County?
Clinton County, New York has 1,037.8 square miles (2,687.8 km²) of land and 79.8 square miles of water, for a total area of 1,117.5 square miles. It ranks #638 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Clinton County the largest county in New York?
No. Clinton County ranks #15 of 62 in New York by land area. The largest is St. Lawrence County, with 2,679.5 square miles of land.
What counties border Clinton County?
Clinton County shares a land border with Franklin County, Grand Isle County, Vermont, Essex County, and Chittenden County, Vermont.
What is the population of Clinton County?
The Census Bureau estimates Clinton County had 78,138 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #748 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 75 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Clinton County?
The county seat of Clinton County is Plattsburgh.
What cities and towns are in Clinton County?
Clinton County has 15 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Plattsburgh city, Plattsburgh town, Peru town, Champlain town, and Beekmantown town.
Is Clinton County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Plattsburgh, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Clinton County?
27 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Clinton County, and 25 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Clinton County compare with U.S. states?
It has more land than 1 of the 50 states, including Rhode Island (1,033.9 square miles of land).
How many acres of land are in Clinton County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 664,161 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 715,208 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.