County outline
Where Fulton County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 93% of Fulton County’s measured area and water for 7%. Its combined area converts to 1,380.2 square kilometers or approximately 341,043 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 495.46 | 1,283.236 | 317,094.4 |
| Water | 37.419 | 96.915 | 23,948.2 |
| Total | 532.879 | 1,380.15 | 341,042.6 |
How Fulton County compares
By original Census land area, Fulton County ranks #44 of 62 in New York and #2100 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.758 times the New York county-equivalent median of 653.7 square miles. It accounts for 1.1% 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 Fulton County
The Census Bureau estimates that 52,216 people lived in Fulton County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #995 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #45 of 62 in New York. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 53,334, the population has declined by 1,118 (−2.1%), compared with −1% for New York as a whole.
With 495.5 square miles of land, that is 105 people per square mile (41 per km²), placing Fulton County #946 nationally for density and #33 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 6.1 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 53,084 | 52,862 | 52,403 | 52,468 | 52,184 | 52,216 |
| Change | — | −222 | −459 | +65 | −284 | +32 |
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 Fulton County
Fulton County is divided into 12 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 Gloversville city, with 14,782 residents (28.3% of the county). The largest by land is Stratford town, at 74.9 mi², or 15.1% of the county’s land. The county seat, Johnstown city, has 8,021 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Oppenheim town grew fastest since then (+0.7%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloversville city | 14,782 | −2.5% | 5.046 | 1% |
| Johnstown cityCounty seat | 8,021 | −2.3% | 4.82 | 1% |
| Johnstown townCounty seat | 6,563 | −4.4% | 70.4 | 14.2% |
| Mayfield town | 6,073 | −1.2% | 58.4 | 11.8% |
| Broadalbin town | 5,077 | −1.4% | 31.7 | 6.4% |
| Perth town | 3,506 | −2.2% | 26.1 | 5.3% |
| Northampton town | 2,482 | +0.2% | 21.1 | 4.3% |
| Oppenheim town | 1,760 | +0.7% | 56.1 | 11.3% |
| Ephratah town | 1,645 | −1.7% | 39.2 | 7.9% |
| Caroga town | 1,238 | −0.6% | 50.6 | 10.2% |
| Bleecker town | 546 | 0% | 57.1 | 11.5% |
| Stratford town | 523 | −2.6% | 74.9 | 15.1% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Fulton County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Fulton County is a central county of the Gloversville, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area. Fulton County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 495.5 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #437 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #212 by population. It belongs to the Albany-Schenectady, NY Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Fulton County; 7 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
1201012025120321206812070120781208612095121171213413329133391345213470
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 Fulton County
Fulton County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Hamilton County (1,717.4 mi²) and the smallest is Montgomery County (403.1 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Fulton County forms a block of 4,836.5 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.2%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Fulton | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | 1,717.4 | 3.5× larger | Compare |
| Herkimer County | 1,410.6 | 2.8× larger | Compare |
| Saratoga County | 810 | 1.6× larger | Compare |
| Montgomery County | 403.1 | 1.2× smaller | Compare |
How big is Fulton County compared with U.S. states?
Fulton County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.1 times as much. New York’s county land could hold about 95 areas the size of Fulton County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 22.3 miles (35.8 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 Fulton County?
Fulton County has more land than 1,122 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 Fulton County at #2,068 nationally by total area, 32 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 7%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 5.9 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 Fulton County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2099 | Rice County, Minnesota | 495.8 | Compare |
| #2100 | Fulton County, New York | 495.5 | This county |
| #2101 | Richland County, Ohio | 495.2 | 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 43.113038, -74.425490. 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: 1,283,236,076 m²; AWATER: 96,915,000 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 Fulton County?
Fulton County, New York has 495.5 square miles (1,283.2 km²) of land and 37.4 square miles of water, for a total area of 532.9 square miles. It ranks #2100 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Fulton County the largest county in New York?
No. Fulton County ranks #44 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 Fulton County?
Fulton County shares a land border with Montgomery County, Hamilton County, Saratoga County, and Herkimer County.
What is the population of Fulton County?
The Census Bureau estimates Fulton County had 52,216 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #995 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 105 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Fulton County?
The county seat of Fulton County is Johnstown.
What cities and towns are in Fulton County?
Fulton County has 12 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Gloversville city, Johnstown city, Johnstown town, Mayfield town, and Broadalbin town.
Is Fulton County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Gloversville, NY Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Fulton County?
14 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Fulton County, and 7 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Fulton County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Fulton County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 317,094 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 341,043 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.