County outline
Where Schuyler County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 95.9% of Schuyler County’s measured area and water for 4.1%. Its combined area converts to 886.7 square kilometers or approximately 219,096 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 328.343 | 850.404 | 210,139.5 |
| Water | 13.995 | 36.247 | 8,956.8 |
| Total | 342.338 | 886.651 | 219,096.3 |
How Schuyler County compares
By original Census land area, Schuyler County ranks #52 of 62 in New York and #2743 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.502 times the New York county-equivalent median of 653.7 square miles. It accounts for 0.7% 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 Schuyler County
The Census Bureau estimates that 16,924 people lived in Schuyler County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #2,044 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #61 of 62 in New York. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 17,892, the population has declined by 968 (−5.4%), compared with −1% for New York as a whole.
With 328.3 square miles of land, that is 52 people per square mile (20 per km²), placing Schuyler County #1,518 nationally for density and #52 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 12 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 17,863 | 17,790 | 17,591 | 17,441 | 17,141 | 16,924 |
| Change | — | −73 | −199 | −150 | −300 | −217 |
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 Schuyler County
Schuyler County is divided into 8 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 Hector town, with 4,733 residents (28% of the county), and it is also the largest by land at 102.4 mi².
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hector town | 4,733 | −3.3% | 102.4 | 31.2% |
| Dix town | 3,485 | −7.3% | 36.3 | 11% |
| Montour town | 2,170 | −6.7% | 18.6 | 5.7% |
| Reading town | 1,643 | −4.4% | 27.2 | 8.3% |
| Tyrone town | 1,557 | −5.1% | 37.3 | 11.4% |
| Catharine town | 1,526 | −7.3% | 32.3 | 9.8% |
| Orange town | 1,347 | −4% | 54.1 | 16.5% |
| Cayuta town | 463 | −8.5% | 20.3 | 6.2% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Schuyler County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Schuyler County is not part of any metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area in the Office of Management and Budget’s July 2023 delineation; 1,306 other county equivalents are also outside one. These areas are built around an urban core of at least 10,000 people plus the counties tied to it by commuting, so counties outside them are generally rural.
ZIP codes
18 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Schuyler County; 10 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
148051481214815148181482414837148381484014841148471486414865148691487014878148861488914891
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 Schuyler County
Schuyler County shares a land border with 5 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Steuben County (1,390.5 mi²) and the smallest is Seneca County (323.7 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Schuyler County forms a block of 3,262.7 mi² of land, of which it holds 10.1%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Schuyler | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steuben County | 1,390.5 | 4.2× larger | Compare |
| Tompkins County | 474.7 | 1.4× larger | Compare |
| Chemung County | 407.3 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
| Yates County | 338.2 | about the same | Compare |
| Seneca County | 323.7 | about the same | Compare |
How big is Schuyler County compared with U.S. states?
Schuyler County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 3.1 times as much. New York’s county land could hold about 144 areas the size of Schuyler County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 18.1 miles (29.2 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 Schuyler County?
Schuyler County has more land than 479 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 Schuyler County at #2,757 nationally by total area, 14 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 4.1%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 2.9 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 Schuyler County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2742 | Dougherty County, Georgia | 328.6 | Compare |
| #2743 | Schuyler County, New York | 328.3 | This county |
| #2744 | Craig County, Virginia | 328.1 | 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 42.419776, -76.938603. 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: 850,405,401 m²; AWATER: 36,246,372 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 Schuyler County?
Schuyler County, New York has 328.3 square miles (850.4 km²) of land and 14 square miles of water, for a total area of 342.3 square miles. It ranks #2743 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Schuyler County the largest county in New York?
No. Schuyler County ranks #52 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 Schuyler County?
Schuyler County shares a land border with Tompkins County, Steuben County, Chemung County, Yates County, and Seneca County.
What is the population of Schuyler County?
The Census Bureau estimates Schuyler County had 16,924 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #2,044 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 52 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Schuyler County?
The county seat of Schuyler County is Watkins Glen.
What cities and towns are in Schuyler County?
Schuyler County has 8 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Hector town, Dix town, Montour town, Reading town, and Tyrone town.
Is Schuyler County part of a metropolitan area?
No. Schuyler County is outside every metropolitan and micropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation.
How many ZIP codes are in Schuyler County?
18 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Schuyler County, and 10 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Schuyler County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 3.1 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Schuyler County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 210,140 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 219,096 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.