Named after the many falls located on the Black River, the city developed early in the 19th century as a manufacturing center. From years of generating industrial wealth, in the early 20th century the city was said to have more millionaires per capita than any other city in the nation. Residents of Watertown built a rich public and private architectural legacy. It is the smallest city to have a park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the celebrated landscape architect who created Central Park in New York City.
Geographically, Watertown is located in the central part of Jefferson County. It lies 72.0 miles north of Syracuse, New York and 31 miles south of the Canadian border. The city is served by Watertown International Airport.
The city is known as the birthplace of the "Five and dime" and the safety pin. It manufactured the first portable steam engine. It has the longest continually operating county fair in the United States and holds the Red and Black football franchise, the oldest surviving semi-professional team in the United States.
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,705 people, 11,036 households, and 6,500 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,981.3/sq mi (1,150.8/km²). There were 12,450 housing units at an average density of 1,389.9/sq mi (536.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.13% White, 4.95% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 11,036 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.7% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,429, and the median income for a family was $36,115. Males had a median income of $31,068 versus $21,294 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,354. About 14.4% of families and 19.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
One Interstate Highway runs through the Watertown area:
Interstate 81
One US Highway runs through the Greater Watertown area:
U.S. Route 11
Many highways converge on the city, NY-3, NY-12, and NY-12F. .
New York State Routes:
New York State Route 3
New York State Route 12
New York State Route 12F
The local newspaper, Watertown Daily Times, is published 7 days a week and services Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Lewis County. The paper is found online at watertowndailytimes.com. The Fort Drum Mountaineer is a weekly newspaper for Fort Drum soldiers and their dependents.
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