County · code 36021
Columbia CountyNew York
Columbia County is a county in New York, formed in 1786 with Hudson as its county seat.
- Founded1786
- County seatHudson
- Named forChristopher Columbus
- Land area635 sq mi + 14 sq mi water
- Population61,570 2020 Census
Where it is
Columbia on the map of New York
New York has 62 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1786 from Albany County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Columbia County was created from Albany County on April 4, 1786, and named after Christopher Columbus. The county gained a small area from Dutchess County in 1799 and lost a small area to Greene County in 1823. In 1855, Columbia County gained the southwestern corner of Massachusetts, known as Boston Corner, when New York acquired it from Berkshire County.
- 1786Columbia County created Columbia created from Albany. · N.Y. Laws 1786, 9th sess., ch. 28/p. 49
- 1799Gained territory Columbia gained small area from Dutchess. · N.Y. Laws 1798-1799, 22d sess., ch. 37/p. 347
- 1823Lost territory Columbia lost small area to Greene. · N.Y. Laws 1823, 46th sess., ch. 251/p. 377
- 1855Gained territory Columbia gained from Berkshire (Massachusetts) when New York acquired the southwestern corner of Massachusetts (Boston Corner). · Pratt, 2:223; Van Zandt, 70, 76
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Columbia
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Missing
No public parcel map found for Columbia County yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county (columbiacountyny.org).
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Address points Official
One point per address, 39,881 in all from NYS Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), Geospatial Services / GIS Program Office (AGOL org 'ShareGIS NY', owner NYSGIS_GPO).
edited 25 September 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Columbia by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Columbia County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Columbia County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Columbia County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Columbia County
- When was Columbia County founded?
- Columbia County was founded in 1786, formed from Albany County, and named after Christopher Columbus.
- What is the county seat of Columbia County?
- The county seat of Columbia County is Hudson.
- Is there an online parcel map for Columbia County?
- Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
- Has Columbia County's boundary or name changed?
- Columbia County was created in 1786 from Albany County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Berkshire (Mass.) County, Dutchess County and Greene County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Columbia County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby