Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village of 2,306 people in Essex County, New York.
Why visit Lake Placid
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 62 places to eat, 35 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Palace Theatre, Cobble Hill, Lake Placid Olympic Museum and John Brown Farm State Historic Site.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 74°F; January lows average 6°F, and about 104 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Lake Placid
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Placid
Lake Placid is a village in Essex County, New York, United States, within the Adirondack Mountains. Its population was 2,205 at the 2020 census. Lake Placid became known internationally for hosting the 1932 and the 1980 Winter Olympics. Lake Placid has also hosted the 1972 and 2023 Winter World University Games, as well as the 2000 Goodwill Winter Games.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Placid, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks12
John Brown Farm State Historic Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historical landmark
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United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Government building in Lake Placid, New York
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Olympic Center
Sports field and stadium
2634 Main Street, Lake Placid
Lake Placid Club Golf Courses
Golf course · 1.1 mi
88 Morningside Dr, Lake Placid
Restaurants and cafes62
Lisa G's
Diner · American · 0.5 mi
6125 Sentinel Road, Lake Placid
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00; Su 11:30-21:00
Raquette River Brewing Tasting Room
Bar and pub
2527 Main Street, Lake Placid
Su-Th 12:00-18:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-20:00
50 more on the map.
History
Lake Placid was founded in the early 19th century to develop an iron ore mining operation. By 1840, the population of "North Elba" (four miles southeast of the present village, near where the road to the Adirondak Loj crosses the Ausable River), was six families. In 1845, the philanthropist Gerrit Smith arrived in North Elba and not only bought a great deal of land around the village but granted large tracts to former slaves. He reformed the land law and demonstrated his support of abolitionism.
The abolitionist John Brown heard about Smith's reforms and left his anti-slavery activities in Kansas to buy 244 acres (1.0 km2) of land in North Elba. This parcel later became known as the "Freed Slave Utopian Experiment", Timbuctoo. Brown would become known for his raid on Harpers Ferry and his execution in 1859. Shortly before, John Brown asked to be buried on his farm, which remains preserved as the John Brown Farm State Historic Site.
From the History section of Lake Placid, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay35
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping29
Gas and EV charging6
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare3
Lake Placid Health and Medical Fitness Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.3 mi
203 Old Military Road, Lake Placid
Map of Lake Placid
172 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23°F | 6°F | 3.1 in | 21.0 in |
| Feb | 27°F | 8°F | 2.3 in | 21.0 in |
| Mar | 36°F | 16°F | 2.9 in | 18.9 in |
| Apr | 49°F | 28°F | 3.4 in | 7.8 in |
| May | 62°F | 40°F | 3.9 in | 0.5 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 49°F | 4.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 74°F | 54°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 72°F | 52°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 66°F | 45°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 52°F | 35°F | 4.2 in | 2.6 in |
| Nov | 40°F | 25°F | 3.4 in | 9.6 in |
| Dec | 28°F | 14°F | 3.5 in | 22.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lake Placid 2 S Hcn (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Essex County has had 19 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-24: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-29: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-07-22: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-12-19: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lake Placid Airport (LKP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Mineville 26 mi southeast, about 43 min by car
- Keeseville 29 mi northeast, about 47 min by car
- Peru 30 mi northeast, about 49 min by car
- Port Henry 31 mi southeast, about 50 min by car
- Dannemora 33 mi northeast, about 53 min by car
- Morrisonville 35 mi northeast, about 57 min by car
- Plattsburgh West 36 mi northeast, about 58 min by car
- Plattsburgh 38 mi northeast, about 1 h by car
- Burlington 40 mi east, about 1 h by car
- South Burlington 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Whiteface Mountain Ski Area, No machine-readable author provided. Stilfehler assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
- Whiteface Lake Placid Olympic Center (45530174775), LunchboxLarry from Burlington, Vermont, CC BY 2.0
- 1932 Ice Rink Lake Placid (45530171475), LunchboxLarry from Burlington, Vermont, CC BY 2.0
- House at John Brown's Farm, Mwanner | Talk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- US Post Office, Lake Placid, NY, Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Skating (45530172785), LunchboxLarry from Burlington, Vermont, CC BY 2.0
- Jack Shea Arena (45530170245), LunchboxLarry from Burlington, Vermont, CC BY 2.0
- 2025 Skate America coaches pairs short program 02, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- 2025 Skate America men's victory ceremony 07, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Olympic Museum Sonja Henie skates, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Josephine Lee 2025 Skate America Free Skate 01, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Anastasiia Gubanova 2025 Skate America Short Program 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Alicia Fabbri & Paul Ayer 2025 Skate America Free Dance 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Lea Serna 2025 Skate America Practice 04, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Lea Serna 2025 Skate America Practice 02, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Alysa Liu 2025 Skate America Free Skate 01, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Emily Chan & Spencer Akira Howe 2025 Skate America Short Program 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Alysa Liu 2025 Skate America Free Skate 05, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Alysa Liu 2025 Skate America Free Skate 07, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Loicia Demougeot & Theo Le Mercier 2025 Skate America Free Dance 11, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Celina Fradji & Jean-Hans Fourneaux 2025 Skate America Free Dance 02, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Lara Naki Gutmann 2025 Skate America Free Skate 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Lea Serna 2025 Skate America Free Skate 04, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- 2025 Skate America coaches at practice 03, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Kazuki Tomono 2025 Skate America Free Skate 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Annika Hocke & Robert Kunkel 2025 Skate America Free Skate 06, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Hana Yoshida 2025 Skate America Short Program 02, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- 2025 Skate America pairs victory ceremony 06, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Kevin Aymoz 2025 Skate America Free Skate 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- 2025 Skate America hosts 03, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- 2025 Skate America coaches pairs short program 04, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Luc Economides 2025 Skate America Practice 01, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Kevin Aymoz 2025 Skate America Practice 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Ekaterina Kurakova 2025 Skate America Practice 09, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Annika Hocke & Robert Kunkel 2025 Skate America Free Skate 00, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Josephine Lee 2025 Skate America Short Program 05, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Tatsuya Tsuboi 2025 Skate America Free Skate 04, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Annika Hocke & Robert Kunkel 2025 Skate America Free Skate 08, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko 2025 Skate America Free Dance 04, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
- Celina Fradji & Jean-Hans Fourneaux 2025 Skate America Free Dance 01, FloweringDagwood, CC BY 4.0
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