Potsdam, New York
Potsdam is a village of 8,427 people in St. Lawrence County, New York.
Why visit Potsdam
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 34 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Roxy, Clarkson University, Bayside Cemetery and Gatehouse Complex and Clarkson Office Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 6°F.
Weather in Potsdam
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Potsdam
Potsdam is a village located in the Town of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 8,312 at the 2020 census. The Village of Potsdam is in the eastern part of the town and is northeast of Canton, the county seat. The village is the locale of the State University of New York at Potsdam and Clarkson University.
From the Wikipedia article Potsdam (village), New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Clarkson University
School · 0.9 mi
Private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York, United States
Museums and landmarks11
Bayside Cemetery and Gatehouse Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Cemetery in Potsdam, St. Lawrence County New York
Clarkson Office Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic commercial building in New York, United States
Clarkson-Knowles Cottage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Potsdam, NY, listed on the NRHP in New York
Gardner Cox House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Jonathan Wallace House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in New York, United States
Market Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Nathaniel Parmeter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
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United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Government building in Potsdam, New York
Art Museum at SUNY Potsdam
Museum · 0.8 mi
Art museum in Potsdam, New York
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
Marshall Park
Park · 0.9 mi
Fun little park on the SUNY Potsdam campus. Good place for a small respite or some sunny rays and soft grass.
Mo-Su 08:00-22:00
Lehman Park
Park · 1.0 mi
The SUNY Potsdam owns a large park located west of Pierrepont Avenue (State Highway 56) that is open to the public and is used by the...
Pierrepont Avenue, Potsdam
1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes34
Tim Hortons
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.1 mi
154 Elm Street, Potsdam
Mo-We 06:00-21:00; Fr-Su 06:00-21:00
Asian Buffet & Mongolian Grill
Restaurant · Asian, Mongolian Grill, Sushi · 0.9 mi
175 Market Street, Potsdam
22 more on the map.
History
The village was formerly a community of the St. Regis Indians. The early European settlers arrived at that location around 1803.
The village was incorporated in 1831. In 1841, the village charter was amended to increase the size of the village.
Potsdam was the seventh town erected by an Act of the Legislature passed February 21, 1806, formerly attached to Madrid. It was one of the original ten townships, No. 3, and is said to have been named thus by the commissioners on the discovery by the surveyors of a bed of reddish sandstone resembling the sandstone in Potsdam, Germany.
The Market Street Historic District, Bayside Cemetery and Gatehouse Complex, Clarkson Office Building, Clarkson-Knowles Cottage, Nathaniel Parmeter House, Trinity Episcopal Church, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From the History section of Potsdam (village), New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
The Smalling Motel
Motel and hotel · 2.1 mi
7518 United States Highway 11, Potsdam
Churches and places of worship11
Trinity Episcopal Church
Church · Episcopal · National Register of Historic Places
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.7 mi
22 Castle Drive, Potsdam
Shopping9
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries42
Healthcare5
Map of Potsdam
141 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 6°F | 2.7 in |
| Feb | 28°F | 9°F | 2.4 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 18°F | 2.8 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 32°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 67°F | 44°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 54°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 58°F | 4.3 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 57°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 48°F | 4.1 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 38°F | 4.6 in |
| Nov | 44°F | 27°F | 3.4 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 16°F | 3.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Colton 2 N (6 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
St. Lawrence County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-09-24: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-29: Severe Storm, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-03-15: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2022-11-20: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Massena International Airport (MSS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Norwood 5 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Norfolk 8 mi north, about 13 min by car
- Canton 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Waddington 17 mi northwest, about 27 min by car
- Massena 18 mi north, about 30 min by car
- Ogdensburg 23 mi west, about 38 min by car
- Akwesasne 26 mi northeast, about 42 min by car
- Gouverneur 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Malone 36 mi east, about 58 min by car
- Alexandria Bay 52 mi southwest, about 1 h 30 min 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
- Potsdam New York, John Marino, CC0
- Fall In Potsdam Ny, Andrey Volk, CC0
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Potsdam NY II, DavisGL, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Potsdam NY III, DavisGL, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trinity Episcopal Church, Potsdam NY I, DavisGL, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Satterlee Hall SUNY Potsdam, July 2016, Jondude11, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Trinity Episcopal Church in Potsdam, New York, Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clarkson-Knowles Cottage in Potsdam, New York, Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- U.S. Post Office Potsdam NY May 11, Doug Kerr from Albany, New York, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Garder Cox house., Edward Betz, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Clarkson Office Building, Potsdam, New York, Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jonathan Wallace House in Potsdam, New York, Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Market Street Historic District, Potsdam, New York, Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OldMain(2009), Ross P. Robinson, Public domain
- S.A.T.C Clarkson College, Co. B (4877024725), Marc Carlson from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Hackathon2017Group, Floydianslips, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peat Piddock Angelwing Teredolites, Rygel, M.C., CC BY-SA 4.0
- CheelArena2022, Kithira, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Blistered-ring-finger, RussNelson, CC0
- ISS053-E-84176 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS033-E-14643 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-84177 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-84178 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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