Walden, New York
Walden is a village of 6,868 people in Orange County, New York, founded in 1736.
Why visit Walden
Townapedia lists 24 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 7 places to eat and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Walden Low Bridge, Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge, Abraham Dickerson Farmhouse and Andries DuBois House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 44 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Walden
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Walden
Walden is the largest of three villages of the town of Montgomery in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 6,818 at the 2020 census. It has the ZIP Code 12586 and the 778 telephone exchange within the 845 area code. Walden is part of the Kiryas Joel–Poughkeepsie–Newburgh metropolitan area as well as the larger New York metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Walden, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Walden Veterans' Memorial Bridge
Bridge
Bridge in Orange county, New York
Museums and landmarks24
Abraham Dickerson Farmhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic house in Montgomery, New York
Andries DuBois House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Single-family detached home in Shawangunk, New York
Benjamin Haines House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Bodine Farmhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Bridge Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Listed on the NRHP in New York
Brown Farmstead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Colden Family Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Cemetery in Montgomery, Orange County, New York
Daniel Waring House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Dubois-Phelps House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Montgomery, New York, NRHP-listed
Gilbert Millspaugh House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in New York, United States
Jacob Bookstaver House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Jacob T. Walden Stone House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
1730s stone house in Walden, New York
12 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Restaurants and cafes7
History
The first Europeans began to arrive in the region around the 1650s, and began establishing permanent settlements in the area by the early 18th century.
The area around present-day Walden was purchased in 1736 by Alexander Kidd, and settlers of Scots-Irish, English and German descent started arriving not long afterwards. It was the first settlement west of the Wallkill River, known at the time as Kidd's Town.
In 1813, an entrepreneur from New York City named Jacob Treadwell Walden began purchasing land on both sides of the Wallkill River, with plans to develop a manufacturing settlement along the river. He convinced some of his business partners to finance the construction of wool mills on the river, attracted by the Great Falls as a source of power and the railroad connections at nearby Maybrook. He dammed the Wallkill above the falls, creating a power station that remains in use today, and his mill was a success. By the 1820s, his mill became a notable regional producer of cotton and woolen cloth. Wool-makers followed as the Industrial Revolution picked up steam and the growing population center became known instead as Walden's Mills. The area became a significant local producer of woolen products by the 1840s.
From the History section of Walden, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship7
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Walden United Methodist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Evangelical Lutheran · 0.9 mi
2520 State Route 208, Walden
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries12
Map of Walden
67 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 16°F | 3.0 in | 11.3 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 17°F | 2.7 in | 11.2 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 26°F | 3.5 in | 10.7 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 36°F | 3.7 in | 0.7 in |
| May | 71°F | 47°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 56°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 61°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 59°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 51°F | 4.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 40°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 31°F | 3.2 in | 1.1 in |
| Dec | 41°F | 23°F | 3.6 in | 9.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Walden 1 Ese 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
Orange County has had 26 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-11-15: Jennings Creek Fire (Fire)
- 2023-07-22: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2021-09-05: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-09-02: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-22: Hurricane Henri (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Orange County Airport (MGJ) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Montgomery 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Wallkill 4 mi north, about 6 min by car
- Orange Lake 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Maybrook 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Gardnertown 7 mi east, about 11 min by car
- Pine Bush 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Plattekill 8 mi northeast, about 13 min by car
- Balmville 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Beaver Dam Lake 9 mi south, about 14 min by car
- Newburgh 10 mi southeast, about 15 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
- Downtown Walden, NY, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bodine Farmhouse, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Montgomery Water Works, Daniel Case at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jacob Bookstaver House, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Exhuming the First American Mastodon . label QS:Len,"Exhuming the First American Mastodon ." label QS:Lde,"Die Ausgrabung des Mammuts", Charles Willson Peale, Public domain
- Gilbert Millspaugh House, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Walden, NY, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Brown Farmstead, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Benjamin Haines House, Original uploader was Daniel Case at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Walden United Methodist Church, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Patchett House, Daniel Case at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Andries DuBois House, Wallkill, NY 2012, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MILLIKEN SMITH FARM IN MONTGOMERY, ORANGE COUNTY, NY, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- John R Hayes House, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Abraham Dickerson Farmhouse, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bridge Street, Montgomery NY, Daniel Case at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Peachcroft 2, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Jacob Walden House, Daniel Case at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Smith House, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Montgomery Worsted Mills, Daniel Case at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Nathaniel Hill Brick House, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Colden Family Cemetery, The original uploader was Daniel Case at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- ST. ANDREW'S CEMETERY, WALDEN, ORANGE COUNTY, NY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Indian Hill, Montgomery, NY, Original uploader was Daniel Case at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dubois-Phelps House, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Historic Union Street houses, Montgomery, NY, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ward's Bridge 2, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Walden Low Bridge, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Walden High Bridge, Daniel Case at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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