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Goshen
The Historic County Seat
THE LOCALE
What it's like to live in Goshen
Goshen is the county seat of Orange County and has been since 1727 — a village founded in 1714, well before the Revolution, and still built around a handsome, walkable Main Street of vintage homes, civic buildings and the county courthouse.
What sets Goshen apart is its central location. It sits right on the Route 17 corridor in the middle of the county, roughly 50 miles northwest of Manhattan, which makes it one of the easier places in the area to commute from and to reach everything else in Orange County.
It is best known for harness racing and the Great American Weekend which takes place annually around the 4th of July https://www.villageofgoshen-ny.gov/great-american-weekend/ The Goshen Historic Track dates to 1838 and is the oldest track of its kind in the country, and the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame sits alongside it. Noah Webster taught school here, and today LEGOLAND New York, the Northeast's only LEGOLAND, sits in the town.
AT A GLANCE
Quick Facts
POPULATION
~14,571
Town of Goshen (2020 census)
VILLAGE POPULATION
5,777
Village of Goshen
COUNTY SEAT
Since 1727
Orange County Government
DISTANCE TO NYC
50 Miles
Via Route 17 & I-87
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Goshen CSD
~2,900 students, 4 schools
VIBE
Historic Village
Central, walkable, civic
EDUCATION
Schools in Goshen
The Goshen Central School District covers roughly 50 square miles — the entire Village of Goshen plus parts of Chester, Hamptonburgh, Wallkill and Wawayanda. About 2,900 students attend four buildings clustered together on the northeast edge of the village.
Scotchtown Avenue Elementary
Grade K-2 ~ Public
Goshen Intermediate School
Grade 3-5 ~ Public
C. J. Hooker Middle School
Grade 6-8 ~ Public
Goshen High School
Grade 9-12 ~ Public
St. John School on Murray Avenue
K–8 private Catholic option.
GETTING AROUND
The commute & connections
Goshen's location on Route 17 in the centre of the county makes it one of the most connected places to live in the area.
To NYC by car
Roughly 50 miles to the George Washington Bridge via Rt 17A & I-87.
65 m
Coach to Port Authority
Roughly 60 miles to the George Washington Bridge via Rt 17A & I-87.
Bus
On the main corridor
Direct access east–west across the county and to the Thruway.
Rt 17
Walkable Village
Main Street, the courthouse, library and shops are all on foot.
Walk
DAY TO DAY
Amenities &
everyday life
The practical stuff that makes a town livable — and Warwick is unusually well-stocked.
Farmer's & Village Market
Seasonal market days on and around Main Street, plus nearby farm stands.
Groceries & essentials
Supermarkets and everyday retail along the Route 17M corridor.
Healthcare
Garnet Health Medical Center in nearby Middletown, plus local practices.
Parks & Recreation
Village parks, the Heritage Trail nearby, and Goshen Little League fields.
https://goshenny.myrec.com/info/default.aspx
Dining & Nightlife
An unusually good Main Street restaurant row for a village this size.
Culture & History
Harness Racing Museum, Historic Track, and Goshen Public Library.
VIKKI'S PICKS
Local Favorites
Where I send my clients when they move in.
THE MOVING IN GUIDE
Your first month
in Goshen
1
1
Set up the essentials
Register with the Village or Town of Goshen, arrange utilities, and sort out parking and refuse collection.
2
Learn the village
Walk Main Street, visit the library, and drive the school route before the first week of term.
3
Get Involved
Village events, the Historic Track season and Little League are the fastest ways in.
