Rockland County, New York is just 12 miles north-northwest of New York City, and the Manhattan skyline is visible from many high points in the county. Rockland County is bordered by the Hudson River on the east, New Jersey on the south and the Ramapo Mountains to the north and west.
Rockland County, NY, population 300,173 (U.S. Census 2009), is a largely suburban county, with housing developments, areas of heavy industry, and technology-oriented industrial parks. Parkland occupies approximately one-third of Rockland’s land area. Once largely agricultural, Rockland County grew at a rapid rate after the opening of the Tappan Zee Bridge in 1955 and the completion of the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which made Rockland County a more integrated part of the New York Metro Region.
The recent link with the Interstate 287 corridor through New Jersey has created additional issues related to the county’s role as a through-corridor for regional traffic. The I-87/287 portion of the New York State Thruway passes through Rockland County from the New Jersey border to the Tappan Zee Bridge. With the opening of I-287 through Bergen County, NJ, there has been a dramatic increase in truck traffic passing through Rockland County to the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Industry in Rockland County, NY is concentrated along Route 303, Route 59, Veterans Memorial Highway (Route 20), and in older industrial areas near the Hudson River. The Town of Haverstraw is the main commercial center in northern Rockland County, due primarily to growth along the Route 9W corridor in Haverstraw.
The town of Clarkstown has the highest population density of Rockland’s five towns. Clarkstown has emerged as the economic center of Rockland. The town is also home to the Hamlet of New City, the county seat for Rockland County, New York. The Rockland County Economic Development Corporation lists county government in New City as Rockland County’s largest employer.
In New City, the Rockland County Court is held at 1 South Main Street, New City, NY 10956. It is authorized to handle the prosecution of all crimes committed within the county. The County Court also has authority to hear civil cases involving monetary awards of $25,000 or less. The Supreme Court, also located in New City, generally hears civil matters seeking monetary damages greater than $25,000. Typical civil cases involve contracts, personal injury, automobile accidents, medical malpractice claims, employment law, and discrimination cases.
Nearby Manhattan provides a wealth of employment opportunities for Rockland County residents. Although Rockland County has extensive transit links to Manhattan by both bus and rail, the majority of Rockland County residents who work in Manhattan commute by auto.
The National Highway Safety Administration reports that five people were fatally injured in vehicle crashes in Rockland County during 2009. Two of the fatalities occurred as the result of vehicle accidents involving alcohol-impaired drivers, and two pedestrians were killed as a result of vehicle accidents.
For Rockland residents who are ill or suffer personal injuries, there are several area hospitals providing quality medical care. The Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern, New York provides emergency, medical, surgical and obstetrical services to residents of Rockland and southern Orange County in New York and northern Bergen County, New Jersey. The hospital also serves those communities as an Area Level II Trauma Center. Also serving Rockland County, NY is the Nyack Hospital in Nyack and the Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw. The Helen Hayes Hospital is a rehabilitation center operated by the New York State Department of Health.
Creative arts flourish in Rockland County, New York, which boasts the Arts Council of Rockland and the Rockland Center for the Arts. The county offers residents a wide range of cultural arts programs including performing arts series and creative art programs for children.
Rockland County offers excellent educational opportunities, abundant cultural and recreational activities, and a prime New York-New Jersey border location.
