Boating, Fishing, and Travel Information for Poughkeepsie, NY

Poughkeepsie is in the Hudson Valley midway between New York City and Albany, and is part of the New York metropolitan area. It is the county seat of Dutchess County. The name derives from a word in the Wappinger language, roughly U-puku-ipi-sing, meaning “the reed-covered lodge by the little-water place”, referring to a spring or stream feeding into the Hudson River south of the present downtown area.

Poughkeepsie is known as “The Queen City of the Hudson”. It was settled in the 17th century by the Dutch and became New York’s second capital shortly after the American Revolution. It was chartered as a city in 1854. Major bridges in the city include the Walkway over the Hudson, a former railroad bridge (originally called the Poughkeepsie Bridge) which re-opened as a public walkway on October 3, 2009; and the Mid-Hudson Bridge, a major thoroughfare built in 1930 that carries U.S. Route 44 (concurrent with State Route 55) over the Hudson.

See our weather radar, buoy data, marine forecast, and current weather for Poughkeepsie, NY.

Other Helpful Resources:

Boat Launch Sites for Dutchess County, NY – Includes Poughkeepsie
Top Ten Fishing Spots in Dutchess County
Marinas near Poughkeepsie, NY

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Moonlight Marine, Inc.

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Poughkeepsie, Mile 66E, is an important industrial center specializing in manufactured goods, oil, and lumber.

The Mid Hudson Bridge (U.S. 44), a fixed span with a clearance of 134 feet, and a fixed railroad bridge with a clearance of 167 feet, 0.5 mile northward, cross the river at Poughkeepsie; both bridges are well lighted at night. The Mid Hudson Bridge is equipped with a private sound signal and a racon in the middle of the span. Submerged pilings, covered 2 feet, are reported to exist on the westerly side of the Hudson River between the second and third abutments of the railroad bridge.

A town park and a small-craft launching ramp are about 0.2 mile north of the highway bridge.

A marina, on the east side of the river near Mile 68E, has berths, electricity, gasoline, water, ice, a launching ramp, marine supplies, and a 20-ton crane; hull, engine, and electronic repairs can be made. In 2001, 17 feet was reported alongside the docks.