Watertown (New York) - city in Jefferson County, New York, United States

Watertown (dead link: January 2023) is a small city in New York's North Country, and the seat of Jefferson County.

Understand

Settlers came here in the early 1800s to use the power from the Black River for industry. On April 13, 1852 Frank Winfield Woolworth was born in the tiny village of Rodman, ten miles south of Watertown; he attended business college in the city and worked as a stockboy in a general store on Watertown's Public Square in 1873 before attempting to launch his own "five-cent store" in Utica in 1878. That short-lived effort fared poorly, but a Woolworth "five and dime" in Lancaster (Pennsylvania) in 1879 succeeded.

Watertown is only a few miles from Fort Drum, home of the US Army 10th Mountain Division, the region's largest employer. It is home to various manufacturing industries (the "Car Freshener" scented air freshener is a local invention) and to Jefferson Community College.

Get in

Watertown is about north of Syracuse on US 11 or Interstate 81 (exits 45, 46, and 47). Adirondack Trailways Service and Greyhound provide bus service, while the closest Amtrak stations are in Rome or in Syracuse.

• Adirondack Trailways, 540 State St..
• Greyhound, 540 State St. (North Dr Inn Theatre, NY Route 3E).
• Watertown International Airport (IATA: ART), Dexter NY 13624, 43.991944°, -76.020556°, +1 315 639-6247. Twice-daily service to Philadelphia; airport otherwise primarily serves general aviation and charters.

The closest major airport is Syracuse Hancock International (IATA: SYR) a little over to the south.

There is no direct scheduled transportation from Watertown to Canada, despite its proximity (Kingston and Brockville are each an hour away by road).

Get around

By bus

• CitiBus. Provides a limited local bus service on three daytime routes.

See

• Public Square (Downtown), 43.9746°, -75.9096°. The Public Square is the city hub of Watertown, and contains numerous local businesses, and an beautiful oval-shaped mini-park with benches, a large fountain, and a gazebo. 2022-08-10

• New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, +1 315 755-0894. Apr-Oct: daily 10AM-5PM. 32-acre Thompson Park Zoo exhibits species that are or were native to New York State, including wolverines, black bears, eagles, mountain lions, Canada lynx and grey wolves. $9/adult

• Roswell P. Flower Memorial Library, 43.9729°, -75.9103°, +1 315-785-7705. M-W 9AM-8PM, Th F 10AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-5PM. Closed on Sundays. The Flower Memorial Library is the only library in Watertown, and it is one of the most beautiful in the North Country. The library was built in 1905, dedicated to the 30th Governor of New York, and has two stone lions in the front. Inside, it has paintings, and wonderful architecture that will probably make you feel very relaxed. It also has Wi-Fi! 2022-08-10

• Washington Street Arboretum, 200 block of Washington Street. Over 30 different varieties and species of trees.

• A total solar eclipse on Monday 8 April 2024 starts at 3:22PM local time and lasts almost 4 min. The chances of a clear sky are 35%. The track of totality is northeast from Mexico and Texas to Ohio then straddling the Canada–New England border.

Do

• Black River. Kayaking and whitewater rafting. Three rafting companies (Adirondack, Bob's, Hudson), seven miles of whitewater, fourteen sets of class III and IV rapids. Riverfront walking trails at the Veteran's Memorial Riverwalk, Waterworks and Marble Street Park; bike, hike or fish along the shoreline.
• Dry Hill Ski Area, 18160 Alpine Ridge Rd, +1 315 782-8584. Wintertime tubing, snowboarding and downhill skiing.
• Thompson Park, entrances off Gotham St, Academy St and Franklin St. Daily 7AM-9PM. A historic Olmsted Creation with scenic views, children's playground, pool, golf course, zoo, picnic area. On or near the 4th of July, the Potsdam-based Orchestra of Northern New York presents the 1812 overture with cannons as a concert in the park, followed by fireworks.

Events

• Snowtown USA. Two weeks of indoor and outdoor activities and exhibitions, mid-February. Snowtown Film Festival in late January.

Buy

• Farmers' Market, Washington Street (by City Hall). Open Wednesdays; everything from fresh fruit & vegetables to arts & crafts,
• Salmon Run Mall, 21182 Salmon Run Mall Loop West, +1 315 788-9210. M-Sa 9:30AM-9PM, Su 11AM-6PM. Mall with stores including Target, Lowe's, near I-81, popular with Canadian cross-border shoppers.

Eat

• Art's Jug, 820 Huntington St., +1 315 788-9513. Daily 4-9:30PM. Italian.
• Black River Coffee Co, 4 Paddock Arc, +1 315 955-6972. Café, wi-fi.
• Church Street Diner, 107 Church St, Carthage 13619, +1 315 493-0997. Daily 6AM-2PM. Burgers, sandwiches, chicken, breakfast foods.
• Jreck Subs, 1201 Arsenal St., +1 315 782-3529. Watertown-based submarine sandwich chain, over forty locations in northern New York.
• Stefanos Pizza and Restaurant, 258 State St, Carthage 13619, +1 315 493-0400. Italian/Sicilian.

Drink

• Maggie's on the River, 500 Newell St, Watertown 13601, +1 315 405-4239. Sports bar and restaurant, casual.
• Water is plentiful in the region.

Sleep

• Best Western Carriage House Motor Inn, 300 Washington Street, +1 315 782-8000. Wi-fi.
• Econo Lodge Watertown, 1030 Arsenal St, +1 315 782-5500. Wi-fi.
• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 1290 Arsenal St, +1 315 779-1234. Wi-fi.
• Ramada Watertown, 6300 Arsenal St, +1 315 788-0700.

Connect

Postal service is available from USPS at 232 Commerce Park Drive 13601-9900 (phone +1 315-786-5900); commercial parcel receiving service is available from the UPS store at 968 Bradley Street (phone +1 315 755-2028, fax 755-2030).

Wi-fi is available at most fast food and coffee shop chains, or at the public library.

Go next

• Thousand Islands
• Sackets Harbor
• Adirondacks