New York Facts for Kids

A Map of the U.S. state New York
  • U.S. State: New York
  • Abbreviation: NY
  • Joined the USA: July 26th, 1788 (11th State)
  • Located: Northeastern United States
  • Capital City: Albany, NY
  • Most Populated City: New York, NY

37 New York Facts for Kids

  1. New York is a state in the United States of America.
  2. New York is in the northeastern region of the United States.
  3. New York became a U.S. state on Saturday, July 26th, 1788.
  4. New York was the 11th state to join the United States.
  5. The U.S. state of New York covers 54,555 square miles.
  6. New York is the 27th largest state by area in the United States.
  7. In 2019, the population of New York was estimated to be 19,450,000 residents by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  8. In 2019, New York was the 4th most populated state in the United States.
  9. A person who is from or lives in New York is called a New Yorker.
  10. The capital city of New York is Albany.
  11. The five most populated cities in New York are New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers and Syracuse.
  12. The largest city by population in New York is New York City.
  13. The largest metropolitan area in New York is the New York metropolitan area.
  14. The U.S. state of New York has 62 counties.
  15. The most populated county in New York is Kings County with 2,559,903 residents (2019, U.S. Census Bureau).
  16. The largest county by area in New York is St. Lawrence County with 2,821 square miles.
  17. The highest elevation point in New York is Mount Marcy at 5,344 feet above sea level.
  18. The lowest elevation point in New York is the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean at sea level.
  19. The average precipitation (rain and snow) in New York is 42.8 inches.
  20. New York is the 21st wettest state by precipitation (rain and snow) in the United States.
  21. The average temperature in New York is 48.1 °F.
  22. New York is the 35th warmest state in the United States.
  23. The warmest temperature ever recorded in New York was 109 °F on July 22nd, 1926.
  24. The coldest temperature ever recorded in New York was -52 °F on February 18th, 1979.
  25. A few natural disasters that can affect New York are heat waves, hurricanes, ice storms, lightning and nor’easters.
  26. New York is in one time zone, Eastern Time Zone (ET).
  27. The USPS abbreviation for New York is NY.
  28. New York is also known as the Empire State.
  29. The motto of the US state of New York is “Ever upward”.
  30. New York City was one of the locations of the worst terrorist attack in the United States. On September 11th, 2001 terrorists flew two airplanes into both World Trade Center towers.
  31. Prior to Washington, D.C., New York City was the capital of the United States.
  32. The official state flower of New York is the rose (Rosa).
  33. The official state tree of New York is the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).
  34. The official state insect of New York is the ladybug (Coccinellidae).
  35. The official state fish of New York is the brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis).
  36. The official state animal of New York is the beaver (Castor).
  37. The official state gemstone of New York is the garnet.

Additional Resources on New York

  • About New York – Discover more about New York on the 50 States website.
  • History of New York – Learn about the history of the U.S. state of New York on the Local Histories website.
  • Facts About New York – Find more cool facts about New York on the National Geographic Kids website.
  • New York – Britannica – Visit the Britannica website and view their entry on the U.S. state of New York.