Wawarsing, New York

41°45′32″N 74°21′27″W / 41.75889°N 74.35750°W / 41.75889; -74.35750

Wawarsing, New York
Town
Location in Ulster County and the state of New York.
Coordinates: 41°44′25″N 74°23′59″W / 41.74028°N 74.39972°W / 41.74028; -74.39972
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Ulster
Area [1]
• Total	133.86 sq mi (346.70 km2)
• Land	130.51 sq mi (338.01 km2)
• Water	3.36 sq mi (8.69 km2)
Elevation	1,204 ft (367 m)
Population  (20 0)[2]
• Total	12,771
• Density	95/sq mi (37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	12489
Area code	845
FIPS code	36-78828[3]
GNIS feature ID	0979609[4]
Website	Town website

Wawarsing /wəˈwɔːrsɪŋ/ is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 12,771 at the 2020 census.^[2] The name Wawarsing was once believed to mean "a place where the streams wind" in the Lenape language, referring to the geography in the hamlet of Wawarsing. Specifically, the joining of the Ver Nooy Kill and the Rondout Creek at Port Ben. The name Wawarsing was used by the Lenape to designate the current hamlet and the fields to the north and south of it for at least six miles in both directions. It is the only Lenape name known to refer to an exact location in Ulster County.^[5]

The town is in the western part of the county. The southern and easternmost portions are on the Shawangunk Ridge. Most of the hilly town is in the Appalachian foothills, while the northernmost part is in the Catskills. It has three state forests (Shawangunk Ridge, VerNooykill, and Witches Hole), as well as most of Minnewaska State Park and Sam's Point Preserve, and portions of the Catskill Preserve and Sundown State Park. US 209 crosses the town, passing through many principal communities: Spring Glen, Laurenkill, Ellenville, Napanoch, the hamlet of Wawarsing, Soccanissing, and Kerhonkson. US 44 begins at a junction with 209 near the east town line. N.Y. Route 52 runs east–west near the southern border. All three roads are part of the Shawangunk Ridge National Scenic Byway.