Welcome Visitors

Whether you come for a vacation, a business trip, a weekend get-away, or to settle in a new home, the Greater Watertown area has so much to offer, you'll wish you had more time to enjoy it all. With four distinct seasons, hundreds of miles of shoreline, thousands of acres of forests, quaint villages and a booming commercial center, Jefferson County in the heart of the 1000 Islands Region has something for everyone.

Looking for more information, email Donna, Office Manager at: office@watertownny.com

Outdoor recreation is our niche. Lake Ontario, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, and the St Lawrence River/Seaway, an 800 mile river that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean, serve as the western and northern boundaries of Jefferson County respectively. Those waters, combined with the flat and whitewater of the Black River, the pristine Indian Lakes Region, and scores of streams and ponds provide some of the best fishing, boating and sailing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, scuba diving and whitewater rafting in the world.

Along with all of the warm weather activities, winter brings the snow - which means snowmobiling, skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, skating, and hunting for those who love the crisp clean air of the winter months. The Tug Hill Plateau, known for the lake-effect snows that blow in off Lake Ontario, lies in the southern part of the county. Tug Hill is known for the number of feet -- not inches -- of snow that falls throughout the season, and is the winter sports enthusiast's dream.

Museums and historic points of interest abound throughout the county, from the 1812 Battlefield in Sackets Harbor to Boldt Castle and Millionaire's Row in the 1000 Islands. The Antique Boat Museum, the Clayton Opera House, and the Jefferson County Historical Society are just a few of the sites open to the public.

Jefferson County is the home to Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division, one of the Army's most deployed divisions. Expansion at Fort Drum has triggered an economic boom in the area, with new stores, restaurants and lodging facilities in its wake. A population jump of 6,000 new residents has brought diversity and a sense of excitement to the North Country.

Watertown is the retail hub of the region, with many national chains as well as local shops and boutiques. The villages that hug the shores of the St Lawrence and Lake Ontario offer unique shops and restaurants, and are worth exploring for their distinctive charm.

Unparalleled outdoor recreation, world renowned attractions, historic sites, nationally recognized museums, fine restaurants, quaint villages and exciting shopping combine to make the Greater Watertown area a great place to visit, to work, and to live.