Halfmoon is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 25,662 at the 2020 census. The town is apparently named for the shape of the lower elevation land north of the junction of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers. It is also said to be named for Henry Hudson's ship, the Halve Maen.
Halfmoon is in the southeastern part of the county and is north of Albany.
The earliest settlements began with the arrival of the Dutch. The area now known as Halfmoon was a tract of land called "Halve Maen", which was named for the shape of the west side of the Hudson River to the north of its confluence with the Mohawk River. The Mohican tribe sold the plain to Philip Schuyler and Goosen Van Schaick in 1664, and it was later cofirmed in Albany in 1667.
The original Half Moon Patent extended along the western bank of the Hudson River from Tenendahowa (modern-day Anthony Kill) to the Mohawk River. The first dwellings were said to have been established by the 1680s in the area of the current boundary between the Town of Halfmoon and Town of Waterford on the Hudson River.
The town was formed while still part of Albany County in 1788. The name was briefly changed to Orange when the town of Waterford was created in 1816 from part of Halfmoon; however, the current name was restored in 1820. In 1828, the western portion of the town was used to create the town of Clifton Park, with the City of Mechanicville later being split off in 1910.
The Erie Canal was built along the southern part of Halfmoon, part of the Mohawk River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (3.00%) is water.
The southern town line, delineated by the Mohawk River, is the border of Albany County. The eastern town line, at the Hudson River, is the border of Rensselaer County. The northern town line is marked by the Anthony Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River.
Interstate 87, the Adirondack Northway, is a six-lane northâÂÂsouth freeway along the western edge of Halfmoon. U.S. Route 9 parallels the interstate farther to the east and crosses into the town from Albany County on the Crescent Bridge. New York State Route 146, an eastâÂÂwest highway, intersects US-9 at the hamlet of Clifton Park. U.S. Route 4 is a northâÂÂsouth highway in the eastern part of the town. New York State Route 236 is a short state highway linking NY-146 to US-9.
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,474 people, 7,778 households, and 4,861 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 8,172 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.94% White, 1.27% African American, 0.17% Native American, 1.89% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.65% of the population.
There were 7,778 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,234, and the median income for a family was $53,515. Males had a median income of $40,076 versus $30,512 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,714. About 3.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
The Town of Halfmoon falls within three school districts: