| Official Name: | Valatie, New York |
| Settlement Type: | Village |
| Nickname: | Vaaltje ("Little Falls") |
| Motto: | "What a Village Should Be" |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | New York |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Columbia |
| Subdivision Type3: | Town |
| Subdivision Name3: | Kinderhook |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1665 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 3.28 |
| Area Land Km2: | 3.25 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.03 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 1785 |
| Population Density Km2: | 549.50 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1423.44 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Elevation M: | 73 |
| Elevation Ft: | 240 |
| Coordinates: | 42.4139°N -73.6775°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 12184 |
| Area Code: | 518 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 36-76617 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0968342 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 1.27 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 1.25 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
Valatie (; [2]) is a village with several waterfalls in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 1,785 at the 2020 census.[3] [4] The village is at the center of the town of Kinderhook on US 9.
Valatie was first named Pachaquak, meaning "cleared meadow", by the earliest Native American settlers - Algonquian Mohicans - who lived along the banks of Valatie's two waterways now referred to as Valatie Kill and Kinderhook Creek.
Part of the original New Netherland, the first European settlers were the Dutch who settled Kinderhook around 1665, and named this area "Vaaltje", meaning "little falls".[5] The first post office was established in 1832. By the early 19th century there were nine cotton mills in Valatje operating on power derived from the famous waterfalls; the village was incorporated in 1856. With a bustling Main Street, Valatie was considered the center of commerce in northern Columbia County throughout the 19th century.
The United States' first Santa Claus Club was founded in Valatie in 1946 by fifteen village veterans to provide holiday gifts for several critically ill children. Every Christmas Eve, a Santa travels throughout the village, personally visiting every child under age ten.
Valatie is located in the center of the Town of Kinderhook in northern Columbia County. It is part of the Hudson Valley region of New York State. It is south of Albany, the state capital, and northeast of Hudson.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.28km2, of which 3.25km2 is land and 0.03km2, or 0.95%, is surface water.[3] The village is located at the juncture of Valatie Kill with Kinderhook Creek, a tributary of the Hudson River. There are three waterfalls in the village, all along Main Street: Valatie Kill Falls/Wild's Falls, Little Falls Creek/Beaver Mill Falls, and Kinderhook Creek.
As of the 2010 census, the total population of Valatie was 1,819.[6] The population density was 1388.3sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 627 housing units at an average density of 508.4sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the village was 93.84% White, 2.14% Native American, 1.37% African American, 0.49% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.23% of the population.
Valatie's median household income was $60,365 in 2006-2010 and has grown by 36.03% since 2000. The income growth rate is higher than the state average rate of 24.79% and nearly twice the national average rate of 19.17%. The per capita income for the village was $16,650. About 7.94% of families and 8.68% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.0% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.
There were 584 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.6 males.
A WinterWalk parade and festival is hosted annually in mid-December. The parade includes fire trucks and rescue vehicles, marching bands from the Ichabod Crane High School, Santa Claus riding in a sleigh, and marchers from the Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and the Valatie Free Library. Elves and marionettes march along with the vintage and new vehicles.
The First Presbyterian Church, Wild's Mill Complex, and Nathan Wild House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Valatie Free Library was begun in 1928 as a casual circulation of books. It was incorporated in 1931 and moved to a small 600square feet 19th-century cottage.