Sinkhole risk in Dutchess County, NY: Mostly deep or small
Mostly deep or small
Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.
- On soluble rock
- 18%
- At or near the surface
- 0%
- Buried under cover
- 18%
The next step for one property
Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.
That works out to roughly 146 of Dutchess County's 796 square miles on soluble rock. With about 299,963 residents (377 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 278 map points about 1.7 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.
Read next: why the 18% under cover still counts, and how these percentages are measured.
Counties around Dutchess County
The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Union County, PA, about 180 miles west. 5 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.
- Putnam County, NY 23 mi south · 0% at surface
- Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT 28 mi east · 0% at surface
- Ulster County, NY 30 mi northwest · 0% at surface
- Columbia County, NY 35 mi north · 0% at surface
- Western Connecticut Planning Region, CT 36 mi southeast · 0% at surface
- Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, CT 37 mi southeast · 0% at surface
What Dutchess County is built on
The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Wappinger Group (limestone), Cambrian - Lower Ordovician in age, covering about 8% of the county. Next is the Stockbridge Marble at 8%.
Against the rest of New York
Dutchess County ranks 18 of 62 in New York for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.
- New York County under 1%
- St. Lawrence County under 1%
- Saratoga County under 1%
- Cayuga County under 1%
- Clinton County under 1%