Rotterdam, New York
33 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1893 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Rotterdam town. It lies in ZIP code area 12306. The Survey maps it on the Schenectady quadrangle. 22,968 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 338 feet above sea level.
Then and now
1893 to 1989The same ground, surveyed 96 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.


On record in Rotterdam
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 1 record
Enlarged Double Lock No. 23, Old Erie Canallisted 2008
Population over time
2 figuresRotterdam grew from 20,652 to 22,968 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 20,652 | |
| 2020 | 22,968 | +2,316 (+11%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
16 surveys from 33 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1893 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500
- 1895 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500
- 1898 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500, 8 printings
- 1930 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500, 5 printings
- 1947 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1948 USGS Albany quadrangle1:250000
- 1948 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500
- 1949 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500
- 1954 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
- 1954 USGS Schenectady quadrangle1:62500
- 1956 USGS Albany quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Albany quadrangle1:250000
- 1959 USGS Albany quadrangle1:250000
- 1962 USGS Albany quadrangle1:250000
- 1986 USGS Albany quadrangle1:100000
- 1989 USGS Albany quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
669 since 1995Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 669 fires within 5 miles of Rotterdam between 1995 and 2020, burning about 472 acres in total. 38 started naturally. 160 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 328 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 160 |
| Smoking | 56 |
| Debris and open burning | 41 |
| Natural | 38 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 21 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 14 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 8 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 2 |
| Other causes | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | NA |
| 9 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 9 September 2010 | Smoking | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 9 September 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 8 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 8 September 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 7 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | NA |
| 7 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
10 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 10 workings within 5 miles of Rotterdam: 5 producers, 5 past producers. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilderland Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Leto Pit and Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Masic Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Olivers Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| South Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Stitts Road Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Stitts Road Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Vley Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Vley Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Wagner Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
26 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Rotterdam in 26 storm reports between 1993 and 2022: 15 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 2 flood, 1 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $31,000 | no account filed |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $25,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $22,000 | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $20,000 | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $10,000 | A tree fell onto the side of a house on Vischer Avenue in Schenectady due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2008 | Lightning | Rotterdam | $10,000 | Lightning struck a tree approximately 2 miles northwest of Rotterdam, resulting in downed powerlines. |
| May 2001 | Hail | Rotterdam | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $8,000 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Flash Flood | Rotterdam | $2,000 | no account filed |
| September 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | - | Several trees were reported down in the Bellevue area of Schenectady. |
| May 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | - | Limbs downed on Campbell Road in Rotterdam due to a gust front well ahead of the line of thunderstorms. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | - | A tree was downed on Putnam Road in the Town of Rotterdam. |
| October 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | - | Route 337 between Route 159 and Princetown Road was closed due to a downed pole and wires. |
| May 2013 | Heavy Rain | Rotterdam | - | A trained spotter reported water flowing across parking lots and under cars two to three inches deep in Rotterdam. |
| September 2011 | Flood | Rotterdam | - | Flooding occurred along the Mohawk River. Route 5S was closed due to flooding between Rynex Corners Road and Crawford in Rotterdam. New York State Erie Canal Locks E-9 (Rotterdam Junction) and E-8 (Scotia) were damage beyond what happened as a result of Tropical Storm Irene. At Lock E-9, the north end of dam breached by the river and a large section Route 103 (Bridge Street) on the Glenville side of the lock collapsed. Two concrete Canal Corporation buildings near the lock were swept away. At Lock E-8, the north end of dam breached by the river. ||Due to the expected flooding and the potential for debris dam at any of locks and bridges evacuations were ordered for the flood-prone areas of Rotterdam Junction, Glenville, Scotia, City of Schenectday and Niskayuna. It was reported that about 400 people who ignored the evacuation orders had to be rescued. The following bridges crossing the Mohawk River were closed between 12:45 pm to 4 pm EST Thursday, September 8th: Western Gateway Bridge (Route 5), Interstate 890 Bridge in Rotterdam Junction, Freemans Bridge in Schenectady, and Rexford Bridge (Route 146).||The river gage at Freeman's Bridge at Schenectady crested at 22.6 feet around 6 pm EST September 8th. The Cohoes river gage located on right bank at School Street powerplant in Cohoes, and 2.0 miles upstream from mouth exceeded its 20 foot flood stage at 9:44 am September 8th, it crested at 20.57 feet at 2:50 pm (moderate flood stage is 21 feet), and dropped below flood stage at 4:36 am September 9th. |
| August 2011 | Flood | Rotterdam | - | Route 337, West Campbell Road, in Rotterdam was reported closed due to flooding between Interstate 890 and Burdeck Street. |
| July 2009 | Hail | Rotterdam | - | Nickel size hail was reported approximately 2 miles west of Rotterdam during a thunderstorm. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | - | Trees were reported down in Rotterdam due to strong thunderstorm winds. |
| June 2006 | Hail | Rotterdam | - | A trained spotter reported that nickle-sized hail occurred at Rotterdam. |
| May 2017 | Hail | Rotterdam | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Rotterdam | - | no account filed |
| August 1999 | Hail | Rotterdam | - | no account filed |
| June 1994 | Hail | Rotterdam | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Schenectady | 0.0 miles | 33 | |
| Bellevue | 0.5 miles | 33 | |
| Hungry Hill | 1.0 miles | 33 | |
| Mount Pleasant | 1.4 miles | 33 | |
| Coldbrook | 1.6 miles | 33 | |
| Pine Grove | 1.8 miles | 33 | |
| Schonowe | 2.0 miles | 33 | |
| Carman | 2.3 miles | 33 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Rotterdam | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q3460132 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 971936. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.















