West Point , New York West Point is a United States federal military reservation established by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 . It comprises about including the campus of the United States Military Academy , which is also called West Point . It is a census - designated place located in the Town of Highlands in Orange County , New York , located on the western bank of the Hudson River . The population was 6 , 763 at the 2010 census . It is part of the Poughkeepsie – Newburgh – Middletown , NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York – Newark – Bridgeport , NY - NJ - CT - PA Combined Statistical Area . The United States Military Academy is located at West Point and has often been called " The Point . " History . West Point , ( then Fort Clinton ) was a fortified site during the Revolutionary War . Originally picked because of the abnormal S - curve in the Hudson at this point , it was founded by one of the best military engineers of the time , Polish General Tadeusz Kościuszko . It was manned by a small garrison of Continental soldiers through the entirety of the war . A great iron chain was laid across the Hudson at this point in order to impede British Navy vessels , but it was never tested by the British . The site comprised multiple redoubt s , including Fort Putnam , which is still preserved in a Revolutionary - period design . In perhaps the most infamous act of treason in American history , General Benedict Arnold attempted to turn the site over to the British Army in 1780 for a bribe consisting of a commission as a Brigadier General in the British Army and a cash reward of £20 , 000 ( about $ 1 . 3M in 2009 dollars ) . However , Arnold ' s plot failed when British Major John André was captured as a spy by the Americans . Arnold received a decreased cash reward of £6 , 000 ( roughly $ 350 , 000 ) but was commissioned as a Brigadier General in the British Army . The United States Military Academy was established at West Point in 1802 and has the longest continuous service of any United States military installation and is the nation ' s oldest military academy . In 1937 the West Point Bullion Depository was constructed ; in 1988 it became the West Point Mint , as a branch of the United States Mint . Actor Tony Hale was born in West Point . Geography and climate . West Point is located at 41° 22 ′ N 74° 03 ' W . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of ; land and water . West Point and the contiguous village of Highland Falls , New York , are on the west bank of the Hudson River . West Point lies in the transition between the humid continental ( Köppen " Dfa " ) and humid subtropical ( " Cfa " ) zones , although lying closer to the former , with four distinct seasons . Summers are hot and humid , while winters are cold with moderate snowfall . The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July ; on average , temperatures reaching or occur on 17 and 1 . 4 days of the year , respectively . The average annual precipitation is approximately , which is distributed fairly evenly throughout the year ; snow averages per season , although this total may vary considerably from year to year . Extremes in temperature range from on July 22 , 1926 down to on February 9 , 1934 . Demographics . As of the census of 2000 there were 7 , 138 people , 996 households , and 939 families residing in the CDP . The population density was 293 . 4 per square mile ( 113 . 3 / km ) . There were 1 , 044 housing units at an average density of 42 . 9 / sq mi ( 16 . 6 / km ) . The racial makeup of the CDP was 82 . 31 % White , 9 . 09 % African American , 0 . 50 % Native American , 3 . 35 % Asian , 0 . 15 % Pacific Islander , 1 . 64 % from other races , and 2 . 96 % from two or more races . Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6 . 56 % of the population . There were 996 households out of which 75 . 1 % had children under the age of 18 living with them , 87 . 8 % were married couples living together , 4 . 8 % had a female householder with no husband present , and 5 . 7 % were non - families . 5 . 4 % of all households were made up of individuals and none had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older . The average household size was 3 . 53 and the average family size was 3 . 66 . The age distribution is 21 . 9 % under the age of 18 , 51 . 2 % from 18 to 24 , 23 . 0 % from 25 to 44 , 3 . 8 % from 45 to 64 , and 0 . 1 % who were 65 years of age or older . The median age was 21 years . For every 100 females there were 207 . 3 males . For every 100 females age 18 and over , there were 259 . 7 males . All of these statistics are typical for military bases . The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 56 , 516 , and the median income for a family was $ 56 , 364 . About 2 . 0 % of families and 2 . 0 % of the population were below the poverty line , including 2 . 6 % of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over .