Editing Le Ray, New York

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name          = Le Ray, New York
| settlement_type        = [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|Town]]
| nickname               = 
| motto                  = <!-- Images -->
| image_skyline          = 
| imagesize              = 
| image_caption          = 
| image_flag             = 
| image_seal             = <!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map            = New York#USA
| pushpin_label          = Le Ray
| pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption    = 
| pushpin_mapsize        = 
| image_map              = 
| mapsize                = 
| map_caption            = 
| image_map1             = 
| mapsize1               = 
| map_caption1           = <!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type       = Country
| subdivision_name       = United States
| subdivision_type1      = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1      = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| subdivision_type2      = [[List of counties in New York|County]]
| subdivision_name2      = [[Jefferson County, New York|Jefferson]]
| government_footnotes   = 
| government_type        = [[Town Council]]
| leader_title           = [[Town Supervisor]]
| leader_name            = Ronald C. Taylor ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
| leader_title1          = [[Town Council]]
| leader_name1           = {{Collapsible list
 |title       = Members' List
 |frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
 |title_style = <!-- (optional) -->
 |list_style  = text-align:left;display:none;
 |1           = • William R. Jesmore ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |2           = • Mark W. Thompson ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |3           = • Michael J. Gracey ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
 |4           = • Karl J. Vebber ([[United States Republican Party|R]])
}}
| established_title      = 
| established_date       = 
| named_for              = [[Jacques-Donatien Le Ray]], Comte de Chaumont
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref              = Imperial
| area_footnotes         = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2016">{{cite web|title=2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2016_Gazetteer/2016_gaz_place_36.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 5, 2017}}</ref>
| area_magnitude         = 
| area_total_km2         = 191.61
| area_land_km2          = 190.64
| area_water_km2         = 0.97
| area_total_sq_mi       = 73.98
| area_land_sq_mi        = 73.61
| area_water_sq_mi       = 0.37
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of       = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes   = 
| population_total       = 25,574
| population_density_km2 = 113.79
| population_density_sq_mi = 294.71
<!-- General information -->
| timezone               = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset             = -5
| timezone_DST           = EDT
| utc_offset_DST         = -4
| elevation_footnotes    = 
| elevation_m            = 140
| elevation_ft           = 459
| coordinates            = {{coord|44|4|34|N|75|48|32|W|region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type       = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code            = 13637
| area_code              = [[Area code 315|315]]
| blank_name             = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info             = 36-045-42015
| blank1_name            = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info            = 0979141
| website                = {{URL|www.townofleray.org}}
| footnotes              = 
| pop_est_as_of          = 
| pop_est_footnotes      = 
| population_est         = 
}}
'''Le Ray''' is a [[Administrative divisions of New York#Town|town]] in [[Jefferson County, New York]], United States. The population was  25,574 at the 2020 census,<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US3604542015| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Le Ray town, Jefferson County, New York| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=August 30, 2018| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213161210/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/0600000US3604542015| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref> up from 21,782 in 2010. The town is named for [[Jacques-Donatien Le Ray]], known as a French "father of the American Revolution".

The town is in the central part of the county and is northeast of [[Watertown, New York|Watertown]].

==History==
Archaeological remains show the presence of aboriginal natives in the town.

The region was part of [[Macomb's Purchase]] and was acquired by [[Gouverneur Morris]] and James Le Ray in 1800. Settlement began around 1802.

The town was formed in 1806 from the town of [[Brownville, New York|Brownville]] and included a large portion of northern Jefferson County. Parts of the town were used to create the towns of [[Wilna, New York|Wilna]],  [[Alexandria, New York|Alexandria]], [[Theresa (town), New York|Theresa]], [[Antwerp (town), New York|Antwerp]], and [[Philadelphia (town), New York|Philadelphia]].

Many of the historic settlements of the town were abandoned due to the formation of [[Fort Drum]], which occupies the eastern half of the town.

The [[LeRaysville Archeological District]] was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1995.<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2010a}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|191.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|190.7|sqmi|km2}} are land and {{convert|0.9|km2|order=flip|1}}, or 0.49%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010"/> The [[Black River (New York)|Black River]] marks the south town border.

[[U.S. Route 11 in New York|U.S. Route 11]] is a northeast–southwest highway through Le Ray. [[New York State Route 3]] passes across the southeastern part of Le Ray. [[New York State Route 26]] is a north–south highway. [[New York State Route 37]] is a  north–south highway in the western part of Le Ray. [[New York State Route 342]] crosses the southern part of the town.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1820= 2944
|1830= 3430
|1840= 3721
|1850= 3654
|1860= 3159
|1870= 2862
|1880= 2660
|1890= 2565
|1900= 2576
|1910= 2555
|1920= 2366
|1930= 2422
|1940= 2551
|1950= 2821
|1960= 3627
|1970= 3973
|1980= 5039
|1990= 17973
|2000= 19840
|2010= 21782
|2020= 25574
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 19,836 people, 4,998 households, and 4,303 families residing in the town.  The [[population density]] was {{convert|269.1|pd/sqmi}}.  There were 5,245 housing units at an average density of {{cvt|71.2|/sqmi}}.  The racial makeup of the town was 70.48% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 16.36% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.79% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 2.06% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.49% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 6.09% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.73% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 10.94% of the population.

There were 4,998 households, out of which 58.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 10.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 3.04 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 27.9% from 18 to 24, 34.7% from 25 to 44, 6.8% from 45 to 64, and 2.7% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females, there were 145.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 167.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,359, and the median income for a family was $33,806. Males had a median income of $21,541 versus $21,074 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $14,140.  About 7.8% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

== Communities and locations in Le Ray ==
*[[Black River, New York|Black River]] &ndash; A village on the southern town line along the Black River.
*[[Calcium, New York|Calcium]] &ndash; A [[Hamlet (New York)|hamlet]] and [[census-designated place]] west of Fort Drum.
*'''Doolins Crossing''' &ndash; A location by the eastern corner of the town.
*'''Dutch Settlement''' &ndash; A hamlet in the northern part of the town on County Road 18.
*[[Evans Mills, New York|Evans Mills]] &ndash; A village in the center of the town on the western side of Fort Drum, north of US-11.
*'''Five Corners''' &ndash; A location in the southwestern part of Le Ray.
*[[Fort Drum]] &ndash; Part of the military reservation occupies the eastern half of the town.
*'''Gould Corners''' &ndash; A location southeast of Evans Mills, located on US-11.
*'''Gracey Corners''' &ndash; A location in the southwest of Le Ray.
*'''Hall Corners''' &ndash; A location near the northeastern town line.
*'''Pine Plains''' &ndash; A location near the eastern corner of the town.
*'''Westwood Corners''' &ndash; A location on US-11 near the northeastern town line.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://townofleray.org/ Town of Le Ray official website]

{{Jefferson County, New York}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Jefferson County, New York]]
[[Category:Towns in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1806 establishments in New York (state)]]