New York
Buying Land in Washington County, New York
Washington County runs along the New York-Vermont border east of the Hudson and Lake George, anchored by a real, working dairy economy. Most of the county is standard town-zoned farmland -- but the Towns of Dresden, Putnam, and part of Fort Ann fall inside the Adirondack Park's Blue Line, a specific, confirmed detail worth knowing before you buy in that corner of the county.
Government: a Board of Supervisors representing seventeen towns
Washington County is a non-chartered county governed by a Board of Supervisors -- one elected supervisor from each of the county's seventeen towns -- which serves as both the legislative and executive body under standard New York State law. The Board meets monthly at the County Municipal Center in Fort Edward, the county seat.
The Adirondack Park: confirmed for Dresden, Putnam, and part of Fort Ann
Washington County is one of ten New York counties with land both inside and outside the Adirondack Park. Rather than describe this vaguely, this page confirms the specific towns: the Adirondack Park Agency has direct jurisdiction over the entire Town of Dresden, the entire Town of Putnam, and part of the Town of Fort Ann. If you're looking at land in any of these three towns -- generally the county's eastern edge along Lake George and Lake Champlain's southern reaches -- confirm directly with the APA whether the specific parcel is inside the Blue Line, its land use area classification, and whether an APA permit would be required in addition to (or instead of) the town's own zoning approval, following the framework described on our New York state overview page. The remaining fourteen towns in the county sit entirely outside the Park.
Zoning and agriculture outside the Park
For the large majority of the county -- outside Dresden, Putnam, and the Fort Ann portion inside the Blue Line -- zoning is a standard town matter, with each town adopting and administering its own ordinance and no county zoning code. Agriculture is a defining feature of the county's land economy: over a third of Washington County's land is in agricultural use, generating roughly $140 million in direct annual sales (over $200 million including related agri-business activity) by the county's own reporting, with dairy as the leading commodity alongside beef, field crops, maple syrup, and apples. The county maintains Agricultural Districts under state law and a county Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan -- worth reviewing if you're evaluating farmland here, since district status can affect both land-use protections and certain tax considerations.
Septic countywide
Washington County Health Department administers septic permitting directly under the statewide Appendix 75-A standard, alongside a county building/plumbing/septic permit portal covering the standard construction permit process. That's the whole picture for most of the county -- but Dresden, Putnam, and the Fort Ann portion inside the Adirondack Park carry a real added wrinkle: they also sit inside the Lake George Park Commission's basin boundary, stacking a second state agency's own septic inspection requirements on top. See our dedicated page for what that three-layer stack actually means.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Washington County
Zoning is set entirely by the specific one of Washington County's 17 towns (or the APA, for the parts of Dresden, Putnam, and Fort Ann inside the Park), not the county. Direct WebFetch access to washingtoncountyny.gov was not attempted in this research pass; confirm current department contacts directly.
Planning & Zoning
Washington County Planning
Countywide planning coordination and Agricultural District administration -- for the actual zoning ordinance, contact the specific town, or the APA for Dresden, Putnam, and the Fort Ann portion inside the Park.
Septic / Onsite Wastewater
Washington County Public Health Services
Septic system permitting under Appendix 75-A.
Other
Adirondack Park Agency
Whether a specific Dresden, Putnam, or Fort Ann parcel is inside the Blue Line and what its land use area classification allows.
Want to know if this specific parcel actually works?
Tell us what you're looking at and we'll connect you with a local land specialist who can help you sanity-check it before you go further.
Get local guidanceTopics Specific to Washington County
Sources
- About the Board | Washington County, NY — Washington County, NY (accessed 2026-09)
- Washington County, New York — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Adirondack Park Agency Permit (P2025-0023), reproduced by Washington County — Washington County, NY / Adirondack Park Agency (accessed 2026-09)
- Dresden, Washington County, New York — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Fort Ann, New York — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
- Agriculture As An Economic Driver | Washington County, NY — Washington County, NY (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09