The village is at the northern border of the town of German Flatts and adjacent to the Erie Canal.

In 1725, the King of Great Britain and Governor Burnet granted Mohawk to the Palatine Germans in what was known as the Burnetsfield Patent.

George Washington was known to stop in Mohawk to have lunch at the Shoemaker Tavern on his way to and from Fort Stanwix in Rome.

[2] New York State Route 5S, an east-west highway, runs through the northern part of the village, leading east (downriver) 23 miles (37 km) to Fort Plain and west (upriver) 14 miles (23 km) to Utica.

New York State Route 28 (Warren Street/Columbia Street) is a north-south highway through the village center, leading northeast 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to Herkimer and south 12 miles (19 km) to Richfield Springs.

New York State Route 168 (Hammond Street) has its western terminus in the village and leads southeast 14 miles (23 km) to Starkville.

The sports teams of Central Valley call themselves the Thunder, and their school colors are light blue, navy, yellow and white.

The last graduating class of Mohawk Central School District was in 2013 and consisted of 54 students.

[8] One radio station is licensed to Mohawk: WHMV-LP (97.5 FM), which also serves the neighboring villages of Ilion and Herkimer.