Due to the presence of what is now the State University of New York at New Paltz, it has been a college town for over 150 years.

The town of New Paltz was founded in 1678 by French Huguenots by both patent from the governor and purchase from the local Esopus tribe of the Lenape people.

They settled in the area of the present-day village of New Paltz (on what is now known as Huguenot Street Historic District) and established their own local government.

More of New Paltz was removed in order to form the towns of Rosendale (1844), Lloyd (1845), and Gardiner (1853).

Interstate 87 (the New York State Thruway) is the main thoroughfare and passes through in the eastern part and houses Exit 18 for Route 299.

The hiking/biking path eventually crosses the Walkway Over The Hudson and becomes the Dutchess Rail Trail that ends in Hopewell Junction.

It also had the first Green Party majority council in the nation, led by mayor Jason West.