Since the colonial period, the Poughkeepsie area has been a prime location on the Hudson, midway between Albany and New York City.

Referred to as the "Queen City of the Hudson," accessibility, scenic beauty, and a dynamic economic and cultural environment have made Poughkeepsie an excellent community in which to live, work, and play. Since the 19th century, Poughkeepsie has been a favored site by society elites, families like the Astors, Rogers, and Vanderbilts building palatial weekend homes there due to its natural beauty and proximity to New York City. Numerous Americans have left their mark here, including the Livingstons, Samuel Morse, Matthew Vassar (whom local Vassar College is named for), Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and Thomas Watson Sr. Poughkeepsie has also been enhanced by the contributions of its African American community and by successive waves of immigrants seeking a better life. From hosting New York's United States Constitutional Ratification Convention in 1788 to becoming the location of IBM during World War II, Poughkeepsie has continued to be the site of world-changing events.