Fulton County is located in central part of New York state. Fulton County has a total area of approximately 533 square miles of which 93% is land and 7% water. As of the census of 2000, there were 55,073 people, 21,884 households, and 14,509 families residing in Fulton County, New York. Out of the state's 58 counties, Fulton County ranks only as the 41st most populous. Its population density is 111 people per square mile. The county's name is in honor of Robert Fulton, inventor of the first commercially-practical steamboat.