New York State Route 32

New York State Route 32 (NY 32) is a north–south state highway that extends for 176.73 miles (284.42 km) through the Hudson Valley and Capital District regions of the U.S. state of New York. It is a two-lane surface road for nearly its entire length, with few divided sections. From Harriman to Albany, it is closely parallel to Interstate 87 (I-87) and U.S. Route 9W (US 9W), overlapping with the latter in several places.

NY 32 begins at NY 17 on the outskirts of the New York metropolitan area in Woodbury just outside Harriman, and ends at NY 196 east of Hudson Falls just south of the Adirondacks. In between, the road passes through the cities of Newburgh, Kingston, Albany, Cohoes, and Glens Falls. Outside of the cities, it offers views of the Hudson Highlands, Shawangunk Ridge, Catskill Mountains, and, during an overlap with US 4 north of Albany, the Hudson River.

The roads now making up the highway were originally part of several privately maintained turnpikes, which fostered settlements along the corridor. Once part of the former NY 58, it has been NY 32 since 1930. Only one of three letter-suffixed spur routes remains.

Maintenance of NY 32 is split between the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the highway departments of several different jurisdictions. Within the cities of Newburgh and Watervliet, the route is entirely city-maintained. In four other cities—Albany, Cohoes, Glens Falls, and Kingston—NY 32 is mostly locally maintained. The piece of the route in the city of Mechanicville, meanwhile, is city-maintained north of Frances Street, a local street four blocks south of NY 67. One last locally maintained section exists in the Albany suburb of Bethlehem, where the route is county-maintained between Feura Bush Road and the Delmar Bypass. This section is co-signed as County Route 52 (CR 52), which continues northwest of NY 32 to a junction with NY 140 near Slingerlands.

NY 32 begins where NY 17 leaves the Quickway overpass west of the New York State Thruway toll barrier, just north of the Harriman village line in Woodbury. To the east is Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, across from Central Valley Elementary School of the Monroe–Woodbury Central School District. Beyond the mall, site of many major traffic jams, NY 32 descends into downtown Central Valley. 2 miles (3 km) north is another of the Town of Woodbury's hamlets, Highland Mills. Beyond the Rushmore Memorial Library at the north end of the hamlet the road bends slightly east upon reaching the southeastern foot of Orange County's highest peak, Schunemunk Mountain.

Shortly after Highland Mills, the Port Jervis Line, operated by Metro-North Railroad, crosses over on a high trestle. After crossing over Woodbury Creek and under the Thruway, NY 32 runs along the eastern side of the narrow valley between Schunemunk and the Hudson Highlands. This section of highway runs through mostly wooded terrain as it leaves Woodbury for Cornwall.

Just north of Mountainville and the north end of Schunemunk, the road crosses Moodna Creek downstream from the Woodbury Creek confluence. The intersection with Angola Road 0.25 miles (0.40 km) to the south was once the beginning of the former NY 307; it is now the west end of CR 107. Across the creek from CR 107 is Orrs Mills Road, another county road that leads to Storm King Art Center.

The road climbs gently out of the creek valley and enters development. At 1.6 miles (2.6 km) north of Angola Road, it crosses the New Windsor town line and reaches the complicated five-way intersection at the center of Vails Gate, intersecting NY 94 and the beginning of NY 300. The next 2 miles (3.2 km) include a middle turn lane as NY 32 becomes New Windsor's main commercial strip. This section ends at Temple Hill Avenue, with Snake Hill to the west. The road remains heavily commercial as it enters the city of Newburgh as the wide Lake Street.