upstate

American  

[uhp-steyt] / ˈʌpˈsteɪt /

noun

1. the part of a state that is farther north or farther from the chief city, especially the northerly part of New York State.

---

adjective

1. of or coming from such an area.

2. located in or characteristic of this part.

adverb

1. in, to, or into the upstate area.

upstate British  

/ ˈʌpˈsteɪt /

adjective

1. towards, in, from, or relating to the outlying or northern sections of a state, esp of New York State

---

noun

1. the outlying, esp northern, sections of a state

Other Word Forms

• upstater noun

Etymology

Origin of upstate

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05; up- + state

Example Sentences

Rapidus engineers train with IBM colleagues in upstate New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

But upstate, miles from home and from any other soul, the reassuring statement became a question: What if I’m not alone?

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

A native of upstate New York, Eaton attended law school in Albany like his father, uncle and brother before him.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

A nearly-blind, non-English-speaking refugee from Myanmar has been found dead in upstate New York after being released from federal immigration custody.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

In their pages, spirits were a crazy idea from upstate, like abolition or women’s equality: “There are many queer people and queer things in Rochester.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock