Photo: Mwanner | Talk. Original uploader was Mwanner at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Living in Paul Smiths, NY: what to set up and who to call
Paul Smiths has no town government of its own, so Franklin County runs its elections and most services, and its children attend Saranac Lake Central School District. The closest public drop-off to Paul Smiths is Lake Clear Transfer Station, 4 miles out; the town decides whether residents may use it.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Paul Smiths, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Paul Smiths.
Power comes from National Grid
National Grid (Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Paul Smiths. Its homes paid an average of 19.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $130 a month (its average across New York, for customers on its standard service). New York lets you buy power from another supplier; 6% of National Grid’s home customers do, and National Grid still delivers it.
Start or move service: www1.nationalgridus.com · (315) 474-1511
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Which providers serve Paul Smiths
This card will list the home internet providers the FCC’s National Broadband Map shows in Paul Smiths, the share of addresses that can get 100/20 Mbps and the share with fiber, with the map’s “as of” date.
Source to come: FCC Broadband Data Collection.
The nearest public drop-off is 4 miles away
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Paul Smiths.
Lake Clear Transfer Station
59 Dump Road, Lake Clear, NY, 12945
This isn’t Paul Smiths’ own facility. Whether Paul Smiths residents may use it is the town’s rule: check the town’s office.
OpenStreetMap, as of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Paul Smiths is in Saranac Lake Central School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
No town hall: the county runs things
Paul Smiths is unincorporated, so Franklin County is the local government.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2025; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Paul Smiths is in ZIP code 12970
ZIP codes where Paul Smiths residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Paul Smiths | ZIP’s residents in Paul Smiths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12970 | Paul Smiths, NY | 100% | 60% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Paul Smiths
Who provides electricity in Paul Smiths?
National Grid (Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 19.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What ZIP codes are in Paul Smiths?
12970. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Paul Smiths in?
Saranac Lake Central School District.
How do I register to vote in Paul Smiths?
In New York you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before and received 10 days before). Elections here are run by the Franklin County Board of Elections. Check your registration at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet (FCC): pending.