The
United States Military Academy at West Point (
USMA), also known as
West Point,
Army,
The Academy or simply
The Point, is a four-year
coeducational federal service academy located in
West Point, New York. The academy, located in
Orange County, sits on scenic high ground overlooking the
Hudson River, north of
New York City. The Academy traces its roots to 1801, when, shortly after his inauguration, President
Thomas Jefferson directed that plans be set in motion to establish at West Point the United States Military Academy. The entire central campus is a
national landmark and home to scores of historic sites, buildings, and monuments. The majority of the campus's
Norman buildings are constructed from gray and black
granite. The campus is a popular tourist destination complete with a large visitor center and the oldest museum in the
United States Army.