Union Avenue

Union Avenue is the boulevard that runs east from Congress Park to Saratoga Race Course, lined with some of the city’s grandest Victorian houses. The Union Avenue Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1978, takes in the stately homes built from the 1860s into the early 1900s, several buildings that once belonged to Skidmore College and now belong to SUNY Empire State University, and part of Congress Park. The street is quiet for ten months of the year. From late July through Labor Day it is the most famous street in the city, and everything on it runs on the racing calendar.

Where it is

Union Avenue begins at Circular Street by Congress Park in Saratoga Springs and heads east as Route 9P. The racetrack and the National Museum of Racing face each other across the avenue, and Yaddo’s grounds are farther east near the Northway. Past Exit 14 the road keeps going out to Saratoga Lake. The East Side sits directly north.

What to know if you’re moving here

Living on Union Avenue means living with the track. Some people plan their summer around it and some rent the house out for it.

• Houses are large Victorians in Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Gothic styles, many with wraparound porches and carriage houses on the alleys behind them.
• The street is in both the National Register district and a local historic district, so exterior work goes through the city’s design review.
• During the meet, traffic, parking and foot traffic near the track are heavy from morning workouts through the last race.
• Renting a house out for the meet is common on and around the avenue. Our read: if that income matters to your budget, look at what comparable houses rented for last August before you buy.
• Schools are in the Saratoga Springs City School District, and elementary assignments go by address. Check the district’s zone map.

What to do if you’re visiting

Walk it from Congress Park to the track. It takes about 20 minutes and covers most of what the street is known for.

• Saratoga Race Course is at 267 Union Avenue. The summer meet runs from July into early September.
• Across the street, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is at 191 Union Avenue.
• The horse sales at Fasig-Tipton, at East Avenue and George Street just off Union, draw a crowd during the meet even for people who are not bidding.
• Farther east, the gardens at Yaddo, 312 Union Avenue, are a quiet walk away from race-day noise.

Good to know

Race dates and post times change every year. Check the current season’s calendar before booking around the meet. Checked September 23, 2026.

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