Onondaga County is a
county located in the
U.S. state of
New York. As of the
2000 census, the population was 458,336. The estimated population for 2004 is 459,805, an increase of 0.3%. The
county seat is
Syracuse.
Onondaga County is part of the
Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The name
Onondaga derives from the name of the Native American people who lived here, who called themselves
Onoda'gega, sometimes spelled
Onontakeka. The word means "People of the Hills." Sometimes the term was
Onondagaono ("The People of the Hills").
Haudenosaunee (
Iroquois) people continue to reside in a separate nation within Onondaga County.
History
When counties were established in New York State in 1683, the present Onondaga County was part of
Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of
Vermont and, in theory, extending westward to the
Pacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766 by the creation of
Cumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770 by the creation of
Gloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont.
On March 12, 1772, what was left of Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County. One of the other pieces,
Tryon County, contained the western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city of
Schenectady, and the county included the western part of the
Adirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of the
Delaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named for
William Tryon, colonial governor of New York.
Oneida Lake borders Onondaga County to the northeast. It is the largest lake wholly within the State of New York. This picture was taken from the town of Cicero, a northern suburban town in the northeast part of Onondaga County.
In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to
Canada. In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the
American Revolutionary War, the name of Tryon County was changed to
Montgomery County to honor the general,
Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of
Quebec, replacing the name of the hated British governor.
In 1789, the size of Montgomery County was reduced by the splitting off of
Ontario County from Montgomery. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present
Allegany,
Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua,
Erie,
Genesee,
Livingston,
Monroe,
Niagara,
Orleans,
Steuben,
Wyoming,
Yates, and part of
Schuyler and
Wayne Counties.
In 1791, Herkimer County was one of three counties split off from Montgomery (the other two being
Otsego, and
Tioga County). This was much larger than the present county, however, and was reduced by a number of subsequent splits.
In 1794, Onondaga County was split off from Herkimer County. This county was larger than the current Onondaga County, including the present
Cayuga,
Cortland, and part of
Oswego Counties.
In
1799,
Cayuga County was split off from Onondaga.
In
1808,
Cortland County was split off from Onondaga.
In 1816, parts of Oneida and Onondaga Counties were taken to form the new
Oswego County.
Central New York developed rapidly after the
New Military Tract provided land to Revolutionary War veterans. Migration was largely from the east, mostly from New England states. The
Genesee Road, which became the
Seneca Turnpike in 1800, provided access. Generally settlers preferred higher land, since they associated lowlands will disease. In time, as hillside soil was eroded by early clearing and farming, valley lands were more fertile and highly prized for agriculture as well as for water power, which was the origin of many communities. One of the settlers around 1823 was
James Hutchinson Woodworth, a native of Washington County, NY (a region of New York that at times was contested by Vermont); he helped clear land for his family's farm in this region before going on to Chicago where he became Mayor.
The city of
Syracuse,
New York developed relatively late, due to its marshy situation. The highland village of
Pompey,
New York on the
Seneca Turnpike in contrast was more important at an earlier date. Population of rural towns was greatest in the late nineteenth century, when more land was cultivated and farms were relatively small, supporting large households. Since that time, agriculture has declined in the county. Some Onondaga County towns like
Spafford, New York were largely depopulated, many villages becoming veritable ghost towns. Onondaga County highlands now are more heavily reforested, with public parks and preserves providing recreation. Two
Finger Lakes in the county, Skaneateles and Otisco, also attract visitors. The village of
Skaneateles on scenic
Route 20 has become a major tourist destination.
At the turn of the twenty-first century, population declined in the City of Syracuse while suburban communities generally grew, particularly with tract developments north of the city. Elsewhere, scattered commuter houses appeared, generally on fairly large parcels. The Village of Skaneateles and shores of Skaneateles Lake attracted rapid development, demand for property increasing property values remarkably.
Onondaga Lake Park in the northern suburbs of Syracuse. Picture captures Onondaga Lake with the Syracuse skyline in the background. Onondaga Lake Park attracts over one million visitors each year.
Geography
Onondaga County is in the west central portion of New York State, west of
Utica, east of
Rochester and north of
Ithaca. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 806 square miles (2,087 km²), of which, 780 square miles (2,021 km²)is land and 25 square miles (66 km²)(3.15%) is water.
Onondaga Lake is bordered by many of the larger communities in the county.
The northern part of the county is fairly level lake plain, extending northward to
Lake Ontario.
Oneida Lake three rivers, as well as the Erie and subsequent Barge Canals are in the lake plain. The main line of the
New York Central Railroad and the
New York State Thruway extend east and west across the county through the lake plain. The southern part of the county is
Appalachian Plateau, with high hills rising at the southern edge of
Syracuse. This is the eastern part of the
Finger Lakes region.
Skaneateles Lake and
Otisco Lake are both in Onondaga County.
US 20 extends east and west across the county, traversing dramatic hill-and-valley terrain. Between the lake plain and Appalachian highlands is a zone noted for
drumlins, smaller, scattered hills formed as mounds of debris left by the last glacier.
Tully is geologically noted for the terminal moraine deposited there by the glacier, filling the deep Tully Valley, which might have been another Finger Lake, had the moraine been left closer to Syracuse, impounding water. Tully is at the divide between two major watersheds, one flowing northward to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the
St. Lawrence River and the other southward to the ocean vie the
Susquehanna River. Onieda Lake, the Finger Lakes, and smaller bodies of water provide recreation. Several ski slopes are located in the Appalachian hills, where there are waterfalls and historic villages as attractions, as well as parks and large forest preserves.
Adjacent counties
Major highways
Demographics
thumb|left|200px|Age distribution (2000 census)thumb|right|200px|Population (2000-2008)thumb|right|200px|Median income (2000 census)As of the
census of 2000, there were 458,336 people, 181,153 households, and 115,394 families residing in the county. The
population density was 587 people per square mile (227/km²). There were 196,633 housing units at an average density of 252 per square mile (97/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 84.78%
White, 9.38%
African American, 0.86%
Native American, 2.09%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander, 0.89% from
other races, and 1.97% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 2.44% of the population. 17.5% were of
Italian, 16.2%
Irish, 12.4%
German, 9.4%
English and 6.0%
Polish ancestry according to
Census 2000. 91.4% spoke
English, 2.4%
Spanish and 1.1%
Italian as their first language.
Skaneateles Lake is one of the Finger Lakes located in Onondaga County.
There were 181,153 households out of which 31.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.90% were
married couples living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.30% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the county the population was spread out with 25.80% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 28.80% from 25 to 44, 22.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,847, and the median income for a family was $51,876. Males had a median income of $39,048 versus $27,154 for females. The
per capita income for the county was $21,336. About 8.60% of families and 12.20% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 15.50% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.
Demographic trends (2006): County population has decreased from a high in 1970. Increasing number of housing units apparently is due to smaller family units and more individuals living alone. While the City of Syracuse population has declined, some suburban towns have grown.
Lysander, a northwest suburb of Syracuse, NY.
Government and Politics
Onondaga County was governed exclusively by a board of supervisors until 1961, when voters approved the creation of the
county executive. In 1968, the board reorganized into a 24-seat county legislature. In 2001, the legislature was reduced to 19 seats. All 19 members are elected from individual districts. The county executive is elected in a countywide vote.
Cities, towns, villages, and hamlets
A map of towns and cities located in Onondaga County, NY
is the only city in Onondaga County.
The following is a complete list of official towns and villages, and principal
hamlets:
:
:Villages and hamlets labeled "(in part)" span the border between multiple towns.
Indian reservations
See also
