DeWitt is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Onondaga County Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA. History The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...

, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 26,074. The town is named after Major Moses DeWitt, a judge and soldier. An eastern suburb of Syracuse, DeWitt also is "the site of most of the campus and all of the academic buildings of

Le Moyne College Le Moyne College is a private Jesuit college in DeWitt, New York.http://www.ongov.net/planning/haz/documents/Section9.7-TownofDeWitt.pdf It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1946 and named after Jesuit missionary Simon Le Moyne. At its fo ...

History

DeWitt was part of the

Central New York Military Tract The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly of bounty land set aside in Central New York to compensate New York's soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War. Establishment T ...

. The first settlers arrived around 1789. The original

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

progressed through the town in 1825. DeWitt was formed in 1835 from the Town of Manlius and was named in honor of Moses DeWitt, a Major in the militia, judge of the county courts and one of the first settlers of the county.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.15%) is water.

Highways

Interstate 481 Interstate 481 (I-481) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves as an eastern bypass of Syracuse, New York, in the US. It begins at its parent, I-81, in the city's southern end and travels through the eastern Syracuse suburbs of Jame ...

is the major highway in DeWitt crossing the center of the town, turning northward along the eastern side of DeWitt. I-481 intersects

Interstate 690 Interstate 690 (I-690) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that extends for through the vicinity of Syracuse, New York, in the United States. It is a spur of I-90 (here part of the New York State Thruway) that travels southeast from Thruw ...

in the eastern part of the town and Interstate 90 ( New York State Thruway) in the northern part of the town. New York State Route 92 conjoined with New York State Route 5 intersects I-481 in the east part of DeWitt. New York State Route 91 has its northern terminus at

New York State Route 173 New York State Route 173 (NY 173) is a state highway located in the Syracuse area of central New York in the United States. It takes a slightly bow-shaped route from NY 31 in the town of Van Buren to NY 5 in Chittenango, ge ...

, which crosses the southern part of the town, at Jamesville. New York State Route 298 crosses the northern part of the town while

New York State Route 290 New York State Route 290 (NY 290) is a state highway located entirely within Onondaga County, New York, extending from downtown Syracuse to the east side of the county. It provides access to Green Lakes State Park from the north. NY&nb ...

crosses the middle portion of the town. Other state routes of note include New York State Route 598 in the extreme northwest portion of town and New York State Route 635 which straddles the western town boundary with the city of Syracuse. Glacial2j

Bodies of water

Natural bodies of water in the Town of DeWitt include: * Butternut Creek, flowing from south of Jamesville Reservoir, under the Erie Canal, and north and east to Limestone Creek, which in turn flows into

Chittenango Creek Chittenango Creek is a small river in central New York, United States. The creek partially forms the boundary between Onondaga County and Madison County. The Chittenango Creek watershed comprises about of drainage in Onondaga and Madison coun ...

, and ultimately into

Oneida Lake Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York state, with a surface area of . The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It feeds the Oneida River, a tributary of the Oswego River, which flows into Lake Ontari ...

** Meadow Brook, tributary of Butternut Creek, flowing east from Syracuse to DeWitt * Glacier Lake, Clark Reservation State Park, Jamesville * Ley Creek (South Branch), flowing north and west from near Erie Boulevard in DeWitt, ultimately to

Onondaga Lake Onondaga Lake is a lake in Central New York, immediately northwest of and adjacent to Syracuse, New York. The southeastern end of the lake and the southwestern shore abut industrial areas and expressways; the northeastern shore and northwestern e ...

Erie Canal

The Long Level section of the Old Erie Canal runs through DeWitt, which in turn is part of the

Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Area in New York State. It has created signage in a wide area, including placing signs many miles away from any historic site of the Erie Canal. The corridor includes 34 Nationa ...

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 24,071 people, 10,068 households, and 6,503 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 711.0 people per square mile (274.6/km²). There were 10,694 housing units at an average density of 315.9 per square mile (122.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.70%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 4.89%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 2.98% Asian, 0.56% Native American, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.26% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.58% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

or Latino of any race were 1.35% of the population. There were 10,068 households, out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.94. The age distribution was as follows: 24.1% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $46,759, and the median income for a family was $60,325. Males had a median income of $45,926 versus $29,797 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $29,198. About 4.7% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over. As of July 2009, the population was 24,422, up 1.5% from 2000, with the average household income at $57,273. The average condo value in 2009 was $142,735. Towns in Onondaga County, New York

Government

Officials in the Town of DeWitt are elected at-large. Current offices are: *Town Supervisor (two-year term of office) *Town Clerk (two-year term of office) *Six Town Councilors (four-year term of office) *Two Town Justices (four-year term of office) *Town Highway Superintendent (two-year term of office) The Town Hall is located at 5400 Butternut Drive, East Syracuse, NY 13057-8510.

Economy

Aspen Dental Aspen Dental Management, Inc. (ADMI) is an American dental support organization (DSO), a dental practice management corporation that provides business support and administrative services in the US. Its headquarters is in Chicago, Illinois. Hist ...

has its headquarters in the town,Terms of Use Agreement
"
Archive
. Aspen Dental. Retrieved on September 23, 1012. " Aspen Dental Management, Inc. and the Aspen Dental Management, Inc. logo are trademarks of Aspen Dental Management, Inc., a Delaware corporation having its principle offices at 281 Sanders Creek Parkway, East Syracuse, New York. All other marks are property of their respective owners."Zoning Map
"
Archive
Town of DeWitt. Retrieved on September 23, 2012. near

East Syracuse East Syracuse is an incorporated village and a suburb of the City of Syracuse in eastern Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the village had a population of 3,084. It is located immediately east of Syracuse, i ...

. * The

Carrier Corporation Carrier Global Corporation is an American multinational heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, and fire and security equipment corporation based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Carrier was founded in 1915 as an independ ...

's engineering and design center, known locally as " Carrier Campus", is located in DeWitt. * Hanson Aggregates owns and operates the Jamesville Quarry.

Notable person

Jim Boeheim James Arthur Boeheim Jr. ( ; born November 17, 1944) is an American college basketball coach who is the head coach of the Syracuse Orange men's team of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Boeheim has guided the Orange to ten Big East Conference ...

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

basketball coach

Communities and places

;Village *

– A village east of the

Eastwood Eastwood may refer to: Places ;in Australia *Eastwood, New South Wales **Eastwood railway station **Electoral district of Eastwood *Eastwood, South Australia ;in Canada * Eastwood, Ontario *Eastwood, Edmonton, Alberta, a neighborhood ;in the Ph ...

neighborhood of the city of Syracuse. Shire, New York Heart of Dewitt, named after The DeWittshire Neighborhood and nearby areas. ;

Hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...

* Collamer (formerly "Brittons Settlement") – A hamlet in the northeastern part of DeWitt on NY 298. * DeWitt (formerly "Youngsville" and "Orville") – The hamlet of DeWitt (also a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

) is near the town center on NY 5. * Franklin Park – A suburban hamlet in the northwestern part of DeWitt. * Lyndon Corners – A hamlet in the eastern portion of town. * Jamesville – A hamlet in the south of DeWitt on NY-173. * Oot Park – A hamlet by the eastern town line. ;Other * DeWitt Acres – a residential neighborhood next to

ShoppingTown Mall ShoppingTown Mall was a regional shopping mall in Dewitt, New York. First opened as an open-air shopping center in 1954, it was enclosed in 1973 and remained a major shopping center before being thrown out of business in March 2020 to make way for a ...

. *

Hancock Field Air National Guard Base Hancock Field Air National Guard Base is a United States Air Force base, co-located with Syracuse Hancock International Airport. It is located north-northeast of Syracuse, New York, at 6001 East Molloy Road, Mattydale, NY 13211. The installatio ...

– a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

base home to the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing (174 ATW), and the 274th Air Support Operations Squadron (274 ASOS). * Messina Springs – a small community near East Syracuse, settled in the early 19th century * Morehouse Flats – An early community located north of Jamesville. * Onondaga County Department of Correction – A jail located east of Jamesville on NY 173. *

Syracuse Hancock International Airport Syracuse Hancock International Airport is a joint civil–military airport five miles (8 km) northeast of downtown Syracuse, New York, and south of Watertown. Operated by the Syracuse Department of Aviation, it is located off Interstate 81, ...

– Half the airport is in the northwestern section of DeWitt.

Visitor attractions

;National historic sites *

* Dr. John Ives House, Jamesville * Saint Mark's Church, Jamesville * Southwood Two-Teacher School, Jamesville ;State parks and historic sites * Clark Reservation State Park – a state park south of Syracuse. *

Old Erie Canal State Historic Park The Old Erie Canal State Historic Park encompasses a linear segment of the original Erie Canal's Long Level section. It extends westward from Butternut Creek in the town of DeWitt, just east of Syracuse, to the outskirts of Rome, New York. The ...

– a linear state historic park, part of the

New York State Canalway Trail The New York State Canalway Trail is a network of multi-use trails that runs parallel to current or former sections of the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca, and Champlain canals. When completed, the system will have of trails following current and ...

, originating near the Town offices in central DeWitt, continuing on to

Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the Central New York, central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Ro ...

; includes: *
Cedar Bay Park
***The Town of DeWitt has hosted Erie Canal Day, an annual celebration with entertainment games, music, and refreshments at Cedar Bay Park since 1968. DeWitt-Fiddlers-Green

;Municipal parks * Butternut Creek Recreation and Nature Trail – a 67-acre, partially developed area off of Kinne Road, near

Wegmans Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a privately held American supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Gates, New York, and was founded in 1916 in Rochester. As of , Wegmans has 110 stores, mostly in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions. T ...

DeWitt * Fiddlers Green Park – a small, developing park in the hamlet of Jamesville * Maxwell Park – "a 105-acre park" in East Syracuse * Ryder Park and Recreation Area – "a 12-acre park located next to the DeWitt Town Hall""Town of DeWitt Parks," ''Town of DeWitt Newsletter'', Winter 2015, p.8 *

Willis Carrier Willis Haviland Carrier (November 26, 1876 – October 7, 1950) was an American engineer, best known for inventing modern air conditioning. Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. In 1915, he founded Carrier Cor ...

Recreation Center and Park – a 22-acre park next to Carrier Campus ;Other * Community Library of DeWitt and Jamesville – the public library that serves the Town of DeWitt as part of the Onondaga County Public Library System. *

Drumlins Country Club The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is ...

– owned by

, including two 18-hole golf courses, one public and one private

Education

;

School district A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations. North America United States In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...

s * Jamesville-DeWitt (JD) School District, headquartered in DeWitt, serves portions of the Town. * East Syracuse-Minoa (ESM) School District, headquartered in the Town of Manlius,Home
" East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District. Retrieved on September 23, 2012. "407 Fremont Road . East Syracuse, NY 13057" serves portions of the Town of DeWitt. ;Other Other schools in the Town of DeWitt include: *

Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School Bishop Grimes Junior/Senior High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in East Syracuse, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. This school has more than 350 students in grades seven through twelve. Hist ...

* Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) *

* Manlius Pebble Hill School (MPH) * Syracuse Hebrew Day School (SHDS)

References

Notes

External links

Town of DeWitt official website

Jamesville-DeWitt School District
*
History/genealogy links for Clay

* https://web.archive.org/web/20131104232430/http://history.rays-place.com/ny/onon-dewitt.htm
DeWitt Community Library official website
{{authority control Syracuse metropolitan area 1835 establishments in New York (state) Towns in Onondaga County, New York