Ithaca is a

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

Tompkins County Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 105,740. The county seat is Ithaca. The name is in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, who served as Governor of New York and Vice Presiden ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

. The town's population was 22,283 at the 2020 census. The town is in the central part of the county, in the

Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...

–

Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York region of New York State, consisting of counties west of the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County and geographically situated along or very near the northern borde ...

region of New York, and is part of the Ithaca

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. The Town of Ithaca is a horseshoe-shaped portion of the metropolitan area of Ithaca,

, surrounding the City of Ithaca and being the city's only border.

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and g ...

is located in the South Hill section of the town.

History

The

Sullivan Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Genocide) was a United States military campaign during the American Revolutionary War, lasting from June to October 177 ...

of 1779 passed through this region. The town is in the former

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 Th ...

. The Town of Ithaca was created from part of the Town of Ulysses in 1821. In 1865,

Ezra Cornell Ezra Cornell (; January 11, 1807 – December 9, 1874) was an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He was the founder of Western Union and a co-founder of Cornell University. He also served as President of the New York Agricul ...

, supported by New York State, provided funds and land to found Cornell University.

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 th ...

, the town has a total area of 30.3 square miles (78.5 km²), of which, 29.1 square miles (75.4 km²) of it is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) of it (3.99%) is water. The town is at the foot of

Cayuga Lake Cayuga Lake (,,) is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and second largest in volume. It is just under long. Its average width is , and it is a ...

, one of the

. The town borders all other towns in Tompkins County, with the exception of the Towns of Caroline and Groton. It also borders both the eastern and western shores of Cayuga Lake. Fall, Cascadilla, and Six Mile Creeks, the

Cayuga Inlet Cayuga Inlet is a river located in Tompkins County, New York. It flows into the south end of Cayuga Lake by Ithaca, New York. Development Cayuga Inlet is a popular and well-connected location for boating. Boaters are able to travel from Cayuga I ...

and Buttermilk Creek flow through the town to Cayuga Lake. The town and the city are at the convergence of several state highways, including:

New York State Route 13 New York State Route 13 (NY 13) is a state highway that runs mainly north–south for between NY 14 in Horseheads and NY 3 west of Pulaski in Central New York in the United States. In between, NY 13 intersects wi ...

New York State Route 34 New York State Route 34 (NY 34) is a north–south New York state route located in Central New York. Its southern terminus is at the Pennsylvania state line in the village of Waverly, where it connects to Pennsylvania Route&nbs ...

, New York State Route 79, New York State Route 96B, and New York State Route 366.

is in the town, south of the city center. The main campus of

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teac ...

is located just to the east, partly in the City and partly in the Town.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 18,198 people, 6,427 households, and 3,399 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 term.Matt RosenberP ...

was 625.1 people per square mile (241.4/km²). There were 6,836 housing units at an average density of 234.8 per square mile (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 84.14%

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 ...

, 2.93%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

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 ensl ...

, 0.13% Native American, 9.18% Asian, 0.04%

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 Oce ...

, 1.38% 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 2.19% 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 form ...

or Latino of any race were 3.36% of the population. There were 6,427 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.83. In the town, the population was spread out, with 15.1% under the age of 18, 30.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $45,281, and the median income for a family was $68,346. Males had a median income of $49,592 versus $30,728 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 $24,065. About 4.2% of families and 13.2% 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 ...

, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in the Town of Ithaca

The City of Ithaca has a completely separate government, and is not part of the town. The two entities form a single community for most practical purposes, for instance, sharing a local school district and many municipal services. Unusual for a local government, many of the town's government offices, including Town Hall, are located within the City of Ithaca, outside of the town's jurisdiction. *

Buttermilk Falls State Park Buttermilk Falls State Park is a state park located southwest of Ithaca, New York, United States. Like Robert H. Treman State Park, a portion of the land that was to become the state park came from Robert and Laura Treman in 1924. History Bu ...

– A

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

in the town. * Cayuga Heights – The Village of Cayuga Heights is north of the City of Ithaca. * East Cayuga Heights – A hamlet near the northeast town line, east of Cayuga Heights. * Forest Home – A hamlet east of the City of Ithaca. * Hayt Corner – A location in the northwest part of the town. * Kennedy Corner – A location on the west town line. * Northeast Ithaca, New York - a census designated area Northeast of the City of Ithaca. * Renwick – A hamlet north of Ithaca on NY-34. * Robert H. Treman State Park – A state park in the town. * South Hill – A hamlet south of the City of Ithaca on NY-96B. * Whipple Corner – A location on the west town line.

Government and politics

The Town Supervisor of Ithaca is Rod Howe. The Town Board has 6 members who are elected at-large to 4-year terms. In December 2014, the Ithaca Town Board unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing freedom from

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...

as a fundamental

human right Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Towns in Tompkins County, New York Populated places established in 1821 1821 establishments in New York (state)