Monroe County, New York
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Monroe County is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
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 ...
region of the
State of New York New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...
. The county is along
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
's southern shore. At the 2020 census, Monroe County's population was 759,443, an increase since the 2010 census. Its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
and largest city is the city of Rochester. The county is named after
James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...
, the fifth
president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
. Monroe County is part of the Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area.


History

When counties were established in the Province of New York in 1683, the present Monroe County was part of Albany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of the State of New York as well as all of the present State of
Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
and, in theory, extending westward to the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation of
Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberla ...
, 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 Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
, and the county included the western part of the
Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular ...
and the area west of the West Branch of the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...
. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of the State of New York. The county was named for
William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...
, colonial governor of New York. In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, the name of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County in order to honor the general, Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, replacing the name of the hated British governor. In 1789, Ontario County was split off from Montgomery. The actual area split off from Montgomery County was much larger than the present county, also including the present Allegany, Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...
,
Erie Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
,
Genesee Genesee, derived from the Seneca word for "pleasant valley", may refer to: Geographic features Canada *Genesee, Alberta, an unincorporated community United States *Genesee, California *Genesee, Colorado *Genesee County, Michigan *Genesee Co ...
,
Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...
, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben,
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, Yates, and part of
Schuyler Schuyler may refer to: Places United States * Schuyler County, Illinois * Schuyler County, Missouri * Schuyler, Nebraska, a city * Schuyler County, New York * Schuyler, New York, a town * Schuyler Island, Lake Champlain, New York * Schuyler C ...
and Wayne counties. Genesee County was created by a splitting of Ontario County in 1802. This was much larger than the present Genesee County, however. It contained the present Allegany, Cattaraugus,
Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...
,
Erie Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 a ...
, Niagara, Orleans,
Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, and portions of
Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...
and Monroe counties. Finally, Monroe County was formed from parts of Genesee and Ontario counties in 1821.


Geography

According to the
U.S. 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 the ...
, the county's total area is , of which is land and (52%) is water. Monroe County is in Western State of New York's northern tier, northeast of Buffalo and northwest of Syracuse. The northern county line is also the state line and the border of the United States, marked by
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
. Monroe County is north of 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 ...
.


Adjacent counties

* Wayne County - east * Ontario County - southeast * Livingston County - south * Orleans County - west * Genesee County - southwest


Major highways

* * * * *
New York State Route 15 New York State Route 15 (NY 15) is a north–south state highway located in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is officially at Interstate 390 (I-390) exit 3 south of the village of Wayl ...
*
New York State Route 15A New York State Route 15A (NY 15A) is a north–south state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. It serves as an easterly alternate route of NY 15, beginning in the Livingston County town of S ...
*
New York State Route 18 New York State Route 18 (NY 18) is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the south shore of Lake Ontario for most of its length between Niagara County and Monroe County. NY 18, w ...
*
New York State Route 19 New York State Route 19 (NY 19) is a north–south state highway in Western New York in the United States. It is the longest state highway in that region, and the only other one besides NY 14 to completely transect the state ...
* New York State Route 31 * New York State Route 31F *
New York State Route 33 New York State Route 33 (NY 33) is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. The route extends for just under from NY 5 in Buffalo in the west to NY 31 in Rochester in the east. It is, in fact, ...
*
New York State Route 33A New York State Route 33A (NY 33A) is an east–west state highway mostly located in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. The route is just over long and serves as an alternate route of NY 33 between the town of Bergen ...
*
New York State Route 36 New York State Route 36 (NY 36) is a north–south state highway in the western part of New York in the United States. The highway extends for from the Pennsylvania state line at Troupsburg, Steuben County northward to Ogden, Monro ...
*
New York State Route 64 New York State Route 64 (NY 64) is a north–south state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with NY 21 in the hamlet of Bristol Springs within the town ...
*
New York State Route 65 New York State Route 65 (NY 65) is a north–south state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with U.S. Route 20 (US 20) and NY 5 in the Ontario ...
*
New York State Route 96 New York State Route 96 (NY 96) is a northwest–southeast state highway in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an interchange with NY 17 (Future I-86) in the Southe ...
*
New York State Route 104 New York State Route 104 (NY 104) is a east–west state highway in Upstate New York in the United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follow ...
*
New York State Route 153 New York State Route 153 (NY 153) is a long north–south state highway located in the eastern suburbs of Rochester, New York, in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at NY 96 in the village of Pittsford. I ...
*
New York State Route 250 New York State Route 250 (NY 250) is a north–south state highway in the eastern portion of Monroe County, New York, in the United States. It extends for just over from an intersection with NY 96 in the town of Perinton to a ...
*
New York State Route 251 New York State Route 251 (NY 251) is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 383 in Scottsville, Monroe County, to an intersection with NY 96 in the ...
*
New York State Route 252 New York State Route 252 (NY 252) is an east–west state highway south of Rochester in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 33A in Chili and the eastern t ...
*
New York State Route 259 New York State Route 259 (NY 259) is a north–south state highway located west of Rochester in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 33A in the hamlet of ...
*
New York State Route 286 New York State Route 286 (NY 286) is an east–west state highway in the vicinity of the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It links Rochester to its eastern suburbs and to western Wayne County. The western terminus of ...
* New York State Route 390 *
New York State Route 404 New York State Route 404 (NY 404) is an east–west state highway located in eastern Monroe County, New York, in the United States. It extends for just over from an interchange with NY 590 in Irondequoit to an intersection wi ...
*
New York State Route 441 New York State Route 441 (NY 441) is an east–west state highway in the eastern suburbs of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an intersection with NY 96 in Brighton to a junction with NY 350 in ...
*
New York State Route 531 New York State Route 531 (NY 531) is a limited-access, east–west state highway located in Monroe County, New York, in the United States. The route extends for from the far northwestern suburbs of Rochester to the town of Gates locat ...
*
New York State Route 590 New York State Route 590 (NY 590) is a north–south state highway located in the eastern suburbs of Rochester, New York, in the United States. The route is a limited-access northward extension of Interstate 590 (I-590) that begi ...
*
Lake Ontario State Parkway The Lake Ontario State Parkway is a parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Western New York in the United States. The western end of the highway is at a partial interchange within Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County ...


Government and politics

From 1856 to 1932, Monroe County voted for the
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
candidate in every presidential election apart from 1912. Democratic candidate
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
was able to win the county in 1912 when the Republican vote was divided between then incumbent president
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
and former president
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
. Monroe County voted for incumbent Democratic presidents
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
( 1936, 1940,
1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...
) and
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
( 1948). From 1952 to
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
, Monroe County voted for the Republican candidate in all presidential elections except for
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
's Democratic landslide in 1964. In 1980, incumbent Democratic president
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
won Monroe County, despite having lost in the county to Republican
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
in
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
. Monroe County went back Republican in 1984 and 1988, but has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate every time from
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
onwards, up to and including the
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
election.


County government

Monroe County was chartered as a municipal corporation by the
New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...
in 1892 and re-chartered under New York's Municipal Home Rule Law in 1965.


Executive branch

The county's executive branch is headed by the
County Executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...
, Adam Bello. The executive's office is on the first floor of the County Office Building on West Main Street in Rochester. The County Clerk is Jamie Romeo. The county was exclusively governed by a Board of Supervisors for the first 114 years of its history. In 1935, the position of County Manager, appointed by the Board, was approved by popular referendum. In 1983, the position was replaced by a
County Executive A county executive, county manager or county mayor is the head of the executive branch of government in a United States county. The executive may be an elected or an appointed position. When elected, the executive typically functions either as a ...
, directly elected by popular vote, with expanded powers (e.g., veto). In 1993, the legislature enacted term limits for the executive office of 12 consecutive years to start in 1996.


Sheriff

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) provides law enforcement and has the constitutional authority is to operate the county jail and provide civil functions. As with most counties in New York, the MCSO also performs a range of police services and provides physical and operational security to the courts. The MCSO is led by a
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
who is elected by the residents of Monroe County, serving a 4-year term. They are considered the highest
police The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
official in the county, followed by an appointed
Undersheriff An undersheriff (or under-sheriff) is an office derived from ancient English custom that remains in, among other places, England and Wales and the United States, though performing different functions. United States In American law enforcement, ...
and subordinate
Chief Deputy Chief Deputy is a rank/title used in American/Canadian law enforcement. The position of chief deputy is primarily found within sheriff's offices throughout the United States, and also exists for marshals’ police departments as well as constable ...
. As of March 2022, Todd K. Baxter is the Monroe County Sheriff. Organizationally, the office is composed of numerous bureaus, each responsible for a given scope of functional operations. The Jail Bureau is the largest component of the Sheriff's Office, overseeing an inmate population of around 1,000. Under the New York State Constitution, the Sheriff is the
warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically identic ...
of the county jail. The Police Bureau of the Sheriff's Office operates a sizable road patrol force which serves municipalities within Monroe County that do not independently enforce traffic. They are also responsible for primary police patrols at the
Greater Rochester International Airport Frederick Douglass - Greater Rochester International Airport is a public airport located within the City of Rochester, three miles (6 km) southwest of Downtown, in Monroe County, New York, United States. It is owned and operated by Monro ...
and parks throughout the county. Deputies assigned to the Marine Unit patrol the coastline of
Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
as well as
Irondequoit Bay Irondequoit Bay is a large body of water located in northeastern Monroe County, New York. The bay, roughly wide and in length, is fed by Irondequoit Creek to the south and flows into Lake Ontario at its northern end. On average, the surface of I ...
. The Police Bureau further employs a mounted unit, bomb squad, SWAT team, hostage recovery, criminal investigations,
SCUBA Scuba may refer to: * Scuba diving ** Scuba set, the equipment used for scuba (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) diving * Scuba, an in-memory database developed by Facebook * Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array, either of two in ...
, and canine units.] The court security bureau provides security at the Hall of Justice as well as at the New York Court of Appeals, state Appellate Court building. In 2011, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office's uniform was named the 2011 Public Safety Uniform Award in the County Sheriff's/Police Department category by the North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD).


Legislative branch

The county's legislative branch consists of a 29-member County Legislature which replaced the earlier 43-member Board of Supervisors on January 1, 1967. It meets in the Legislative Chambers on the fourth floor of the County Office Building. All 29 members of the Legislature are elected from districts. There are currently 15 Democrats and 14 Republicans. The President of the Legislature is Sabrina LaMar, a Democrat who cacuses with the Republicans giving the Republicans the majority. In 1993, the Legislature enacted term limits of 10 consecutive years to start in 1996. Legislators can return to the office after not being in the Legislature for a term. Since the enacting of term limits, as of 2022 four Legislators (Stephanie Aldersley, Karla Boyce, Calvin Lee, Jr., and Robert Colby) returned after previously being term limited; Boyce was re-elected again three times while Lee and Colby were appointed to fill vacancies before subsequently being re-elected themselves and Aldersley was appointed before being defeated for re-election.


Judicial branch

* Monroe County Court * Monroe County Family Court, for matters involving children * Monroe County Surrogates Court, for matters involving the deceased * Rochester City Court


Representation at the federal level

After redistricting based on the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, Monroe County was split between two congressional districts:


Representation at the state level


New York State Senate

After redistricting based on the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, Monroe County was split between six
state senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...
districts:


New York State Assembly

After redistricting based on the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
, Monroe County was split between seven state assembly districts:


Courts

Monroe County is part of * The 7th Judicial District of the
New York Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State Unified Court System. (Its Appellate Division is also the highest intermediate appellate court.) It is vested with unlimited civ ...
. * The 4th Division of the
New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division The Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court of the State of New York are the intermediate appellate courts in New York State. There are four Appellate Divisions, one in each of the state's four Judicial Departments (e.g., the full title of the ...


Economy

Monroe County is a home to a number of international businesses, including
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
,
Paychex Paychex, Inc. is an American provider of human resource, payroll, and benefits outsourcing services for small- to medium-sized businesses. With headquarters in Rochester, New York, the company has more than 100 offices serving approximately 6 ...
, and
Pictometry International Pictometry International is an aerial measurement company based in Henrietta, New York that develops software that uses three-dimensional aerial photographs to view high-resolution images of buildings in their entirety. Pictometry International's ...
, all of which make Monroe County their world headquarters. While no longer headquartered in Rochester, Xerox has its principal offices and manufacturing facilities in Monroe Count
(Xerox 2010 Annual Report)
and Bausch and Lomb was headquartered in Rochester until it was acquired by
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Bausch Health Companies Inc. (formerly Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.) is a Canadian multinational specialty pharmaceutical company based in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and ...
. Monroe County is also home to regional businesses such as
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 ...
, Roberts Communications, Inc., Holding Corp., and major fashion label
Hickey Freeman Hickey Freeman is a manufacturer of suits for men and boys, based in Rochester, New York, US, founded in 1899. The Hickey-Freeman Co. is the most distinguished of the once booming men's clothing industry based in Rochester at the start of the 20 ...
.


High technology

Tech Valley Tech Valley began as a marketing name for the eastern part of the U.S. state of New York, encompassing the Capital District and the Hudson Valley. Originating in 1998 to promote the greater Albany area as a high-tech competitor to regions such as ...
, the technologically recognized area of eastern New York State, has spawned a western offshoot into the Rochester, Monroe County, and
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 ...
areas of New York State. Since the 2000s, as the more established companies in Rochester downsized, the economy of Rochester and Monroe County has been redirected toward
high technology High technology (high tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or the newest te ...
, with new, smaller companies providing the
seed capital Seed money, sometimes known as seed funding or seed capital, is a form of securities offering in which an investor invests capital in a startup company in exchange for an equity stake or convertible note stake in the company. The term ''seed'' su ...
necessary for business foundation. The Rochester and Monroe County area is important in the field of photographic processing and imaging as well as incubating an increasingly diverse high technology sphere encompassing
STEM fields Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...
, in part the result of private startup enterprises collaborating with major academic institutions, including the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
and Cornell University. Given the high prevalence of imaging and optical science among the industry and the universities, Rochester is known as the world capital of imaging. The Institute of Optics of the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
and the Rochester Institute of Technology in nearby Henrietta, New York, Henrietta both have imaging programs. Major Employers: Several industries occupy a major portion of the jobs located regionally, with healthcare comprising a significant portion of jobs in Monroe County. The U of R (including its numerous hospitals) is the largest employer regionally with over 27,000 workers; Rochester Regional Health (parent company of Rochester General and Unity Hospitals) is the second largest consisting of over 15,000. Wegmans is third with about 13,000 local employees.


Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 759,443 people, 301,948 households, and 232,500 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,155 people per square mile (446/km2). There were 330,247 housing units at an average density of 502 per square mile (194/km2). The county's racial makeup was 68.6% White American, White, 15.7% African American, 0.3% Native Americans in the United States, Native American, 4.3% Asian American, Asian, 0.01% Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Pacific Islander, 4.0% from Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, other races, and 7.1% from two or more races. Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Hispanic or Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Latino of any race were 9.6% of the population. 18.6% were of Italians, Italian, 15.3% Germans, German, 11.3% irish people, Irish and 8.3% english people, English ancestry according to 2000 United States Census, Census 2000. In 2007, 4.64% of the population reported speaking Spanish language, Spanish at home, while 1.43% speak Italian language, Italian. There were 301,948 households, out of which 54% were Marriage, married couples living together, 18% had a female householder with no husband present, 6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23% were non-families. The average household size was 2.37. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21% being 18 or younger, 15% from 19 to 29, 13% from 30 to 39, 11% from 40 to 49, 14% from 50 to 59, 12% from 60 to 69, and 13% who were 70 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. 52% of the population was Female, and 48% was Male The median income for a household in the county was $62,103. The per capita income for the county was $35,797. About 12.7% of the population were below the Poverty threshold, poverty line, including 19.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over. 90.4% of those 25 years or over was a High school graduate or higher, and 38.6% of those 25 years or over had a Bachelor’s degree or higher.


2020 Census


Education


Primary and secondary education

The public school systems educates the overwhelming majority of Monroe County's children. The schools operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester or Religious institute (Catholic), Roman Catholic religious orders educate the next largest segment of children, although collectively, they are a distant second.


Public schools

There are some 25 public school districts that serve Monroe County, including the Rochester City School District, 10 suburban school districts in Monroe #1 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (New York), BOCES, seven in Monroe #2–Orleans BOCES, and several primarily serving other counties (Avon, Byron–Bergen Central School District, Byron–Bergen, Caledonia–Mumford, Holley, Wayne Central School District, Wayne, Williamson Central School District, Williamson and Victor Central School District, Victor central school districts).


Private schools

There are three private schools that serve more than 200 students each: * Allendale Columbia School, a University-preparatory school, college preparatory school in Pittsford * The Harley School, a college preparatory school in Brighton * Mary Cariola Children's Center serving children with multiple, complex disabilities in the city There is one small, but historically significant school: Rochester School for the Deaf in the city


Parochial schools

* There are three small Judaic schools and two small Islamic schools. * There are about ten primary schools operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. * There are four senior high schools (or combined junior/senior high schools) operated by or in the tradition of a Roman Catholic religious order: : * There are more than two dozen schools operated by various sects of Christianity, two of which serve more than 200 students: :


Colleges and universities

The county is home to nine colleges and universities: * Bryant & Stratton College in Greece and Henrietta * Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School in the city * Monroe Community College in Brighton with a campus in the city * Nazareth College (New York), Nazareth College in Pittsford * Roberts Wesleyan College in Chili * Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta * St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Pittsford * St. John Fisher College in Pittsford * State University of New York at Brockport in Brockport with a campus in the city *
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
in the city Additionally, four colleges maintain satellite campuses in Monroe County: * The Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations maintains an office in the city * Empire State College maintains the Genesee Valley Learning Center in Irondequoit * Ithaca College's Department of Physical Therapy leases part of the Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School facility for teaching and research * Medaille College maintains its Rochester Campus in Brighton


Parks


County parks

The following is a list of parks owned and maintained by Monroe County: * Abraham Lincoln Park * Black Creek Park * Churchville Park * Devil's Cove Park * Durand Eastman Park * Ellison Park * Genesee Valley Park * Greece Canal Park * Highland Park, Rochester, New York, Highland Park * Irondequoit Bay Park West * Lehigh Valley Trail Park * Lucian Morin Park * Mendon Ponds Park * Northampton Park * Oatka Creek Park * Ontario Beach Park * Powder Mills Park * Seneca Park * Seneca Park Zoo * Tryon Park * Webster Park


State parks

The following is a list of parks owned and maintained by New York State: * Hamlin Beach State Park * Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park


Communities


Larger settlements


Towns

* Brighton, Monroe County, New York, Brighton * Chili, New York, Chili * Clarkson, New York, Clarkson * East Rochester, New York, East Rochester * Gates, New York, Gates * Greece (town), New York, Greece * Hamlin, New York, Hamlin * Henrietta, New York, Henrietta * Irondequoit, New York, Irondequoit * Mendon, New York, Mendon * Ogden, New York, Ogden * Parma, New York, Parma * Penfield, New York, Penfield * Perinton, New York, Perinton * Pittsford, New York, Pittsford * Riga, New York, Riga * Rush, New York, Rush * Sweden, New York, Sweden * Webster, New York, Webster * Wheatland, New York, Wheatland


Hamlets

In New York State the term "Hamlet", although not defined in law, is used to describe an unincorporated community and geographic location within a town. The town in which each Hamlet is located is in parenthesis. * Genesee Junction (Chili) * Perinton, New York, Egypt (Perinton) * Adams Basin, New York, Adams Basin (Ogden) * Perinton, New York, Bushnell's Basin (Perinton) * Gates Center, New York, Gates Center (Gates) * Garbutt, New York, Garbutt (Scottsville) * Mumford, New York, Mumford (Wheatland) * Union Hill, New York, Union Hill (Webster) * Mendon, New York, Mendon Center (Mendon) * Irondequoit, New York, Seabreeze (Irondequoit) * Irondequoit, New York, Summerville (Irondequoit) * Parma, New York, Parma Center (Parma) * Riga, New York, Riga Center (Riga) * Sweden, New York, Sweden Center (Sweden) * Webster, New York, West Webster (Webster) * Chili, New York, North Chili (Chili) * Clarkson, New York, Clarkson Corners (Clarkson) * Clifton (Chili) * Industry (Rush) * Belcoda (Wheatland) * Coldwater (Gates) * Barnard (Greece) * Beattie Beach (Greece) * Braddock Bay (Greece) * Braddock Heights (Greece) * Elmgrove (Greece) * Grandview Heights (Greece) * Grand View Beach (Greece) * North Greece (Greece) * Ridgemont (Greece) * West Greece (Greece)


See also

* List of people from Rochester, New York * Monroe County Sheriff's Office (New York), Monroe County, New York Sheriff's Office * National Register of Historic Places listings in Monroe County, New York


Notes


References


Further reading

* * * Sherwood, D.A. (2003). ''Water resources of Monroe County, New York, water years 1997-99, with emphasis on water quality in the Irondequoit Creek basin : atmospheric deposition, ground water, streamflow, trends in water quality, and chemical loads to Irondequoit Bay'' [Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4221]. Ithaca, NY: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. *


External links


Official webpage
*
Monroe County Library System

Rochester Wiki Monroe County Page

Monroe County Parks Department

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, New York
{{Authority control Monroe County, New York, 1821 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1821 Rochester metropolitan area, New York