Onondaga County ( ) is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Syracuse. The county is part of the Central New York region of the state. Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The name ''Onondaga'' derives from the name of the Native American

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

indigenous to this area, one of the original Five Nations of the ''Haudenosaunee''. They call themselves ( autonym) ''Onoda'gega'', sometimes spelled ''Onontakeka.'' The word means "People of the Hills." Sometimes the term is ''Onondagaono'' ("The People of the Hills"). The federally recognized Onondaga Nation has a reservation within the county, on which they have self-government. When counties were established in New York in 1683, the present Onondaga County was part of Albany County. This enormous county included the northern part of New York State as well as all of the present State of

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

and, in theory, extended westward to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. It 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 *Cumberl ...

, 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 west of the present city of

Schenectady Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...

, and the county included the western part of the

Adirondack Mountains The Adirondack Mountains ( ) are a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York which form a circular dome approximately wide and covering about . The region contains more than 100 peaks, including Mount Marcy, which is the highest point in Ne ...

and the area west of the West Branch of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. 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 Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...

in Tryon County fled to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. The Onondaga were among four Iroquois tribes that allied with the British against the American colonists, as they hoped to end their encroachment. Instead, they were forced to cede most of their land in New York to the United States after the war. Many Onondaga went with

Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...

and other nations to

, where they received land grants in compensation and formed the

Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of whom live on the reserve. The six nations of the Iroquois Confederac ...

. In 1784, after a peace treaty 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, the

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A person ...

of Tryon County was changed to Montgomery County. It honored General

Richard Montgomery Richard Montgomery (2 December 1738 – 31 December 1775) was an Irish-born American military officer who first served in the British Army. He later became a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and ...

, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, and replaced the name of the hated British governor. In 1789, 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 Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Steuben,

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, 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. At the time Onondaga County was organized, it was divided into eleven towns: Homer, Pompey, Manlius, Lysander, Marcellus, Ulysses, Milton, Scipio, Ovid, Aurelius and Romulus. Central New York developed rapidly after the New Military Tract provided land in lieu of payment 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 with disease. Over time, as early clearing and farming eroded hillside soil, valley lands were more fertile and highly prized for agriculture as well as for water power, which was the origin of many communities. An early settler of 1823 was James Hutchinson Woodworth, a native of Washington County, NY. He helped clear land for his family's farm in this region before he moved to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

where he became Mayor. The completion of the

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 navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...

across New York state in 1825 accelerated trade, development and migration. The city of Syracuse, New York developed relatively late, due to its marshy situation. It was incorporated as a village in 1825 and as a city in 1847; by contrast, the Village of Manlius, along the Cherry Valley and Seneca Turnpikes, was incorporated in 1813. The population of these rural towns was greatest in the late nineteenth century, when more people cultivated land and farms were relatively small, supporting large households. Since that time, agriculture has declined in the county. Some Onondaga County towns like Spafford were largely depopulated and many villages became veritable ghost towns. Onondaga County highlands now are more heavily reforested, with public parks and preserves providing recreation. Two

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

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 rapid development of the village of Skaneateles and shores of Skaneateles Lake led to increased demand for property and property values.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of , of which is land and (3.4%) is water. The geographic dimensions of the county are illustrated as approximately in length and in width, and comprising of the New York State Barge Canal System, in combination with a number of lakes, streams and rivers. Onondaga County is in the central portion of New York State, west of Albany and Utica, east of Rochester and northeast of Ithaca.

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

is bordered by many of the larger communities in the county. The highest point in Onondaga County is at 2057 feet, along Morgan Hill located just east of Morgan Hill State Forest on private property. The second highest point in Onondaga County is at 2019 feet elevation and on the summit of Fellows Hill which is located in Morgan Hill State Forest near Fabius and Apulia south of state route 80. The northern part of the county is fairly level lake plain, extending northward to

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 (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

. 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 The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected New York metropolitan area, gr ...

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 The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are a range that run from Nova Scotia in Canada to Alabama in the United States. The Appalachi ...

, with high hills rising at the southern edge of Syracuse. This is the eastern part of the

region. Skaneateles Lake and Otisco Lake are both in Onondaga County.

US 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Highway, United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major ...

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 A drumlin, from the Irish word ("little ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground ...

, 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 The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawren ...

and the other southward to the ocean via the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

. Oneida Lake, the Finger Lakes, and smaller bodies of water provide recreation. The Appalachian hills have several ski areas, waterfalls and historic villages as well as large parks and forest preserves.

Lakes and reservoirs

* Jamesville Reservoir * Oneida Lake *

* Otisco Lake * Skaneateles Lake

Adjacent counties

* Oswego County – north * Madison County – east * Cortland County – south * Cayuga County – west

Major highways

Interstate 81 Interstate 81 (I-81) is a north–south (physically northeast–southwest) Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40, I-40 in Dandridge, Tennessee, Dandridge, Tennessee; its nort ...

* Interstate 481 (Veterans Memorial Highway) *

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...

(New York State Thruway) * Interstate 690 * U.S. Route 11 * U.S. Route 20 *

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Sy ...

New York State Route 31 New York State Route 31 (NY 31) is a state highway that extends for across western and central New York (state), New York in the United States. The western terminus of the route is at an intersection with New York State Route 104, NY ...

* New York State Route 41 * New York State Route 92 * New York State Route 481 (Veterans Memorial Highway) * New York State Route 690

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, the county had 458,336 people, 181,153 households, and 115,394 families. The population density was . There were 196,633 housing units at an average density of . The county's racial makeup was 84.78% White, 9.38% African American, 0.86% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.89% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.44% of the population. About 17.5% were of

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 16.2% Irish, 12.4% German, 9.4% English, and 6.0% Polish ancestry according to the 2000 United States Census, and 91.4% spoke English, 2.4% Spanish and 1.1%

as their first language. Of the 181,153 households, 31.90% had children under age 18 living with them, 46.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 12.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.30% were not families. About 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. 25.80% of the county's population was under age 18, 9.50% was from age 18 to 24, 28.80% was from age 25 to 44, 22.10% was from age 45 to 64, and 13.80% was age 65 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 county's median household income was $40,847, and the median family income was $51,876. Males had a median income of $39,048 versus $27,154 for females. The county's

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $21,336. About 8.60% of families and 12.20% 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 15.50% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Education

Onondaga County is home to

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

, a major research university and SUNY Upstate Medical University, a Public university, public medical school. Upstate Medical University is the largest producer of jobs in the region with a direct workforce of 10,959 employees. Other higher educational institutions include State University of New York at Oswego, SUNY Oswego’s Syracuse Campus, Le Moyne College, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Onondaga Community College, St. Joseph's College of Nursing, and several for-profit colleges. K-12 school districts which cover parts of the county include: * Baldwinsville Central School District * Cato-Meridian Central School District * Cazenovia Central School District * Central Square Central School District * Chittenango Central School District * DeRuyter Central School District * East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District * Fabius-Pompey Central School District * Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District * Homer Central School District * Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District * Jordan-Elbridge Central School District * LaFayette Central School District * Liverpool Central School District * Lyncourt Union Free School District * Marcellus Central School District * Moravia Central School District * North Syracuse Central School District * Onondaga Central School District * Phoenix Central School District * Skaneateles Central School District * Solvay Union Free School District * Syracuse City School District * Tully Central School District * West Genesee Central School District * Westhill Central School District

Government and politics

Government

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. In 2010, voters approved a measure to reduce the legislature to 17 seats. None of the legislative seats, nor the county executive's seat, are at-large. Currently, there are 11 Republican Party (United States), Republicans and 6 Democratic Party (United States), Democrats. J. Ryan McMahon II (Republican Party (United States), R) is the current County executive, County Executive.

Politics

Historically, Onondaga County was a Republican stronghold, like most of Central New York. From 1856 to 1988, the GOP carried the county in all but one presidential election, Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 United States presidential election in New York, landslide in 1964. Since 1992, the county has gone Democratic in every presidential election, much like many urban counties around the country. However, it is a swing county in congressional, state and local races. Onondaga is entirely located within New York's 22nd congressional district, New York's 22nd Congressional District, represented by Democrat John Mannion (American politician), John Mannion. Democratic strength is concentrated in Syracuse itself, while Republicans do well in the suburbs. The sheriff of Onondaga County is Tobias Shelley. Along with Broome County, New York, Onondaga County was sued in 2017 over placing juvenile inmates in solitary confinement.

Communities

Syracuse, the county seat, is the only city in Onondaga County. The following is a list of official towns, villages, and Political subdivisions of New York State#Hamlet, hamlets. Available a
New York State Library Digital Image Project
.

Population ranking

† - County seat ‡ - Not entirely in Onondaga County

List of municipalities

Towns

* Camillus, New York, Camillus * Cicero, New York, Cicero * Clay, New York, Clay * DeWitt, New York, DeWitt * Elbridge, New York, Elbridge * Fabius, New York, Fabius * Geddes, New York, Geddes * LaFayette, New York, LaFayette * Lysander, New York, Lysander * Manlius, New York, Manlius * Marcellus, New York, Marcellus * Onondaga, New York, Onondaga * Otisco, New York, Otisco * Pompey, New York, Pompey * Salina, New York, Salina * Skaneateles (town), New York, Skaneateles * Spafford * Tully, New York, Tully * Van Buren, New York, Van Buren

Hamlets

* Amber * Apulia, New York, Apulia * Borodino, New York, Borodino * Cardiff, New York, Cardiff * Delphi Falls, New York, Delphi Falls * Jack's Reef, New York, Jack's Reef * Jamesville, New York, Jamesville * Kirkville * Marietta, New York, Marietta * Mattydale, New York, Mattydale * Memphis, New York, Memphis * Messina Springs, New York, Messina Springs * Mottville, New York, Mottville * Mycenae, New York, Mycenae * Navarino * Onondaga Hill, New York, Onondaga Hill * Oran, New York, Oran * Otisco * Otisco Valley * Plainville, New York, Plainville * Pompey Center, New York, Pompey Center * Rose Hill, New York, Rose Hill * Shepard Settlement, New York, Shepard Settlement * Skaneateles Falls, New York, Skaneateles Falls * South Spafford, New York, South Spafford * Spafford Valley, New York, Spafford Valley * Split Rock, New York, Split Rock * Taunton, New York, Taunton * Warners, New York, Warners

Native American Indian reservation, reservations

* Onondaga Reservation

References

External links

Onondaga County, NY official site

Onondaga County, NY US GenWeb Project

Onondaga County Historical Aerial Photographs of New York
Cornell University Library & Cornell Institute for Resource Information Sciences {{authority control Onondaga County, New York, Central New York 1794 establishments in New York (state) Syracuse metropolitan area Populated places established in 1794 New York (state) placenames of Native American origin