Tompkins County, New York

Tompkins County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Ithaca
Year Organized: 1817
Square Miles: 476

Court House:

320 North Tioga Street
County Courthouse
Ithaca, NY 14850-4264

Etymology - Origin of County Name

in honor of Daniel D. Tompkins, a vice president of the United States and governor of New York

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

Tompkins County, named in honor of the Hon. Daniel D. Tompkins, formerly Vice-president of the United States, was taken from Cayuga and Seneca counties in 1817; limits since changed. Greatest length E. and W. 34, greatest breadth N. and S. 8 miles; centrally distant from New York 212, and from Albany 163 miles.

This county forms part of the high land in the southwestern portion of the state. Its summit generally is eleyated from 1,200 to 1,400 feet, but the singular and deep basins in which lie the Cayuga and Seneca lakes, have given a peculiar formation to its surface, and to the course and character of its streams. The Cayuga lake indents it on the N. about 18 miles; the Seneca lake extends southerly on its western border 12 miles. The greater portion of the country declines from all sides towards the Cayuga lake. The ascent from the shores of the lake is gradual and ~mriooth to the eye, yet it is rapid, and attains within 2 miles the height of at least 500 feet. This gives to the streams a precipitous character. The towns of Newfield, Danby, and Caroline, were purchased from the state by Messrs. Watkins and Flint. The towns north of these, excepting a small portion in the northeastern part of Dryden, belong to the military tract. That portion was in the cession to Massachusetts. The county is chiefly settled by New England emigrants. The New York and Erie railroad passes through the county. Tompkins county is divided into 10 towns. (Historical Collections of the State of New York, Past and Present, John Barber, Clark Albien & Co., 1851)

Tompkins County has been shaped by its land and the people who came here to live on it. It is an area of great natural beauty with Cayuga Lake at its center and gorges, creeks and hills all around. Its geography and climate have challenged those who lived and worked here, but they have also presented opportunities and spurred creative solutions. Full History at NYSAC

Geography

Tompkins County is in the west central part of New York State, south of Syracuse and northwest of Binghamton. It is usually geographically grouped with the Central New York region, but locals often consider themselves to be part of the Southern Tier.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 492 square miles (1,273 km²), of which, 476 square miles (1,233 km²) of it is land and 16 square miles (40 km²) of it (3.17%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Cayuga County, New York - north
Cortland County, New York - northeast
Tioga County, New York - southeast
Chemung County, New York - southwest
Schuyler County, New York - west
Seneca County, New York - northwest

Cities and Towns:

- Caroline	town
- Cayuga Heights	village	Incorporated Area
- Danby	town
- Dryden	village	Incorporated Area
- Enfield	town
- Freeville	village	Incorporated Area
- Groton	village	Incorporated Area
- Ithaca (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Lansing	village	Incorporated Area
- Locke	town
- Newfield	town
- Trumansburg	village	Incorporated Area
- Ulysses	town

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

Penn Foster High School

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