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Ithaca (town), New York
Encyclopedia
- This is an article about the Town of Ithaca. For the City of Ithaca or Ithaca as a whole, see IthacaIthaca, New YorkThe city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Ithaca is a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Tompkins County
Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 18,198 at the 2000 census.
The Town of Ithaca is a horseshoe-shaped portion of the metropolitan area of Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It surrounds the City of Ithaca and is the City's only border, although the City 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. Many of the Town's government offices, such as the Town hall, are located within the City, outside of the Town's jurisdiction.
Ithaca College
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs. The college is...
is in the town, south of the city center. The main campus of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
is located just to the east, partly in the City and partly in the Town.
The Town Supervisor of Ithaca is Herb Engman.The Town Board has 6 members who are elected at-large to 4-year terms.
History
The Sullivan ExpeditionSullivan Expedition
The Sullivan Expedition, also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, was an American campaign led by Major General John Sullivan and Brigadier General James Clinton against Loyalists and the four nations of the Iroquois who had sided with the British in the American Revolutionary War.The...
of 1779 passed through this region. The town is in the former Central New York Military Tract
Central New York Military Tract
The Military Tract of Central New York, also called the New Military Tract, consisted of nearly two million acres of bounty land set aside to compensate New York’s soldiers after their participation in the Revolutionary War....
.
The Town of Ithaca was created from part of the Town of Ulysses
Ulysses, New York
Ulysses is a town located in northwest Tompkins County, New York, U.S.. The population was 4,900 at the 2010 census. The town was named after the hero of the Odyssey....
in 1821.
In 1865, Ezra Cornell
Ezra Cornell
Ezra Cornell was an American businessman and education administrator. He was a founder of Western Union and a co-founder of Cornell University...
, supported by New York State, provided funds and land to found Cornell University.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, 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
Cayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
, one of the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
. The town borders all other towns in Tompkins County, with the exception of the Towns of Caroline
Caroline, New York
Caroline is a town in Tompkins County, New York, USA. The population was 2,910 at the 2000 census.The Town of Caroline is on the county's southeast border and is southeast of Ithaca, New York.- History :...
and Groton
Groton (town), New York
Groton is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 5,794 at the 2000 census. The name is taken from Groton, Connecticut.The Town of Groton contains a village, also called Groton...
. It also borders both the eastern and western shores of 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
New York State Route 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 with Interstate 81 in Cortland and Pulaski and meets the New York...
, New York State Route 34
New York State Route 34
New York State Route 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 199 and meets NY 17...
, New York State Route 79
New York State Route 79
New York State Route 79 is an east–west state highway in the Southern Tier of New York, United States. The western terminus of the route is at the intersection with NY 414 near the southern end of Seneca Lake east of Watkins Glen...
, New York State Route 96B
New York State Route 96B
New York State Route 96B is a north–south state highway in the Southern Tier of New York, United States. It connects NY 96 in the village of Candor in Tioga County to NY 13, NY 34, and NY 96 in the city of Ithaca in Tompkins County...
, and New York State Route 366
New York State Route 366
New York State Route 366 is an east–west state highway located entirely within Tompkins County in the Finger Lakes region of New York in the United States. It runs for from State Street just east of downtown Ithaca to NY 38 in Freeville...
.
The Cayuga Inlet and Buttermilk Creek flow through the town to Cayuga Lake.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,198 people, 6,427 households, and 3,399 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
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, 2.93% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.13% Native American, 9.18% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.38% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.19% from two or more races. Hispanic 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
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
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
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $24,065. About 4.2% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, 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
- Buttermilk Falls State ParkButtermilk Falls State ParkButtermilk Falls State Park is located southwest of Ithaca, New York, USA. Like Robert H. Treman State Park, the initial grant of land for the park came from Robert and Laura Treman, in 1924....
– A state parkState parkState parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state 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 beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the town. - Cayuga HeightsCayuga Heights, New YorkCayuga Heights is a village in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 3,273 at the 2000 census.The Village of Cayuga Heights is in the Town of Ithaca, north of the City of Ithaca...
– 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 HomeForest Home, New YorkForest Home is a census-designated place in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 941 at the 2000 census.The community of Forest Home is in the Town of Ithaca, northeast of the City of Ithaca and north of Cornell University....
– 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.
- Renwick – A hamlet north of Ithaca on NY-34.
- Robert H. Treman State ParkRobert H. Treman State ParkRobert H. Treman State Park is a state park located in Tompkins County, New York in the United States. The park is located along State Route 327, just west of State Routes 13, 34, and 96, situated in the Towns of Ithaca, Enfield and Newfield....
– A state park in the town. - South HillSouth Hill, New YorkSouth Hill is a census-designated place in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 6,003 at the 2000 census.The South Hill CDP is located within the town of Ithaca. It is located near the south end of Cayuga Lake...
– A hamlet south of the City of Ithaca on NY-96B. - Whipple Corner – A location on the west town line.