Western New York


Western New York is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY includes the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Jamestown, and the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of Niagara Frontier, and Chautauqua-Alleghany. Many would also place Rochester and the Genesee Valley in the region, although these locations are also sometimes included in the Finger Lakes Region.
The State of New York sometimes defines the WNY region as including just five counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara. The state's Empire State Development Corporation and state health authorities have both mapped the region this way. The state has also used this regional boundary to set policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More commonly, WNY has been defined to include at least Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties as well. Almost all descriptions of WNY in the Buffalo media market define it as this eight county area. Most organizations that use WNY in their name including the WNY College Consortium, the WNY Genealogical Society, WNY PRISM, the Psychological Association of WNY, and the WNY Land Conservancy describe themselves as working in these eight counties.
Others, such as Clarion Publications, the publisher of the WNY Travel Guide and WesternNY.com, have used the term Western New York to describe a much larger area consisting of 17 counties. In addition to those counties mentioned, they add Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, and Yates as well.
The rest of this article uses that definition. The 17 counties have a land area of. They include the area of the Holland Purchase and the Phelps and Gorham Purchase.
The area is primarily served by Buffalo and Rochester media markets, although there is considerable overlap between these two markets, as well as other American and Canadian media markets . In terms of the combined statistical areas used by the United States Census Bureau, Western New York consists of the Buffalo–Cheektowaga–Olean, NY area, the Rochester–Batavia–Seneca Falls, NY area, and the Elmira–Corning, NY area.
Western New York is in some contexts considered a sub-region of "Upstate New York" ; in most cases however, New Yorkers identify by specific regionalities such as Western New York or Central New York in preference to the vague and broader term Upstate New York.

Subregions

Western New York is generally considered to have 2–4 subregions:
  1. Greater Niagara
  2. Chautauqua–Allegheny
  3. Genesee
  4. Western Finger Lakes
The Greater Niagara Region, comprises Niagara and Erie counties and parts of Genesee and Wyoming counties. It is named for its major features, the Niagara river and Niagara Falls. Buffalo is its largest urban center.
The Chautauqua–Allegheny Region comprises Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. The region is mountainous. The largest urban center is Jamestown, and Chautauqua Lake and Allegany State Park are major geographical features.
The third region, the Genesee Region, comprises Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Orleans, Ontario, and Yates counties and parts of Genesee and Wyoming counties. Rochester is its largest urban center. Letchworth State Park is a major geographical feature.
The fourth region is that of the western Finger Lakes Region composed of parts of Seneca, Steuben, Schuyler, and Chemung counties. While parts of the Finger Lakes are considered within Western New York the eastern portions are typically considered a part of Central New York.
The Genesee region and Western Finger Lakes region are often combined and described as the Finger Lakes region.
Western New York also includes several Seneca Nation enclaves.

Population

If it were counted as a single area, the population of Western New York would number just over 2.6 million, and would rank as the 24th largest metropolitan area of the United States, between the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and the Sacramento, California metropolitan area. However, the U.S. Census Bureau has classified the Buffalo and Rochester areas as two different metropolitan areas. If it were counted as a state, the population of Western New York would rank as the 37th most populated state in the United States.
  • Allegany County, population 48,357
  • Cattaraugus County, population 79,458
  • Chautauqua County, population 133,539
  • Chemung County, population 88,911
  • Erie County, population 954,236
  • Genesee County, population 59,977
  • Livingston County, population 64,810
  • Monroe County, population 759,443
  • Niagara County, population 215,124
  • Ontario County, population 108,519
  • Orleans County, population 42,836
  • Schuyler County, population 18,514
  • Seneca County, population 35,305
  • Steuben County, population 99,063
  • Wayne County, population 92,962
  • Wyoming County, population 41,892
  • Yates County, population 25,344

    Incorporated places

The following cities are found in the 17 western counties:
Batavia,
Buffalo,
Canandaigua,
Corning,
Dunkirk,
Elmira,
Geneva,
Hornell,
Jamestown,
Lackawanna,
Lockport,
Niagara Falls,
North Tonawanda,
Olean,
Rochester,
Salamanca,
Tonawanda.
The following villages are found in the 17 western counties:
Addison,
Akron,
Albion,
Alden,
Alexander,
Alfred,
Allegany,
Almond,
Andover,
Angelica,
Angola,
Arcade,
Arkport,
Attica,
Avoca,
Avon,
Barker,
Bath,
Belmont,
Bemus Point,
Bergen,
Blasdell,
Bloomfield,
Bolivar,
Brockport,
Brocton,
Burdett,
Caledonia,
Canaseraga,
Canisteo,
Cassadaga,
Castile,
Cattaraugus,
Celoron,
Cherry Creek,
Churchville,
Clarence,
Clifton Springs,
Clyde,
Cohocton,
Corfu,
Cuba,
Dansville,
Delevan,
Depew,
Dresden,
Dundee,
Dunkirk,
East Aurora,
East Randolph,
East Rochester,
Eden,
Elba,
Ellicottville,
Elmira Heights,
Fairport,
Falconer,
Farnham,
Forestville,
Franklinville,
Fredonia,
Gainesville,
Geneseo,
Gowanda,
Hamburg,
Hammondsport,
Hilton,
Holley,
Honeoye Falls,
Horseheads,
Interlaken,
Kenmore,
Lakewood,
Lancaster,
Le Roy,
Leicester,
Lewiston,
Lima,
Limestone,
Little Valley,
Livonia,
Lodi,
Lyndonville,
Lyons,
Lockport,
Macedon,
Manchester,
Mayville,
Medina,
Middleport,
Millport,
Montour Falls,
Mount Morris,
Naples,
Newark,
Newfane,
North Collins,
North Hornell,
North Tonawanda,
Nunda,
Oakfield,
Odessa,
Orchard Park,
Ovid,
Painted Post,
Palmyra,
Panama,
Pavilion,
Penn Yan,
Perry,
Perrysburg,
Phelps,
Pike,
Pittsford,
Portville,
Randolph,
Red Creek,
Richburg,
Riverside,
Rushville,
Savona,
Scottsville,
Sherman,
Shortsville,
Silver Creek,
Silver Springs,
Sinclairville,
Sloan,
Sodus,
Sodus Point,
South Corning,
South Dayton,
Spencerport,
Springville,
Tonawanda,
Van Etten,
Victor,
Warsaw,
Waterloo,
Watkins Glen,
Wayland,
Webster,
Wellsburg,
Wellsville,
Westfield,
Williamsville,
Wilson,
Wolcott,
Wyoming and
Youngstown.

Climate

Western New York has a humid continental climate heavily influenced by both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Winters are long and cold, often lasting from around mid-November to early April. There are often snows before and after that period, as well. Western New York is known for its lake effect snows, which can result in highly localized, sometimes intense and even historic snow events. Lake effect storms are a result of cold air picking up water vapor as it blows over warm lake waters. Lake effect snows are usually most active between November and February and typically diminish when Lake Erie freezes over. Generally, the heaviest amount of snow in Western New York during the winter falls near the southern end of Erie County as well as in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Wyoming counties. Spring and fall in Western New York are usually short and changeable. The presence of the lakes allows for fruit growing and wine production along areas adjacent to both lakes, which retard the development of damaging spring and fall frost, thereby extending the growing season. Lost in its famed winters, Western New York summers are among the sunniest in the Northeast and are generally very pleasant. Thanks in part to breezes blowing over Lakes Erie and Ontario, most of Western New York enjoy generally cooler and more comfortable summers than other regions in the same climatic zone.

Transportation

Major highways

;Interstate System
;U.S. Routes
  • 20px U.S. Route 20
  • 20px U.S. Route 20a
  • 20px U.S. Route 62
  • 20px U.S. Route 219

    Major airports

Western New York has two airports that provide significant regular passenger service, Buffalo–Niagara International Airport and Greater Rochester International Airport. Buffalo–Niagara International Airport is the most patronized airport facility in Western New York. While it primarily serves as the regional airport for the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area, the facility doubles as a gateway to Canada, and a good portion of its passengers are Canadian. The second major airport in Western New York, Greater Rochester International Airport, does not see as much traffic as Buffalo–Niagara International Airport. Still, located just three nautical miles southwest of Downtown Rochester, the facility provides convenient access to airline service for many residents of the Rochester Metropolitan Area.