Central New York facts for kids

Central New York is a special area located in the middle of New York state. It's known for its beautiful nature, interesting history, and friendly communities. This region includes several important cities and counties. The biggest city here is Syracuse. About 784,000 people lived in Central New York in 2020. The region covers an area of about 3,715 square miles (9,620 square kilometers).

The main cities and counties in Central New York are:

• Auburn in Cayuga County
• Cortland in Cortland County
• Oneida in Madison County
• Syracuse in Onondaga County
• Fulton and Oswego in Oswego County

What is Central New York?

It can be a bit tricky to say exactly where Central New York begins and ends. Different groups define it in different ways. However, most people agree that Onondaga County, Cayuga County, Oswego County, and Madison County are always part of Central New York.

Some areas like Cortland County and Tompkins County (where Ithaca is) are sometimes seen as part of other regions. For example, Tompkins County is often linked to the Finger Lakes area. Also, Oneida County and Herkimer County are usually part of the Mohawk Valley. But sometimes, these areas overlap with Central New York.

A Look at History

Early People and Land

Long ago, the Iroquois people, also known as the Haudenosaunee, lived in this region. They were a powerful group of Native American nations. They successfully kept other tribes, like the Algonquian peoples, from settling in their lands.

Land for Soldiers

After the American Revolution, a special area called the Central New York Military Tract was set aside here. This land was given to soldiers who fought in the war. That's why many towns in the region have names from ancient Greece or Rome, like Syracuse or Rome itself!

Colleges and Universities

Central New York is home to many great colleges and universities. These schools help young people get an education and learn new skills. Some of the major ones include:

• Colgate University
• Hamilton College
• Le Moyne College
• SUNY Cortland
• SUNY ESF
• SUNY Morrisville
• SUNY Oswego
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• SUNY Upstate Medical University
• Syracuse University
• Utica University
• Wells College

News and TV

The people of Central New York get their news from several local sources. Major newspapers in the area include the Oneida Daily Dispatch, Syracuse Post-Standard, and Auburn Citizen.

There are also many TV stations that serve the region. Most of these are based in Syracuse and Utica. They include channels like WSYR-TV (ABC), WSTM-TV (NBC), WTVH (CBS), and WSYT (Fox).

How People Talk

Unique Accents

Central New York is on the edge of a special accent area called the Inland North. This accent region stretches all the way west to Wisconsin. People in this area used to have a distinct way of saying certain vowel sounds, known as the Northern Cities Vowel Shift. However, this unique way of speaking has started to fade among younger people.

Saying Words Differently

You might notice that some words are pronounced a bit differently here. For example, many people in Central New York say words like elementary or documentary with a stronger sound on the -ary part. This is a common feature across much of Upstate New York.

Soda or Pop?

If you want a fizzy drink, what do you call it? In Central New York, most people say soda. This is different from Western New York, where people usually say pop for the same kind of drink!