Chemung County, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chemung County
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Chemung County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of New York
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 New York's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  New York |
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| Founded | March 29, 1836 | |
| Named for | Unami for "big horn" | |
| Seat | Elmira | |
| Largest city | Elmira | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 411 sq mi (1,060 km2) | |
| • Land | 407 sq mi (1,050 km2) | |
| • Water | 3.4 sq mi (9 km2) 0.8% | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 84,148 | |
| • Density | 206.6/sq mi (79.8/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Congressional district | 23rd | |
Chemung County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 84,148 as of the 2020 census. Its county seat is Elmira. Its name is derived from a Delaware Indian village whose name meant "big horn". The county is part of the Southern Tier region of the state.
Chemung County comprises the Elmira, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Elmira-Corning, NY Combined Statistical Area.
Many signs posted along roads in Chemung County refer to the area as "Mark Twain Country," because the noted author lived and wrote for many years in Elmira.
Contents
History
Chemung County was formed from 520 square miles (1,300 km2) of Tioga County in 1836.
In 1854, Chemung County was divided and 110 square miles (280 km2) became Schuyler County, reducing Chemung to 410 square miles (1,100 km2), its current size.
In the late 1870s, the Greenback Party became prominent in Chemung and nearby counties in western New York. Here it was primarily allied with labor in a critique of capital, reaching its peak in 1878, the year following the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Scranton General Strike in Pennsylvania. There were also strikes that year in Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo, starting with the railroad workers. In Steuben and Chemung counties, Greenbackers were elected to county councils in 1878 instead of Democrats, and others were elected from there and nearby counties to the state legislature, gaining votes of more than 25 percent in several of the Southern Tier counties. It gradually declined after that, due to internal dissension and the strength of the two major parties.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 411 square miles (1,060 km2), of which 407 square miles (1,050 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) (0.8%) is water.
Chemung County is in the southwestern part of New York State, along the Pennsylvania border, in a part of New York called the Southern Tier and is also part of the Finger Lakes Region.
The Southern Tier Expressway runs through the County east-west near the Pennsylvania border, between Waverly, New York and Corning, New York via Elmira, New York.
Transportation
Major highways
Interstate 86 / New York State Route 17 (Southern Tier Expressway)
New York State Route 13
New York State Route 14
New York State Route 34
New York State Route 223
New York State Route 328
New York State Route 352
New York State Route 367
New York State Route 414
New York State Route 427
Airport
- Elmira Corning Regional Airport
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 20,732 | — | |
| 1850 | 28,821 | 39.0% | |
| 1860 | 26,917 | −6.6% | |
| 1870 | 35,281 | 31.1% | |
| 1880 | 43,065 | 22.1% | |
| 1890 | 48,265 | 12.1% | |
| 1900 | 54,063 | 12.0% | |
| 1910 | 54,662 | 1.1% | |
| 1920 | 65,872 | 20.5% | |
| 1930 | 74,680 | 13.4% | |
| 1940 | 73,718 | −1.3% | |
| 1950 | 86,827 | 17.8% | |
| 1960 | 98,706 | 13.7% | |
| 1970 | 101,537 | 2.9% | |
| 1980 | 97,656 | −3.8% | |
| 1990 | 95,195 | −2.5% | |
| 2000 | 91,070 | −4.3% | |
| 2010 | 88,830 | −2.5% | |
| 2020 | 84,148 | −5.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2020 |
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2020 Census
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White (NH) | 69,559 | 82.66% |
| Black or African American (NH) | 5,009 | 5.95% |
| Native American (NH) | 198 | 0.23% |
| Asian (NH) | 1,426 | 1.69% |
| Pacific Islander (NH) | 15 | 0.02% |
| Other/Mixed (NH) | 5,003 | 5.95% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2,938 | 3.49% |
Education
Education in Chemung County is provided by various private and public institutions. High school students and adults have access to GST BOCES. BOCES provides vocation-style training in a wide range of fields as well as adult education.
Public school districts
- Horseheads Central School District
- Elmira City School District
- Elmira Heights Central School District
Private schools
- Chemung Valley Montessori School
- Elmira Christian Academy
- Holy Family Middle School
- Saint Mary Our Mother School
- Notre Dame High School
- Twin Tiers Christian Academy
Higher education
- Arnot Ogden School of Nursing
- Corning Community College (off-campus sites)
- Elmira College
- Elmira Business Institute
Public libraries
Chemung County Library District
- Steele Memorial Library
- Horseheads Free Library
- Big Flats Library
- West Elmira Library
- Van Etten Library
- Chemung County Bookmobile
Communities
Larger Settlements
| # | Location | Population | Type | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | †Elmira | 29,200 | City | Elmira-Horseheads |
| 2 | Southport | 7,238 | CDP | Elmira-Horseheads |
| 3 | Horseheads | 6,461 | Village | Elmira-Horseheads |
| 4 | Big Flats | 5,277 | CDP | West |
| 5 | West Elmira | 4,967 | CDP | Elmira-Horseheads |
| 6 | Elmira Heights | 4,097 | Village | Elmira-Horseheads |
| 7 | Horseheads North | 2,843 | CDP | North |
| 8 | Pine Valley | 813 | CDP | North |
| 9 | Breesport | 626 | CDP/Hamlet | Northeast |
| 10 | Wellsburg | 580 | Village | Southeast |
| 11 | ††Van Etten | 537 | CDP/Hamlet | Northeast |
| 12 | Erin | 483 | CDP | Northeast |
| 13 | Millport | 312 | Village | North |
† - County Seat
†† - Former Village
Towns
Hamlet
Notable people
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Chemung para niños
