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Chemung County, New York facts for kids

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Chemung County
County
Chemung County Courthouse
Chemung County Courthouse
Official seal of Chemung County
Seal
Map of New York highlighting Chemung County
Location within the U.S. state of New York
Map of the United States highlighting New York
New York's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  New York
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)
 • 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 means "big horn" in the Seneca language. 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.

History

Chemung County New York - Beers 1869
1869 map of Chemung County
For the history of Chemung County prior to its creation by partition, see Tioga County, New York.

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.

Chemung County Flag
Flag of Chemung County, at the Chemung County Courthouse

Geography

John H. Hazlett Building, Elmira
The Chemung County Government Building in Elmira

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

  • I-86.svg NY-17.svg Interstate 86 / New York State Route 17 (Southern Tier Expressway)
  • NY-13.svg New York State Route 13
  • NY-14.svg New York State Route 14
  • NY-34.svg New York State Route 34
  • NY-223.svg New York State Route 223
  • NY-328.svg New York State Route 328
  • NY-352.svg New York State Route 352
  • NY-367.svg New York State Route 367
  • NY-414.svg New York State Route 414
  • NY-427.svg 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

2020 Census

Chemung County Racial Composition
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

See also: Category:Education in Chemung County, New York

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 and special education.

Public school districts

School districts with any portion of territory in the county, even if the schools and/or administrative offices are elsewhere, include:

  • Corning City School District
  • Elmira City School District
  • Elmira Heights Central School District
  • Horseheads Central School District
  • Odessa-Montour Central School District
  • Spencer-Van Etten Central School District
  • Watkins Glen Central School District
  • Waverly 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
Steele Memorial Library
  • 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: Category:People from Chemung County, New York

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Chemung para niños

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