Ira, New York Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Ira, New York
Town
Location within Cayuga County and New York
Ira, New York Location in New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Cayuga
Government
• Type	Town Council
Area
• Total	34.90 sq mi (90.39 km²)
• Land	34.80 sq mi (90.12 km²)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.27 km²)
Elevation	456 ft (139 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	2,145
• Estimate (2021)	2,129
• Density	63.97/sq mi (24.70/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code	36-011-37660
GNIS feature ID	0979094

Ira is a small and peaceful town in New York. It is located in Cayuga County. In 2020, about 2,145 people lived in Ira. The town is found in the northern part of the county. It is also northwest of the city of Syracuse.

Exploring Ira's History
Ira's Geography and Landscape
- Ice Age Features
- Town Borders and Roads
People and Population of Ira
Communities and Places in Ira
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Ira's History

Ira was once part of a large area called the Central New York Military Tract. This land was set aside for soldiers after the American Revolutionary War. The very first settlers arrived in Ira around the year 1800.

The town of Ira was officially created in 1821. It was formed from a part of the nearby town of Cato. A small piece of Ira was later given back to Cato in 1824.

Ira's Geography and Landscape

Ira covers a total area of about 90.4 square kilometers (34.9 square miles). Most of this area, about 90.1 square kilometers (34.8 square miles), is land. Only a small part, about 0.3 square kilometers (0.1 square miles), is water.

Ice Age Features

You can find many interesting hills called drumlins scattered around Ira. These drumlins are special landforms. They were created by glaciers during the Ice Age. They show us how the ice shaped the land long ago.

Town Borders and Roads

Ira shares its northern border with Oswego County. Part of its eastern border also touches Oswego County. The rest of the eastern border is next to Onondaga County.

Several main roads pass through Ira. New York State Route 34 and New York State Route 176 run north and south. New York State Route 370 travels east and west along the southern edge of the town.

People and Population of Ira

The population of Ira has changed over the years. Here is a look at how many people have lived in the town during different census years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	2,198	—
1840	2,283	3.9%
1850	2,110	−7.6%
1860	2,238	6.1%
1870	2,014	−10.0%
1880	2,113	4.9%
1890	1,873	−11.4%
1900	1,668	−10.9%
1910	1,451	−13.0%
1920	1,361	−6.2%
1930	1,342	−1.4%
1940	1,336	−0.4%
1950	1,473	10.3%
1960	1,448	−1.7%
1970	1,720	18.8%
1980	1,869	8.7%
1990	1,990	6.5%
2000	2,426	21.9%
2010	2,206	−9.1%
2020	2,145	−2.8%
2021 (est.)	2,129	−3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

Ira's Community in 2000

According to the census from the year 2000, there were 2,426 people living in Ira. These people made up 822 households. Most of these households, 669 of them, were families.

About 41.4% of the households had children under 18 years old living with them. Most households (65.5%) were married couples living together. A smaller number (10.7%) were households led by a female without a husband present.

The average household in Ira had about 2.95 people. The average family had about 3.20 people.

Age Groups in Ira

The population of Ira in 2000 included people of all ages. About 30.6% of the people were under 18 years old. About 7.1% were between 18 and 24 years old. The largest group, 31.7%, was between 25 and 44 years old.

About 22.0% of the population was between 45 and 64 years old. Finally, 8.5% of the people were 65 years old or older. The average age in Ira was 35 years.

Income in Ira

In 2000, the average income for a household in Ira was $46,027. For families, the average income was $48,750. Men generally earned more, with an average income of $35,472. Women had an average income of $25,134.

The average income per person in the town was $16,954. About 3.4% of families and 7.0% of all people lived below the poverty line. This included 9.0% of those under 18 and 5.3% of those 65 or older.

Communities and Places in Ira

Ira is home to several smaller communities and interesting spots. Here are some of them:

Beaver Meadows – This is a swampy area located south of Benton Corners.
Benton Corners – You can find this spot east of Ira village on NY-176.
Bethel Corners (also called "Bethel") – This is a small hamlet near the northern border of the town on NY-34.
Cato – The village of Cato is partly on the southern border of Ira. It is also partly in the town of Cato.
Floridaville – This hamlet is located right at the eastern border of the town.
Fox's Corners – This used to be a place located west of Ira village.
Ira (formerly "Ira Center") – This is the main hamlet in the middle of the town. It was first settled around 1805.
Ira Corners (formerly "Ira Station") – This spot is on the western border of the town, west of Ira.
Meridian – The village of Meridian is near the southern town line. It is located in the town of Cato.
Mud Pond – This is a small lake found in the southwestern part of Ira.