Ithaca (town), New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ithaca
Town
Town of Ithaca
Ithaca Town Hall, on North Tioga Street.
Seal
The Town of Ithaca surrounds but does not include the City of Ithaca
Ithaca Location in the United States Show map of the United States Ithaca Location in New York Show map of New York
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Tompkins
Founded	1821
Named for	Ithaca
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Body	Ithaca Town Board
Area
• Town	30.29 sq mi (78.5 km2)
• Land	28.95 sq mi (75.0 km2)
• Water	1.34 sq mi (3.5 km2)
• Urban	24.581 sq mi (63.66 km2)
• Metro	474.649 sq mi (1,229.34 km2)
Elevation	968 ft (295 m)
Population  (2020) †town proper
• Town	22,283
• Density	707.94/sq mi (273.34/km2)
• Urban	53,661
• Urban density	2,183.03/sq mi (842.872/km2)
• Metro	101,564
• Metro density	213.9771/sq mi (82.6170/km2)
Demonym(s)	Ithacan
Time zone	UTC−5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	14850, 14851, 14852
Area code(s)	607
FIPS code	36-38088
GNIS feature IDs	979100, 970238

Ithaca is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 22,283 people lived there. It's in the central part of Tompkins County, within the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York.

The Town of Ithaca actually wraps around the separate City of Ithaca like a horseshoe. It's the only place that borders the city! You'll find Ithaca College in the town, on a spot called South Hill.

History of Ithaca

In 1779, a group called the Sullivan Expedition traveled through this area. The land was later part of the Central New York Military Tract, which was set aside for soldiers after the American Revolutionary War.

The Town of Ithaca was officially created in 1821. It was formed from a part of another town called Ulysses. Later, in 1865, Ezra Cornell helped start Cornell University here. He used his own money and land, with support from New York State.

Geography of Ithaca

The beautiful falls at Buttermilk Falls State Park are in the Town of Ithaca.

The Town of Ithaca covers about 30.3 square miles (78.5 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

The town is located at the bottom of Cayuga Lake, which is one of the famous Finger Lakes. The town shares borders with almost all other towns in Tompkins County. It also touches both the eastern and western sides of Cayuga Lake. Several creeks, like Fall Creek, Cascadilla Creek, and Six Mile Creek, flow through the town and into Cayuga Lake.

Town of Ithaca

A sign on Dryden Road shows where the Town of Ithaca begins.

This historic marker is in front of the Town Hall.

Many important state roads meet in the town and city. These include New York State Route 13, New York State Route 34, New York State Route 79, New York State Route 96B, and New York State Route 366.

As mentioned, Ithaca College is located within the town. The main campus of Cornell University is also nearby, partly in the City of Ithaca and partly in the town.

Population of Ithaca

In 2000, there were about 18,198 people living in the town. The population density was about 625 people per square mile. The average age of people in the town was 28 years old.

Communities and Locations

The City of Ithaca has its own separate government and is not part of the Town of Ithaca. However, for many everyday things, like schools and other services, the town and city work together as one community. It's interesting that many of the town's government offices, including the Town Hall, are actually located inside the City of Ithaca!

Here are some of the communities and important places you can find in the Town of Ithaca:

See also

In Spanish: Ithaca (pueblo) para niños