Erie County is a county along the shore of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also h ...

in western

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 954,236. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Buffalo, which makes up about 28% of the county's population. Both the county and Lake Erie were named for the regional

Iroquoian language The Iroquoian languages are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking. As of 2020, all surviving Iroquoian ...

-speaking Erie tribe of Native Americans, who lived in the area before 1654. They were later pushed out by the more powerful Iroquoian nations tribes. Erie County, along with its northern neighbor

Niagara County Niagara County is in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 212,666. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word ''Onguiaahra''; meaning ''the strait'' or ''thunder of waters''. Niaga ...

, makes up the

Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area Buffalo Niagara may refer to a variety of places and things in the vicinity of Buffalo, New York, and Niagara Falls. Geography *Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area *Buffalo Niagara Region Infrastructure *Buffalo Niagara International Airport ...

, the second largest in New York State behind

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. The county's southern part is known as the

Southtowns The Southtowns (also known as the Buffalo Southtowns, the South Towns, or Southtown) is a region of Western New York, United States, that lies within the snowbelt or ski country. It includes the southern suburbs of Buffalo, New York. This is the ...

. The county has seen one of the highest growth rates of any county in New York State from the 2010 to 2020 census.

History

When counties were established by the English colonial government in the

Province of New York The Province of New York (1664–1776) was a British proprietary colony and later royal colony on the northeast coast of North America. As one of the Middle Colonies, New York achieved independence and worked with the others to found the U ...

in 1683, present-day Erie County was part of Indian territory occupied by Iroquoian-speaking peoples. It was administered as part of New York colony. Significant European-American settlement did not begin until after the United States had gained independence with the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783. They forced the Iroquois to cede most of their lands, as many had been allies of the British. They" ambiguous; reference required About 1800, the

Holland Land Company The Holland Land Company was an unincorporated syndicate of thirteen Dutch investors from Amsterdam who in 1792 and 1793 purchased the western two-thirds of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase, an area that afterward was known as the Holland Purchas ...

, formed by Americans and Dutch associates, extinguished Indian claims by purchasing the land from New York, acquired the title to the territory of what are today the eight westernmost counties of New York, surveyed their holdings, established towns and began selling lots to individuals. The state was eager to attract settlers and have homesteads and businesses developed. At this time, all of western New York was included in Ontario County. As the population increased, the state legislature created Genesee County in 1802 out of part of Ontario County. In 1808, Niagara County was created out of Genesee County. In 1821, Erie County was created out of Niagara County, encompassing all the land between

Tonawanda Creek Tonawanda Creek is a small tributary of the Niagara River in Western New York, United States. After rising in Wyoming County, the stream flows through Genesee County before forming part of the boundary between Erie County and Niagara County. ...

and

Cattaraugus Creek Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately long, in western New York in the United States.Town of Clarence Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States, northeast of Buffalo. The population was 32,950 according to the 2020 census estimate. This represents an increase of 7.4% from the 2010 census figure. ...

and the Town of Willink. Clarence and Willink comprised the northern and southern portions of Erie county, respectively. Clarence is still a distinct town, but Willink was quickly subdivided into other towns. When Erie County was established in 1821, it consisted of the towns of Amherst, Aurora, Boston, Clarence, Collins, Concord, Eden, Evans, Hamburg, Holland, Sardinia and Wales. The county has a number of houses and other properties listed on the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, New York This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Erie County, New York. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Erie County, New York, United ...

. In 1861, the hamlet of

Town Line A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

in the Town of Lancaster voted 85–40 to secede from the Union. Town Line never sought admission into the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

and there is no evidence that men from the community ever fought for the Confederacy. Some reporting from that time indicates the vote was a joke. On January 24, 1946, as part of a nationally reported event, Town Line voted to officially return to the Union after 85 years of Union secession.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which (85%) is land and (15%) is water. Erie County is in the western portion of upstate New York, bordering on the

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

of the same name. Part of the industrial area that has included Buffalo, it is the most populous county in upstate New York outside of the New York City metropolitan area. The county also lies on the international border between the United States and Canada, bordering the Province of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. The northern border of the county is Tonawanda Creek. Part of the southern border is Cattaraugus Creek. Other major streams include Buffalo Creek ( Buffalo River),

Cayuga Creek Cayuga Creek is a small stream in western New York, United States, with stretches in both Erie County and Wyoming County. The creek enters Buffalo Creek in the northwest corner of the Town of West Seneca in Erie County, just upstream from the N ...

, Cazenovia Creek, Scajaquada Creek, Eighteen Mile Creek and

Ellicott Creek Ellicott Creek is a stream in Western New York, United States. It is a tributary of Tonawanda Creek, which in turn flows into the Niagara River. Course Ellicott Creek originates in southwest corner of Genesee County, just northeast of Darien La ...

. The county's northern half, including Buffalo and its suburbs, is known as the Northtowns and is relatively flat and rises gently up from the lake. The southern half, known as the Southtowns, is much hillier. It has the northwesternmost foothills of the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

. The highest elevation in the county is a hill in the Town of Sardinia that tops out at around 1,940 feet (591 m) above sea level. The lowest ground is about 560 feet (171 m), on Grand Island at the Niagara River. The

Onondaga Escarpment The Onondaga Limestone is a group of hard limestones and dolomites of Devonian age that form an important geographic feature in some areas in which it outcrops; in others, especially its Southern Ontario portion, the formation can be less promi ...

runs through the northern part of Erie County.

Rivers, streams and lakes

* Buffalo River *

Cattaraugus Creek Cattaraugus Creek is a stream, approximately long, in western New York in the United States.Cayuga Creek Cayuga Creek is a small stream in western New York, United States, with stretches in both Erie County and Wyoming County. The creek enters Buffalo Creek in the northwest corner of the Town of West Seneca in Erie County, just upstream from the N ...

* Cazenovia Creek * Eighteen Mile Creek *

* Niagara River * Scajaquada Creek *

Adjacent counties and municipality

- north * Genesee County - northeast * Wyoming County - southeast * Cattaraugus County - south * Chautauqua County - southwest * Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada - northwest

Major highways

Interstate 90 ( New York State Thruway) * I-190 (long)

Interstate 190 (Niagara Thruway) * I-290 (long)

Interstate 290 (Youngmann Expressway) * I-990 (long)

Interstate 990 (Lockport Expressway) * US 20

U.S. Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

(Southwestern Boulevard/Transit Road/Broadway) * US 20A (NY)

U.S. Route 20A (Big Tree Road) * US 62

U.S. Route 62 U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Can ...

(South Park Avenue/Bailey Avenue/Niagara Falls Boulevard) * US 219

U.S. Route 219 (Southern Expressway) * NY-5

New York State Route 5 (Hamburg Turnpike/Buffalo Skyway/Main Street) * NY-16

New York State Route 16 (Seneca Street) * NY-33

New York State Route 33 New York State Route 33 (NY 33) is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. The route extends for just under from NY 5 in Buffalo in the west to NY 31 in Rochester in the east. It is, in fact, ...

(Kensington Expressway/Genesee Street) * NY-39

New York State Route 39 * NY-78

New York State Route 78 New York State Route 78 (NY 78) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. While it is signed north–south, the southern portion runs in an east–west direction across Wyoming and Erie counties, from its beginning ...

(Transit Road) * NY-179

New York State Route 179 New York State Route 179 (NY 179) is a short long state highway located south of Buffalo in Erie County, New York, in the United States. It is a four-lane divided road (albeit with traffic lights) for most of its length. It is known ...

(Milestrip Expressway/Road) * NY-198

New York State Route 198 New York State Route 198 (NY 198) is a state highway located entirely within the city of Buffalo, New York, in the United States. It is named the Scajaquada Expressway for Scajaquada Creek, which it covers over as it heads across norther ...

(Scajaquada Expressway) * NY-263

New York State Route 263 (Grover Cleveland Highway/Millersport Highway) * NY-240

New York State Route 240 New York State Route 240 (NY 240) is a state highway in western New York in the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at an intersection with NY 242 in the Ellicottville community of Ashford Junction in northern ...

(Orchard Park Road/Harlem Road) * NY-277

New York State Route 277 New York State Route 277 (NY 277) is a state highway in New York in the United States. This highway is also called Union Road, along with other names. NY 277 is a major north–south road east of Buffalo, New York, through th ...

(Union Road) * NY-324

New York State Route 324 New York State Route 324 (NY 324) is an east–west state highway located in the western portion of New York in the United States. Officially, NY 324 begins at NY 384 in Niagara Falls and overlaps Interstate 190 (I-1 ...

(Grand Island Boulevard/Sheridan Drive) * NY-354

New York State Route 354 New York State Route 354 (NY 354) is a state highway in New York in the United States. NY 354 is one of several highways radiating eastward from its western terminus in downtown Buffalo. The east terminus of NY 354 is in the ...

(Clinton Street) * NY-400

New York State Route 400 New York State Route 400 (NY 400) is a state highway located within Erie County, New York, in the United States. The northwest end is connected to the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90 or I-90) and the southeast end terminates ...

(Aurora Expressway)

Erie County routes

National protected area

Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site preserves the Ansley Wilcox House, at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York. Here, after the assassination of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as President of the ...

State protected areas

* Amherst State Park, Town of Amherst. * Beaver Island State Park, Town of Grand Island. *

Buckhorn Island State Park Buckhorn Island State Park is an state park located in Erie County, New York in the Town of Grand Island. The park is on the northern end of the island of Grand Island. The park is 1 of 80 New York State Parks that are in the path of totality ...

, Town of Grand Island. * Buffalo Harbor State Park, City of Buffalo. *

Evangola State Park Evangola State Park is a state park in southern Erie County, New York, United States. The park is located west of the Village of Farnham, at the border of the Town of Brant and the Town of Evans. The park, which opened in 1954, fronts on Lak ...

, Towns of Brant and Evans. *

Great Baehre Swamp Wildlife Management Area Great Baehre Swamp is a New York state wetland located inside the Town of Amherst in Erie County, New York, United States. The area is characterized as a silver maple- ash swamp of , much of which is protected by conservation areas owned by the ...

, Town of Amherst. * Hampton Brook Woods Wildlife Management Area, Village of Hamburg. *

Knox Farm State Park Knox Farm State Park is a state park located in Erie County, New York, adjacent to the village of East Aurora. It is the former country estate of the Knox Family of Buffalo. Park features The park contains a variety of habitats, including gra ...

, Town of East Aurora. * Motor Island Wildlife Management Area, Town of Grand Island. * Onondaga Escarpment Unique Area, Town of Akron. * Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, Town of Cheektowaga. * Spicer Creek Wildlife Management Area, Town of Grand Island. * Strawberry Island State Park, Town of Townawanda. *

Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area is a conservation area located within the Town of Clarence in Erie County, western New York. It is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Geography Tillman Road Wildlife ...

, Town of Clarence. *

Woodlawn Beach State Park Woodlawn Beach State Park is a park located near the village of Blasdell on the eastern shore of Lake Erie in Erie County, New York. It was opened as a state park in 1996, and has been operated since 2011 by the Town of Hamburg under a ten ...

, Town of Hamburg. * Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area, Town of Collins.

Demographics

As of the

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

, there were 954,236 people living in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 915 people per square mile (353/km²). There were 438,747 housing units at an average density of 421 per square mile (162/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 14.1%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.6% Native American, 4.9% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

and 5.4% from two or more races. 6.3% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. 19.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 17.2%

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

, 14.9%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, 11.7%

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

and 5.0%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

. 91.1% spoke

, 3%

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and 1.6%

as their first language. ErieCountyPopulation 2

There were 380,873 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.1% were non-families. 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04. In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64 and 15.9% older than 65. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $38,567 and the median income for a family was $49,490. Males had a median income of $38,703 versus $26,510 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $20,357. About 9.2% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 17.3% of those under 18 and 7.8% of those older than 65.

2020 Census

County government and politics

Plans to merge Erie County with the City of Buffalo have been suggested, which proponents say would eliminate much of the extensive bureaucracy and political and municipal subdivisions among the various towns, cities and villages in the county. The result would be a consolidated city-county controlled by a single government, effectively making Buffalo's borders and population contiguous with that of Erie County's. These plans have proven controversial; there is controversy on the impact of the city's debt on a regional government. Concerns have also been raised that a regional government would dilute minority representation in government. Prior to 1936, Erie County predominantly backed Republican Party candidates, with only four Democratic Party candidates winning the county in a presidential election - James Buchanan in 1856,

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

in 1864,

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

in 1892 and

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

in 1912. However, starting with the 1936 election, it has turned predominantly Democratic since then, with only two Republicans carrying the county in a presidential election--

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

in 1952 and 1956 and

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

in 1972, with Nixon being the most recent. In 2016, like many other counties in the Rust Belt, Donald Trump drastically expanded the Republican vote share thanks to his appeal to working-class whites and Ethnic-Catholic voters. Four years later, in 2020, Joe Biden won 267,270 votes in Erie County, more than Barack Obama in 2008. Biden's margin of victory, however, was smaller than Obama's 2008 victory within the county.

Erie County executives

Elected officials

County legislature

Education

School districts

School districts include: *

Akron Central School District Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

* Alden Central School District * Amherst Central School District *

Attica Central School District Attica Central School District is in the town of Attica, New York which has a population of 7,000. This school has around 120 students in a graduating class each year. School hours are from 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. in the high school an ...

* Buffalo City School District *

Cheektowaga Central School District Cheektowaga Central Free School District is a school district in Cheektowaga, New York, Cheektowaga, New York (state), New York, United States. The current superintendent is Mr. Scott Zipp. The district operates three schools: Cheektowaga High Sch ...

* Cheektowaga-Maryvale Union Free School District *

Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free School District Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free School District is a school district in Sloan, New York, United States. The superintendent is Mrs. Andrea Galenski. The district operates four schools: John F. Kennedy High School, John F. Kennedy Middle School, Woo ...

Clarence Central School District Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a lo ...

Cleveland Hill Union Free School District Cleveland Hill School District is a K-12 school district within the Cleveland Hill hamlet of Cheektowaga, New York. Fire of 1954 In 1954, a fire at the elementary school facility claimed the lives of 15 sixth-grade students, and severely bu ...

* Depew Union Free School District *

East Aurora Union Free School District East Aurora Union Free School District is a school district in East Aurora, New York, United States. The superintendent is Brian Russ. The district operates three schools: East Aurora High School, East Aurora Middle School, and Parkdale Elementar ...

* Eden Central School District * Evans-Brant Central School District (Lake Shore) a.k.a.

Lake Shore Central School District A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Frontier Central School District The Frontier Central School District is the primary public school district serving the town of Hamburg, New York. The district serves most of the area surrounding the village of Hamburg and is an independent public entity. With authority from ...

* Grand Island Central School District * Gowanda Central School District *

Hamburg Central School District Hamburg Central School District is a New York State public school district that serves the village of Hamburg of Erie County. It operates one high school, one middle school, and four elementary schools. Administration The District offices ar ...

Holland Central School District Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

Iroquois Central School District The Iroquois Central School District is a large school district about outside of Buffalo, New York that consists of about of land in the towns of Elma, Marilla, Wales, Aurora, Lancaster, and Bennington. The district consists of about 2,895 ...

* Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District * Lackawanna City School District *

Lancaster Central School District The Lancaster Central School District is a New York school district including the area surrounding Lancaster, New York. The district consists of 7 schools and for the 2015-2016 school year has a total enrollment of 5,278 student The current Sup ...

North Collins Central School District North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

Orchard Park Central School District Orchard Park Central School District is a public school district that serves Orchard Park, New York. The school district consists of 5,157 students in grades K-12 (four K-5 elementary schools, one 6-8 middle school, and one 9-12 high school). ...

Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District {{short description, School district in the U.S. state of New York Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District is a Central School District in rural New York State. Located 35 minutes south of Buffalo, the district consists of the commu ...

* Sweet Home Central School District *

Tonawanda City School District Tonawanda City School District is a public school district that serves the City of Tonawanda, New York. The school district consists of 1,850 students in grades PreK-12 (three elementary schools, one 6-8 middle school, and one 9-12 high school. ...

West Seneca Central School District The West Seneca Central School District is the third largest central school district in Western New York, and one of the largest school districts in New York State. It serves , including a majority of the town of West Seneca, and portions of the ...

Williamsville Central School District Williamsville Central School District (commonly abbreviated WCSD) is a public school district in New York that serves the village of Williamsville, as well as the towns of Amherst, Cheektowaga, and Clarence. The district enrollment is approxima ...

* Yorkshire-Pioneer Central School District "Special act" school districts *

Randolph Academy Union Free School District Randolph Academy Union Free School District is a school district which covers campuses of a residential and day institution with locations in Randolph, New York, Randolph and Hamburg, New York, Hamburg in New York State. It is a "special act" scho ...

- In 2011 it took the territory of another special act district,

Hopevale Union Free School District Hopevale Union Free School District was a school district covering a single educational institution in Hamburg, New York. Hopevale Inc., a social services agency, maintained a residential and day institution for students in grades 7-12 who had diff ...

As of the

2010 U.S. Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators serving ...

some parts of this county were not in a defined school district, with some undefined land and some undefined water.

Higher education

Buffalo State College The State University of New York College at Buffalo (colloquially referred to as Buffalo State College, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo State, or simply Buff State) is a public college in Buffalo, New York. It is part of the State University of New ...

* Canisius College *

Daemen College Daemen University is a private university in Amherst, New York and Brooklyn, New York. Formerly Daemen College and Rosary Hill College, the now-nondenominational school was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1947. As of fall 2020, 2,536 s ...

D'Youville University D'Youville University (D'Youville or DYU) is a private university in Buffalo, New York. It was founded as D'Youville College in 1908 and named by the Grey Nuns after the patroness saint Marie-Marguerite d'Youville. As of Fall 2020 D'Youville Coll ...

* Erie Community College * Hilbert College *

Medaille College Medaille University is a private university in Buffalo, New York. The Sisters of St. Joseph founded Medaille in 1937. Medaille serves roughly 1,600 students from Western New York and Southern Ontario. Campuses Medaille's main campus is in Buffa ...

Trocaire College Trocaire College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York. Founded in 1958 by the Sisters of Mercy, Trocaire College offers degrees in healthcare, business, and technology. It has an extension site in Williamsville, New York. T ...

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...

Villa Maria College Villa Maria College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York. It was founded in 1960 by the Felician Sisters. History The college was initially a teacher-training center for sisters in the education apostolate and was establish ...

* Bryant & Stratton College

Attractions and recreation

Erie County is home to three professional teams—the NFL's Buffalo Bills, the NHL's

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

and the NLL's

Buffalo Bandits The Buffalo Bandits are a professional box lacrosse Box lacrosse, also known as boxla, box, or indoor lacrosse, is an indoor version of lacrosse played mostly in North America. The game originated in Canada in the 1930s, where it is more po ...

, along with Division I's Buffalo Bulls and MILB's

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

. The city of Buffalo also features the Buffalo Zoo,

Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society The Buffalo History Museum (founded as the Buffalo Historical Society, and later named the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society) is located at 1 Museum Court (formerly 25 Nottingham Court) in Buffalo, New York, just east of Elmwood Avenue and ...

Burchfield-Penney Art Center The Burchfield Penney Art Center, or just the Burchfield Penney, is an arts and educational institution part of Buffalo State College, located adjacent to the main campus in Buffalo, New York, United States. Dedicated to the art and vision of ...

and

Albright-Knox Art Gallery The Buffalo AKG Art Museum, formerly known as the Albright–Knox Art Gallery, is an art museum at 1285 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, New York, in Delaware Park. the museum's Elmwood Avenue campus is temporarily closed for construction. It hosted e ...

(all located within a mile of each other in the Delaware Park System),

Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens located within South Park in Buffalo, New York, United States. These gardens are the product of landscaping architect Frederick Law Olmsted, glass-house architects Lord & Burnham ...

and Buffalo Museum of Science, in addition to tourist districts such as Canalside and Larkinville. The

Erie County Fair The Erie County Fair is a fair held in Hamburg in Erie County, New York every August. Based on 2018 attendance statistics, The Erie County Fair is the second largest fair in New York and the fourth largest county fair in North America, often dra ...

, held every August in the Town of Hamburg from 1820 to 2019 (the 2020 event, like much everything else across the country, was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

), is one of the largest county fairs in the United States.

Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry

The Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry was established in 1925 with four parks spanning . As of 2003, the county managed 38 properties, totaling approximately of land. Management objectives include providing and maintaining recreational space and the conservation of the county's natural and historic resources. A 2003 Master Plan identified several broad categories of parks operated by the county, including heritage parks, waterfront parks, conservation parks, special purpose parks and forest management areas.

Heritage parks

Erie County's heritage parks include the five original county parks that were established during the 1920s and 1930s. These parks are examples of multiple-use sites with significant scenic, natural and historic features. Each park has unique man-made structures of historical character, many constructed as part of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

movement in the 1930s. * Akron Falls Park (Established in 1933, acquired by Erie County in 1947) * Chestnut Ridge Park (Established by Erie County in 1926) *

Como Lake Park Como Lake Park is a park in Erie County, in the U.S. state of New York. The park is located along the banks of Cayuga Creek in both the village and town of Lancaster, approximately east of the city of Buffalo. It is operated by the Erie Cou ...

(Established in 1923, acquired by Erie County in 1926) * Ellicott Creek Park (Established by Erie County in 1926) * Emery Park (Established by Erie County in 1925)

Waterfront parks

Waterfront parks include the significant scenic sites and recreational trail systems along the county's

shoreline. * Bennett Beach Park * Isle View Park * Riverwalk Park * Wendt Beach Park

Conservation parks

These largely-undeveloped parks are managed primarily for conservation of the natural environment and passive nature-based outdoor recreation activities. These lands are intended to generally remain in a natural state. * Boston Forest * Eighteen Mile Creek Park * Franklin Gulf Park *

Sgt. Mark A. Rademacher Memorial Park Sgt. Mark A. Rademacher Memorial Park, commonly known as Hunters Creek Park, is a park located in the Town of Wales in the U.S. state of New York. The park is operated by Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, and is a popul ...

(commonly known as Hunters Creek Park) * Scoby Dam Park

Special purpose parks

Special purpose parks have unique characteristics that provide specific recreational functions within the county's park system. *

* Elma Meadows Golf Course * Grover Cleveland Golf Course * Sprague Brook Park

Forest management areas

Forest management areas are managed by the Erie County Bureau of Forestry, which was established in 1927. These areas include several thousand acres of mostly- coniferous plantation style forest, much of which was planted on abandoned farmland by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

in the 1930s. These areas are located mostly in the rural southern portion of the county. These lands have limited recreation potential, mostly in the form of trails. Management of these lands is focused on natural resource conservation, in addition to potential commercial resource extraction of timber products or maple syrup.

Communities

† - County Seat ‡ - Not Wholly in this County

Towns

Alden Alden may refer to: Places United States * Alden, California, a former settlement * Alden, Colorado * Alden, Illinois *Alden, Iowa * Alden, Kansas * Alden, Michigan *Alden, Minnesota * Alden, Oklahoma *Alden, Pennsylvania *Alden, New York ** Alde ...

* Amherst *

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

* Brant *

Cheektowaga Cheektowaga () is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is the ...

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...

* Colden * Collins *

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

* Eden * Elma *

Evans Evans may refer to: People *Evans (surname) *List of people with surname Evans Places United States *Evans Island, an island of Alaska *Evans, Colorado *Evans, Georgia *Evans County, Georgia *Evans, New York *Evans Mills, New York *Evans City, ...

* Grand Island *

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

* Lancaster * Marilla * Newstead * North Collins * Orchard Park *

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

* Tonawanda *

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

* West Seneca Map of Erie County, New York

Hamlets

* Akron Junction * Alden Center *

Armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

* Athol Springs * Bagdad *

Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to: Placenames Australia * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales Canada ...

* Big Tree * Blakeley * Blossom *

* Bowmansville * Brant * Brighton * Carnegie * Chaffee * Clarksburg * Cleveland Hill * Clifton Heights * Collins Center *

* Creekside * Crittenden * Dellwood *

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby g ...

Doyle Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with agglu ...

* Duells Corner * Dutchtown * East Amherst * East Concord * East Eden * East Elma * East Seneca *

Ebenezer Ebenezer may refer to: Bible * Eben-Ezer, a place mentioned in the Books of Samuel People * Ebenezer (given name), a male given name Places Australia * Ebenezer, New South Wales * Ebenezer, Queensland, a locality in the City of Ipswich * Ebene ...

* Eden Valley * Ellicott * Elma * Evans Center * Ferry Village * Footes * Forks * Fowlerville * Gardenville * Getzville * Glenwood * Green Acres * Griffins Mills *

* Hunts Corners * Jerusalem Corners * Jewettville *

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the ...

* Lake View * Langford *

Lawtons Lawtons is a Canadian drug store chain owned by the Sobeys Group of Stellarton, Nova Scotia with a head office located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is a participant in the voluntary Scanner Price Accuracy Code managed by the Retail Counc ...

* Locksley Park * Looneyville * Loveland * Marilla * Marshfield * Millersport * Millgrove * Morton Corners *

Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...

* Murrays Corner * New Ebenezer * New Oregon * North Bailey * North Evans * Oakfield * Patchin * Peters Corners * Pine Hill * Pinehurst *

Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...

* Porterville *

Protection Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

* Sand Hill * Sandy Beach *

Scranton Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 U.S. census, Scranton is the largest city in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Wyoming V ...

* Sheenwater *

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

* Snyder * South Cheektowaga * South Newstead * South Wales * Spring Brook * Swifts Mills * Taylor Hollow * Town Line Station * Swormville * Walden Cliffs * Wales Hollow * Water Valley * Webster Corners * Wende * West Alden * West Falls * Weyer * Williston * Windom * Wolcottsburg * Woodlawn * Woodside * Wyandale * Zoar

Indian reservations

* Cattaraugus Reservation *

Tonawanda Reservation The Tonawanda Indian Reservation ( see, Ta:nöwöde') is an Indian reservation of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation located in western New York, United States. The band is a federally recognized tribe and, in the 2010 census, had 693 people living on t ...

References

External links

Erie County Bureau of Forestry Trails

Erie County Government website
(county overvie
here

The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society

Erie County Fair

*
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York

New York state public-benefit corporation">The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority website a New York state public-benefit corporation
{{coord, 42.75, -78.78, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NY_source:UScensus1990 1821 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1821 Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area