Irondequoit () is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

(and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

) in Monroe County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the coterminous town-CDP had a population of 51,043. Irondequoit is a suburb of the city of Rochester, lying just north and east of the city limits. The name is of

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

origin and means "where the land meets the water".

History

In 1687 the Marquis de Denonville led an army of French soldiers and

Huron Huron may refer to: Native American ethnography * Huron people, who have been called Wyandotte, Wyandot, Wendat and Quendat * Huron language, an Iroquoian language * Huron-Wendat Nation, or Huron-Wendat First Nation, or Nation Huronne-Wendat * N ...

warriors on a

punitive expedition A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a political entity or any group of people outside the borders of the punishing state or union. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong beha ...

against the

through Irondequoit Bay, beginning the long enmity between the Iroquois and the French. After the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, this area was part of the

Phelps and Gorham Purchase The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the sale, in 1788, of a portion of a large tract of land in western New York State owned by the Seneca nation of the Iroquois Confederacy to a syndicate of land developers led by Oliver Phelps and Nathaniel Gor ...

. The Town of Irondequoit was founded in 1839 when it separated from the town of

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

. During the last part of the 19th century, the north edge of the town was developed as a tourist and vacation area for Rochester residents, and was once known as the "

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

of Western New York". After World War II, Irondequoit experienced significant population growth, with returning veterans looking for housing. Irondequoit became the first suburb in Monroe County to see substantial migration of residents from the city of Rochester, with the population growing from 23,376 in 1940 to 55,337 in 1960, an increase of 136%. Irondequoit remained the most-populated suburb in Monroe County until the 1970s, when it was surpassed by the town of

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, a community with three times the land area of Irondequoit. In 1965, Irondequoit became part of civil rights history by being part of the first totally voluntary

desegregation Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation), leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws ...

program in U.S. history. The Urban Suburban Interdistrict Transfer Program, which still operates today, was begun with 25 first graders from the inner city of Rochester who embarked on their K-12 education in the West Irondequoit school district. Ultimately, 15 of the original 25 students graduated together in 1977 as part of the first graduating class ever to go through a full 12 years of voluntary desegregation. The achievement was acknowledged in a letter from the White House and a notation in the U.S. ''

Congressional Record The ''Congressional Record'' is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Publishing Office and issued when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record Ind ...

''. The program has continued to expand and now includes additional suburban districts that are part of the Rochester metropolitan area. In 1991, Irondequoit established a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

relationship with

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

, in

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. Poltava is an Eastern Ukrainian city once known as "the Soul of Ukraine". The initiative was spearheaded by Irondequoit Town Supervisor Fred Lapple. His appointed committee chair, Tamara Denysenko, identified Poltava, Ukraine as Irondequoit's chosen Sister City. This was supported by the larger Ukrainian community in Irondequoit, including Bogdan Khomiakov, a small business owner living in Irondequoit whose father had immigrated from Poltava.

Geography

The town is in north-central Monroe County, lying between the

Genesee River The Genesee River ( ) is a tributary of Lake Ontario flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York (state), New York in the United States. The river contains several waterfalls in New York at Letchworth State Park and Roch ...

on the west and

Irondequoit Bay Irondequoit Bay is a large body of water located in northeastern Monroe County, New York. The bay, roughly wide and in length, is fed by Irondequoit Creek to the south and flows into Lake Ontario at its northern end. On average, the surface of ...

on the east. The north border of the town is defined by the shoreline of

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

. Because it is bounded by water on three sides, it is considered a geographical

headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, Jo ...

. Irondequoit is bordered by the city of Rochester to the south and west, the town of

at Irondequoit's southeast corner, and the towns of Penfield and Webster to the east. The eastern boundary of the town follows the center of Irondequoit Bay from the mouth of

Irondequoit Creek Irondequoit Creek is a stream in eastern Monroe County, New York that feeds Irondequoit Bay. It begins in rural West Bloomfield in Ontario County, flowing north into the town of Mendon in Monroe County. Accumulating a few small tributaries, ...

north to Lake Ontario. An unusual boundary exists between the Town of Irondequoit and the adjacent City of Rochester. On the western border of Irondequoit, the city limits include a thin strip of land that extends northward along the east bank of the Genesee River from Seneca Park to

, at some points less than from the shore. The result is that the City of Rochester claims the entire eastern shore of the Genesee, and the border of the Town of Irondequoit never reaches the river. Similarly, the northern half of Durand-Eastman Park (including Durand Beach) lies within the city's borders, along with a narrow strip running along Culver Road for approximately southward to Norton Street. This leads to much confusion, even among long-term residents, about whether places such as Seneca Park or Durand Park lie within the Town of Irondequoit or the City of Rochester. Seneca Park was annexed by the City of Rochester in 1891, and Durand Eastman Park was given to the city in 1908. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town of Irondequoit has a total area of , of which are land and , or 10.75%, are water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 52,354 people, 22,247 households, and 14,327 families residing in the coterminous town-CDP. The population density was . There were 23,037 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.03%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.55%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.15% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.02% from other races, and 1.25% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 3.06% of the population. There were 22,247 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $45,276, and the median income for a family was $55,493. Males had a median income of $41,463 versus $30,937 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $23,638. About 3.8% of families and 5.4% 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 ...

, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Irondequoit is governed by a Town Board consisting of a Supervisor and four councilpersons. All members of the Town Board serve the entire town, and are elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

by voters. The Supervisor serves a two-year term, while councilpersons serve a four-year term. Irondequoit is known for its colonial-style Town Hall, built in 1951. It was completed with funds that had been previously set aside for two decades. It was listed on the historical registry in 2010 by the Irondequoit Historical Preservation Commission. Current members of the Town Board *Supervisor: Andraé Evans (

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

) - 2024–present *Councilperson:

John Perticone John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

(

) - 2007–present *Councilperson: Peter Wehner (

) - 2016–present *Councilperson:

Kimie Romeo Kimié Kauikeolani Miner better known as Kimié, is an American singer-songwriter and musician of Native Hawaiian and Portuguese descent. In November 2019 Miner earned her first Grammy Award nomination for the compilation album titled " Hawaii ...

(

) - 2018–2023 *Councilperson: Patrina Freeman (

) - 2020–present

Notable people

The following notable people were either born in Irondequoit or were long-time residents: *

Richard Brookhiser Richard Brookhiser (; born February 23, 1955) is an American journalist, biographer and historian. He is a senior editor at ''National Review''. He is most widely known for a series of biographies of America's founders, including Alexander Hamilt ...

, historian and biographer of various American founding fathers; 1973 graduate of

Irondequoit High School Irondequoit High School (IHS) is a co-educational public school in Rochester, New York in the suburb of Irondequoit, New York. It was founded in 1924 as a part of the current West Irondequoit Central School District. History Irondequoit Distric ...

Cito Culver Christopher S. "Cito" Culver (born August 26, 1992) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. Career Culver attended Irondequoit Hig ...

, first-round draft pick for the New York Yankees in 2010 *

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American jazz fusion drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction i ...

, drummer who has played with

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

, and others *

Tom Golisano Blase Thomas Golisano (born November 14, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, which offers payroll and human resources services to businesses. Golisano owned Greenlight Networks, a fiber ...

,Golisano Foundation.org
Retrieved January 30, 2009 founder of

Paychex Paychex, Inc. is an American company that provides human resources, payroll, and employee benefits outsourcing services for small- to medium-sized businesses. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Rochester, New York, the company has more than ...

, three-time New York State gubernatorial candidate, and owner of the

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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

hockey team from 2003 to 2011; graduate of Irondequoit High School * Kent Syverud, 12th chancellor and president of

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

Education

Irondequoit is served by the West Irondequoit and East Irondequoit central school districts. Additionally, there are several schools with religious affiliations: *Archangel School (Roman Catholic) operated by private individuals *Bay Knoll School operated by the

Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabba ...

*Derech Hatorah for Jewish education * Bishop Kearney High School (independently owned) but affiliated with the Diocese of Rochester. *Two schools operated by the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester The Diocese of Rochester () is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in the Upstate region of New York State in the United States. The bishop of the diocese is currently Salvatore Matano. The metropolitan for the diocese is the archbish ...

: **Saint Kateri School **Saint Ambrose Academy Irondequoit is also the home of satellite campuses of two institutions of higher learning: *

Empire State College Empire State University (SUNY Empire) is a public university headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Empire State University is a multi-site institution offering associate degre ...

's Genesee Valley Learning Center * Everest Institute's Rochester campus

References

External links

* {{authority control Census-designated places in Monroe County, New York New York (state) populated places on the Genesee River Rochester metropolitan area, New York Towns in Monroe County, New York Towns in New York (state) Census-designated places in New York (state) Populated places on Lake Ontario in the United States 1839 establishments in New York (state) Populated places established in 1839