Cortland, New York

Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, United States of America. Known as the Crown City, Cortland is in New York's Southern Tier region. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 19,204.[2] It is the county seat of Cortland County.[3]

Not to be confused with Cortlandt, New York.
Cortland
City
Overlooking downtown Cortland from I-81
Location in Cortland County and the state of New York
Coordinates: 42°36′2″N 76°10′53″W
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CountyCortland
Government
 • TypeMayor-Council
 • MayorBrian Tobin (D)
 • Common Council
Area
 • Total3.92 sq mi (10.14 km2)
 • Land3.90 sq mi (10.09 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
1,129 ft (344 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total19,204
 • Estimate 
(2019)[1]
18,670
 • Density4,900/sq mi (1,900/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
13045
Area code(s)607
FIPS code36-18388
GNIS feature ID0947499
Websitecortland.org

The city of Cortland, near the county's western border, is surrounded by the town of Cortlandville.

History

The city is within the former Central New York Military Tract. It is named after Pierre Van Cortlandt, the first lieutenant governor of New York.[4]

Cortland, settled in 1791, was made a village in 1853 (rechartered in 1864), and incorporated in 1900 as New York's 41st city. When the county was formed in 1808, Cortland vied with other villages to become the county seat. Known as the "Crown City" because of its location on a plain formed by the convergence of seven valleys, Cortland is 1,130 feet (340 m) above sea level. Forty stars representing the 40 cities incorporated before Cortland circle the State of New York and Crown on the city's official seal. The seven points of the crown represent the seven valleys surrounding Cortland. The 41st star in the center of the crown illustrates Cortland as the incorporated city closest to New York's geographic center.

Cortland's leading industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the Wickwire Brothers wire-drawing mill, noted for its production of wire hardware cloth for use as window screens. The extent of the Wickwires' wealth is demonstrated in the two magnificent mansions they commissioned. The Victorian Chateauesque-style home of Chester Wickwire is now operated as the 1890 House Museum & Center for Victorian Arts. Charles Wickwire's 1912 home is now owned and operated by the SUNY Cortland Alumni Association.[5] It is open to the public and used by the Alumni Association to host college-related events and house visiting dignitaries.[6]

Cortland was also the location of Brockway Motor Company, a pioneering truck maker. Begun in 1875 as Brockway Carriage Works, it was taken over by Mack Trucks in 1956, and survived until 1977. The city continues to host an annual show of Brockway trucks.[7]

From 1960 to 1992 Smith Corona typewriters were manufactured in Cortland.[8]

Cortland boasts a classic octagon house.[9] The Cortland Rural Cemetery is styled as a garden setting and is still in operation.

In 1868 Cortland became the home of the Cortland Normal School, which gradually developed into a four-year college. With graduate programs and research capacity, it has expanded into the State University of New York at Cortland.

In 2006 Cortland's historic clock tower burned down. It was later rebuilt, with spaces in the building for both businesses and apartment-style housing.[10]

The Cortland County Courthouse, Cortland County Poor Farm, Cortland Fire Headquarters, Cortland Free Library, First Presbyterian Church Complex, William J. Greenman House, Randall Farm, Tompkins Street Historic District, Unitarian Universalist Church, and United States Post Office are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[11][12]

Notable people

Geography

Cortland is in west-central Cortland County at 42°36′2″N 76°10′53″W (42.600658, −76.181284).[13] Cortland lies between Syracuse, New York and Binghamton, New York. It is surrounded by the town of Cortlandville.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 3.92 square miles (10.14 km2), of which 3.90 square miles (10.09 km2) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2), or 0.51%, is water.[2]

The Tioughnioga River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, flows southward past the city.

Transportation

Roads and highways

Interstate 81, U.S. Route 11, and New York State Route 281 are north-south highways servicing the city. New York State Route 13 and New York State Route 41 also serve the city. Via I-81 it is 40 miles (64 km) north to Syracuse and 40 miles (64 km) south to Binghamton. NY-13 leads southwest 18 miles (29 km) to Ithaca.

Bus

Local public transportation by bus is provided by Cortland Transit.[14] Greyhound provides the city with intercity bus service with connections to Syracuse, Binghamton, and points beyond. The closest Amtrak train station is in Syracuse.

Air

Air service is provided by Cortland County Airport located west of the city.

Climate
Climate data for Cortland, New York
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20)		 65
(18)		 85
(29)		 90
(32)		 93
(34)		 96
(36)		 100
(38)		 98
(37)		 100
(38)		 90
(32)		 81
(27)		 68
(20)		 100
(38)
Average high °F (°C) 30.6
(−0.8)		 32.8
(0.4)		 41.9
(5.5)		 54.1
(12.3)		 67.6
(19.8)		 76.3
(24.6)		 81.0
(27.2)		 79.4
(26.3)		 70.7
(21.5)		 59.0
(15.0)		 46.2
(7.9)		 35.1
(1.7)		 56.2
(13.5)
Average low °F (°C) 15.2
(−9.3)		 15.7
(−9.1)		 24.1
(−4.4)		 34.4
(1.3)		 45.3
(7.4)		 54.3
(12.4)		 58.8
(14.9)		 56.9
(13.8)		 49.3
(9.6)		 39.3
(4.1)		 31.7
(−0.2)		 21.5
(−5.8)		 37.2
(2.9)
Record low °F (°C) −25
(−32)		 −26
(−32)		 −13
(−25)		 11
(−12)		 23
(−5)		 32
(0)		 39
(4)		 35
(2)		 27
(−3)		 18
(−8)		 2
(−17)		 −17
(−27)		 −26
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.74
(70)		 2.49
(63)		 3.12
(79)		 3.22
(82)		 3.28
(83)		 4.08
(104)		 3.37
(86)		 2.98
(76)		 3.97
(101)		 3.17
(81)		 3.49
(89)		 3.41
(87)		 39.32
(999)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 19.7
(50)		 19.2
(49)		 13.2
(34)		 4.0
(10)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 .3
(0.76)		 8.2
(21)		 22.3
(57)		 86.9
(221)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 17.4 14.3 14.3 13.4 12.1 11.8 10.6 10.2 11.5 12.6 15.2 16.8 160.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 9.1 7.0 4.5 1.7 0 0 0 0 0 .1 3.2 7.6 33.2
Source 1: NOAA (normals 1971–2000),[15]
Source 2: The Weather Channel (extremes)[16]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18703,066—
18804,05032.1%
18908,590112.1%
19009,0144.9%
191011,50427.6%
192013,29415.6%
193015,04313.2%
194015,8815.6%
195018,15214.3%
196019,1815.7%
197019,6212.3%
198020,1382.6%
199019,801−1.7%
200018,740−5.4%
201019,2042.5%
Est. 201918,670[1]−2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 18,740 people, 6,922 households, and 3,454 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,778.6 people per square mile (1,845.8/km2). There were 7,550 housing units at an average density of 1,925.2 per square mile (743.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.72% White, 1.56% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.

There were 6,922 households, out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 28.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,478, and the median income for a family was $39,167. Males had a median income of $29,857 versus $21,614 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,267. About 13.9% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.

As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Cortland, New York were:

  • English - 15.6%
  • Irish - 10.8%
  • Italian - 9.7%
  • German - 8.4%
  • "American" - 5.7%
  • Dutch - 2.2%
  • Scottish - 2.1%
  • French (except Basque) - 1.8%
  • Polish - 1.8%[19]
Downtown Cortland

Government

Cortland's government consists of a mayor, who is elected at large, and an eight-member city council. One member is elected from each of the eight voting wards.

Sports

In 2009 the New York Jets' training camp was moved from Hofstra University in Hempstead to the SUNY Cortland campus. The camp drew in 34,000 visitors and brought nearly $4.26 million to the local economy.[20] In 2010 the Jets signed a 3-year contract with SUNY Cortland.

See also

References
  1. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved May 21, 2020.
  2. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cortland city, New York". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  4. Company, Chicago and North Western Railway (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 59.
  5. The 1890 House Museum
  6. SUNY(State University of New York) Cortland Alumni House
  7. Brockway Truck Preservation Association
  8. https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/22/business/smith-corona-plant-mexico-bound.html
  9. Octagon House Inventory
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-04-15. Retrieved 2011-01-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  12. "National Register of Historic Places". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/15/11 through 8/19/11. National Park Service. 2011-08-26.
  13. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  14. Home, Way2Go Cortland. Retrieved 2014-12-26.
  15. "Climatology of the United States No. 20: CORTLAND, NY 1971–2000" (PDF). National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  16. "Monthly Averages for Cortland, NY (13045)". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  17. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  18. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2016-12-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/02/ny_jets_and_suny_cortland_nego.html
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