Orleans County is acounty in the western part of theU.S. state ofNew York. As of the2020 census, the population was 40,343. Thecounty seat isAlbion.[1] The county received its name at the insistence of Nehemiah Ingersoll[2] though historians are unsure how the name was selected.[3] The two competing theories are that it was named to honor theFrench RoyalHouse of Orleans or that it was to honor Andrew Jackson's victory in New Orleans.[3] The county is part of theFinger Lakes region of the state.
Located on the south shore of Lake Ontario, Orleans County since the late 20th century has been considered part of theRochester, New York metropolitan area.
When counties were established by the British authorities in the province of New York in 1683, the present Orleans County was part of the territory ofAlbany County. This was an enormous county, including the northern part of present-day New York State as well as all of the present State ofVermont and, in theory, extending westward to thePacific Ocean. This county was reduced in size on July 3, 1766, by the creation ofCumberland County, and further on March 16, 1770, by the creation ofGloucester County, both containing territory now in Vermont.
On March 12, 1772, the remaining Albany County was split into three parts, one remaining under the name Albany County.Tryon County contained the large western portion (and thus, since no western boundary was specified, theoretically still extended west to the Pacific). The eastern boundary of Tryon County was approximately five miles west of the present city ofSchenectady, and the county included theMohawk River valley, the western part of theAdirondack Mountains and the area west of the West Branch of theDelaware River. The area then designated as Tryon County now includes 37 counties of New York State. The county was named forWilliam Tryon, colonial governor of New York. This western area was occupied largely by theOnondaga,Oneida and other western nations of theIroquois Confederacy. The westernmost European settlements were in the area of Little Falls and present-day Herkimer.
During the unrest prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, feelings ran high in the Mohawk Valley, and there were local attacks by rebels against known Loyalists. Most of Tryon County's Loyalists fled toCanada before 1776, where they were later granted land by the Crown to develop what is now Ontario.
In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended theAmerican Revolutionary War, Tryon County's name was changed toMontgomery County to honor the general,Richard Montgomery. He had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city ofQuebec. It replaced the name of the now hated colonial British governor. In 1789,Ontario County split off from Montgomery.[4] During this period, thousands of migrants settled in the western part of the state from New England and eastern New York resulting in the creation of more counties.
When Orleans County was formed in 1824,[5] a dispute arose about naming it after PresidentAndrew Jackson or PresidentJohn Adams.[3] During and following the Napoleonic era in France, numerous French refugees came to New York, some settling in the upstate areas.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 817 square miles (2,120 km2), of which 391 square miles (1,010 km2) is land and 426 square miles (1,100 km2) (52%) is water.[6]
The high proportion of water is due to the extension of Orleans County north into Lake Ontario to theCanada–US border (a line of latitude running through the middle of the lake). The distance from the Orleans shore north to the international border is greater than the distance from the shore south to the Genesee County line, meaning the area of Orleans under water is greater than that above water.
Orleans County is in western New York State, northeast ofBuffalo and west ofRochester, on the southern shore ofLake Ontario.
TheErie Canal passes (east–west) through the middle of the county. When its construction was completed in 1824, it attracted new settlers to the largely rural county. Trade and passenger traffic stimulated the development of local businesses.
Starting in 1824, the county government was run by a board of supervisors, consisting of elected supervisors from each township in Orleans County. This geographic representation meant that the residents of more urbanized areas were underrepresented on the board.
In 1980, the state and county established a seven-member elected legislature to replace the board of supervisors. Representatives are elected fromsingle-member districts roughly equal in population. It is headed by a chairman.
Orleans County is heavily Republican. It has voted Republican in every presidential election since the party's founding in 1856, except for one, 1964. It also votedWhig in every presidential election from 1828 until 1852.
Orleans County, New York – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of thecensus[22] of 2010,[23] there were 42,883 people, 16,119 households, and 10,872 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 inhabitants per square mile (44/km2). There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 units per square mile (17/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 89.8%White, 5.9%Black orAfrican American, 0.6%Native American, 0.4%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, 1.3% fromother races, and 1.9% from two or more races. 4.1% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. According toCensus 2000, 20.3% were ofGerman, 18.3%English, 10.8%Italian, 10.3%Irish, 9.4%American and 7.3%Polish ancestry and 96.0% spokeEnglish and 3.0%Spanish as their first language.
Census 2010 showed there were 16,119 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49% weremarried couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $48,731. Males had a median income of $32,450 versus $22,605 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $16,457. About 15.2% of the population were below thepoverty line.
The county has five school districts, although the actual district boundaries can extend into neighboring counties, and the same is true for neighboring counties' districts. The five districts, from west to east,[24] are:
Lyndonville Central School District (northern half of western third, roughly covering Lyndonville village and the towns of Yates and Ridgeway)
Medina Central School District (southern half of western third, roughly covering Medina village and the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby)
Albion Central School District (middle third, roughly covering Albion village and the towns of Carlton, Gaines, Albion, and Barre)
RTS Orleans provides bus service to Orleans County.[29] The county's Department of Public Works is headquartered in Albion and is charged with maintaining roads, including:[30]
Overseeing construction and repair of county roads, bridges, and ditches
Removing snow and ice
Each town and village within Orleans County maintains its own highway department.
_-_Towns_and_Villages.svg)
