Formally established in 1820, Syracuse was named after the classicalGreek city ofSyracuse (Siracusa in Italian), located on the eastern coast of the Italian island ofSicily, for its similar natural features. Adjacentbrine springs made the city a majorproducer of commercial salt into the late 19th century, earning the nickname "The Salt City"; it subsequently became a major industrial center until the mid-20th century, and has since been a hub forhigher education, research, and services.
Syracuse has historically functioned as a majorcrossroads in the state, first between theErie Canal and its branches, then of theNew York Central Railroadnetwork established in the mid 19th century. Today, the city is at the intersection of Interstates81 and90, and itsairport is the largest inCentral New York, a five-county region of over one million inhabitants.
Jesuit missionaries reported salty brine springs around the southern end of what they referred to as "Salt Lake", known today as Onondaga Lake in honor of the historic tribe. French fur traders established trade throughout the New York area among the Iroquois. Dutch and English colonists also were traders, and the English nominally claimed the area, from their upstate base atAlbany, New York. During theAmerican Revolutionary War, the highly decentralized Iroquois divided into groups and bands that supported the British, and two tribes that supported the American-born rebels, or patriots.
Settlers came into central and western New York from eastern parts of the state and New England after the American Revolutionary War and various treaties with and land sales by Native American tribes.[8] The subsequent designation of this area by the state of New York as the Onondaga Salt Springs Reservation provided the basis for commercial salt production. Such production took place from the late 1700s through the early 1900s. Brine from wells that tapped into halite (common salt) beds in the Salina shale nearTully, New York, 15 miles south of the city, was developed in the 19th century.[9][10] It is the north-flowing brine from Tully that is the source of salt for the "salty springs" found along the shoreline of Onondaga Lake. The rapid development of this industry in the 18th and 19th centuries led to the nicknaming of this area as "The Salt City".
The original settlement of Syracuse was a conglomeration of several small towns and villages and was not recognized with a post office by theUnited States Government. Establishing the post office was delayed because the settlement did not have a name. Joshua Forman wanted to name the villageCorinth. WhenJohn Wilkinson applied for a post office in that name in 1820, it was denied because the same name was already in use inSaratoga County, New York.[11] Having read a poetic description ofSyracuse, Sicily (Siracusa), Wilkinson saw similarities to the lake and salt springs of this area, which had both "salt and freshwater mingling together".[12] On February 4, 1820, Wilkinson proposed the name "Syracuse" to a group of fellow townsmen; it became the name of the village and the new post office.[13]
The firstSolvay Process Company plant in the United States was erected on the southwestern shore of Onondaga Lake in 1884. The village was calledSolvay to commemorate the inventorErnest Solvay. In 1861, he developed theammonia-soda process for the manufacture of soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate) from brine wells dug in the southern end ofTully valley (as a source of sodium chloride) and limestone (as a source of calcium carbonate). The process was an improvement over the earlier Leblanc process. The Syracuse Solvay plant was the incubator for a large chemical industry complex owned byAllied Signal in Syracuse. While this industry stimulated development and provided many jobs in Syracuse, it left Onondaga Lake as the most polluted in the nation.
The salt industry declined after theCivil War, but a new manufacturing industry arose in its place. Throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s, numerous businesses and stores were established, including theFranklin Automobile Company, which produced the first air-cooled engine in the world; theCentury Motor Vehicle Company; theSmith Corona company; and the Craftsman Workshops, the center ofGustav Stickley's handmade furniture empire.
On March 24, 1870, Syracuse University was founded. The State of New York granted the new university its own charter, independent ofGenesee College, which had unsuccessfully tried to move to Syracuse the year before.[14] The university was founded as coeducational. President Peck stated at the opening ceremonies, "The conditions of admission shall be equal to all persons.... There shall be no invidious discrimination here against woman.... Brains and heart shall have a fair chance...."[15] Syracuse implemented this policy and attracted a high proportion of women students. In the College of Liberal Arts, the ratio between male and female students during the 19th century was approximately even. The College of Fine Arts was predominantly female, and a low ratio of women enrolled in the College of Medicine and the College of Law.[15]
The firstNew York State Fair was held in Syracuse in 1841.[16] Between 1842 and 1889, the Fair was held among 11 New York cities before finding a permanent home in Syracuse. It has been an annual event since then, except between 1942 and 1947, when the grounds were used as a military base during World War II,[16] and in 2020, due to the outbreak of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the racial incidents happening all over the country during the1919 Red Summer, on July 31, 1919, there was aviolent riot between white and black workers of the Syracuse Globe Malleable Iron Works.
Syracuse is home to the only "green on top"traffic light. The "green on top" traffic light was installed in 1928 as a result of local youths throwing rocks at the "British red" light that was originally on top. These locals became known as "stonethrowers" and the neighborhood now has theTipperary Hill Heritage Memorial on the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue to commemorate this history.[17]
World War II stimulated significant industrial expansion in the area: of specialty steel, fasteners, and custom machining. After the war, two of the Big Three automobile manufacturers (General Motors andChrysler) had major operations in the area. Syracuse was also headquarters forCarrier Corporation, andCrouse-Hinds manufactured traffic signals in the city.General Electric, with its headquarters inSchenectady to the east, had its main television manufacturing plant at Electronics Parkway in Syracuse.
The manufacturing industry in Syracuse began to falter in the 1970s, as the industry restructured nationwide. Many small businesses failed during this time, which contributed to the already increasing unemployment rate. Rockwell International moved its factory outside New York state. General Electric moved its television manufacturing operations toSuffolk, Virginia, and later offshore to Asia. The Carrier Corporation moved its headquarters out of Syracuse, relocated its manufacturing operations out of state, and outsourced some of its production to Asian facilities. Although the city population has declined since 1950, the Syracuse metropolitan area population has remained fairly stable, growing by 2.5% since 1970. While this growth rate is greater than much of Upstate New York, it is far below the national average during that period.
The Syracuse Community Grid project is a 2023 highway teardown project taking place in Downtown Syracuse, with the goal of improving the city.[18]
Syracuse is located at43°2′49″N76°8′40″W / 43.04694°N 76.14444°W /43.04694; -76.14444 (43.046899, −76.144423).[19] It is located about 87 miles (140 km) east ofRochester, 150 miles (240 km) east ofBuffalo, and 145 miles (230 km) west of the state capital,Albany. It is also the halfway point between New York City andToronto, about 245 miles (390 km) from each, Toronto to the northwest and NYC to the southeast.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 66 square kilometres (25.6 square miles), of which 65 square kilometres (25.1 square miles) is land and 1.6 square kilometres (0.6 square miles) (2.15%) water.
The city developed at the northeast corner of theFinger Lakes region. The city has many neighborhoods that were originally independent villages, which joined the city over the years. Although the central part of Syracuse is flat, many of its neighborhoods are on small hills such asUniversity Hill andTipperary Hill. Land to the north of Syracuse is generally flat, while land to the south is hilly.
The densest tree cover in Syracuse is in the two Valley neighborhoods, where 46.6% of the land is covered by trees. The lowest tree cover percentage is found in the densely developeddowntown, which has only 4.6% trees.[20]
Syracuse's main water source isSkaneateles Lake, one of the country's cleanest lakes,[21] located 15 mi (24 km) southwest of the city. Water from nearbyOnondaga Lake is not potable due to industrial dumping that spanned many decades, leaving the lake heavily polluted.[22] Incoming water is left unfiltered,[23] and chlorine is added to prevent bacterial growth. Most of the environmental work to achieve lake cleanup was scheduled to be completed by 2016; howeverHoneywell, the company tasked with the cleanup, announced the project's completion in late 2017.[24][25] For periods of drought, there is also a backup line which uses water fromLake Ontario.[26]
Onondaga Creek, a waterway that runs through downtown, flows northward through the city. TheOnondaga Creekwalk borders this, connecting theLakefront,Inner Harbor,Franklin Square andArmory Square neighborhoods. The creek continues through theValley and ultimately to theOnondaga Nation. The creek is navigable, but it can be a challenge. Its channelized nature speeds up its flow, particularly in the spring, when it may be dangerous. After some youngsters drowned in the creek, some residential areas fenced-off the creek in their neighborhoods.
The City of Syracuse officially recognizes 26neighborhoods within its boundaries. Some of these have small additional neighborhoods and districts inside of them. In addition, Syracuse also owns and operatesSyracuse Hancock International Airport on the territory of four towns north of the city.
Syracuse's neighborhoods reflect the historically ethnic and multicultural population. Traditionally, Irish, Polish and Ukrainian Americans settled on its west side (seeTipperary Hill); Jewish Americans on its east side; German and Italian Americans on the north side; and African-Americans on its south side. In recent years, large numbers of refugees from the Middle East have settled mainly on the north side as well.
Syracuse has ahot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa), as mean July temperatures are just above the 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) threshold needed for a hot-summer climate. The city is known for its high snowfall, 115.6 inches (2.94 meters) on average;[27] Syracuse receives the most annual average snow of any metropolitan area in the United States.[28][29] Syracuse usually wins theGolden Snowball Award among Upstate cities. Its record seasonal (July 1 to June 30 of the following year) snowfall so far is 192.1 in (4.88 m) during the winter of 1992–93, while the snowiest calendar month was January 2004, with 78.1 in (1.98 m) accumulated.[30] The high snowfall is a result of the city receiving both heavy snow from thelake effect of nearbyLake Ontario (of the Great Lakes) andnor'easter snow from storms driven from the Atlantic Ocean. Snow most often falls in small (about 1–3 inches or 2.5–7.6 centimetres), almost daily doses, over a period of several days. Larger snowfalls do occur occasionally, and even more so in the northern suburbs.
TheBlizzard of 1993 was described as the Storm of the Century. Some 42.9 in (109 cm) fell on the city within 48 hours, with 35.6 in (90 cm) falling within the first 24 hours. Syracuse received more snow than any other city in the country during this storm, which shattered a total of eight local records, including the most snow in a single snowstorm.[31] A second notable snowfall was theBlizzard of 1966, with 42.3 in (107 cm). The Blizzard of '58 occurred in February (16–17th) across Oswego and Onondaga counties. This storm was classified as a blizzard due to the high winds, blowing snow, and cold; 26.1 in (66 cm) of snow was measured at Syracuse and drifts reached 20 ft (6.1 m) in Oswego County. (See Thirtieth Publication of the Oswego County Historical Society, (1969) and The Climate and Snow Climatology of Oswego N.Y., (1971)
Syracuse on average receives an annual precipitation of 38.47 inches (977 millimeters), with the months of July through September being the wettest in terms of total precipitation,[30] while precipitation occurs on more days each month during the snow season.[32]
The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 23.6 °F (−4.7 °C) in January to 71.3 °F (21.8 °C) in July.[30] The record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded on July 9, 1936, and the record low of −26 °F (−32 °C) has occurred three times since 1942, the last being February 18, 1979.[30]
In the early 21st century, a handful of previous heat records have been broken in the city. For example, July 2020 became the hottest month on record, with a mean temperature of 77.1 °F (25.1 °C), while the summers (June–August) of 2005, 2020, and 2012 were, respectively, the hottest, second-hottest, and third-hottest summers on record.[33][34] Additionally, 2017 and 2018 saw consecutive monthly high temperature records broken in February, of 71 °F (22 °C) on February 24, 2017,[35] and 75 °F (24 °C) on February 21, 2018,[36] in addition to four consecutive days at or above 60 °F (16 °C).[35] The latter was the warmest winter day on record.[36]
Syracuse city, 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 the2020 census, Syracuse had 148,620 residents and 60,652 households,[43] compared to 145,170 people and 57,355 households a decade prior;[44] this represents the first population increase in a decennial census since 1930, when the population peaked at over 209,000.
The largest ancestries includeItalian (29.5%),Irish (18.4%),Polish (15.3%),German (9.6%),English (4.5%), andSlovak (3.6%).[45] Non-Hispanic Whites were 52.8% of the population in 2010,[46] down from 87.2% in 1970.[47] Suburbanization attracted residents outside the city, even as new immigrant and migrant groups increased.
There were 57,355 households, out of which 29% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 9.3% were married couples living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.4% were non-families. 38.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 3.14.
The city's age distribution was as follows: 19% of residents were under the age of 15, 23% from 15 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 91 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.89 males.
According to the 2014 estimates from the American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the city was $31,566, and the median income for a family was $38,794. Males had a median income of $39,537 versus $33,983 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,283. About 28.2% of families and 35.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 50% of those under age 18 and 16.7% of those age 65 and over.
As of 2017, the United States Census Bureau indicated an estimated population of 146,396.
In the results of the 2020 Census, Syracuse experienced population growth for the first time in over 70 years, having grown 2.4% since the 2010 count.[49]
Christianity: Most Christians in Syracuse are Catholic, reflecting the influence of 19th and early 20th-century immigration patterns, when numerous Irish, German, Italian and eastern European Catholics settled in the city. The city has theRoman CatholicCathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Syracuse is also home to the combinednovitiate of the United States Northeast (UNE) and Maryland Provinces of theSociety of Jesus (Jesuits). The historicBasilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is located near downtown (Roman Catholic, with Mass, offered in English and Polish).Tridentine Mass is offered multiple times a week at Transfiguration Parish in theEastside neighborhood.[52]
Judaism: Several synagogues are located in the Syracuse metropolitan area, including Congregation Beth Shalom-Chevra Chas, Temple Adath-Yeshurun, Shaarei Torah Orthodox Congregation of Syracuse, andTemple Concord, considered the ninth-oldest Jewish house of worship in the United States.[53]
Formerly a manufacturing center, Syracuse's economy has faced challenges over the past decades as industrial jobs have left the area. The number of local and state government jobs also has been declining for several years. Syracuse's top employers now are primarily in higher education, research, health care andservices; some high-tech manufacturing remains.University Hill is Syracuse's fastest-growing neighborhood, fueled by expansions bySyracuse University andUpstate Medical University (a division of theState University of New York), as well as dozens of small medical office complexes.
Micron Technology announced it will begin construction in 2024.[55] Micron'sClay mega-complex ofmemory chipfabs would create up to 9,000 direct jobs and additional 40,000 supply-chain and construction jobs over the next 20 years in Syracuse area.[56] In Phase 1, the company will spend $20 billion to build its first plant, which it estimates will require about 5,000 workers for construction and initially employ about 3,000 manufacturing workers.[57]
Micron's Syracuse investment was influenced by passage of theCHIPS and Science Act. Through the CHIPs and Science Act,Congress and theBiden administration established a powerful investment platform with the potential to expand the region's productive capacity for decades.
In addition to the dominantDestiny USA shopping mall in Syracuse's Lakefront neighborhood, many of the city's more traditional neighborhoods continue to have active business districts:
Downtown:Armory Square has replaced South Salina Street as the main retail and dining area of Downtown Syracuse. Armory Square has around 30 dining establishments, around 20 pubs, bars and clubs, and over 50 other retail stores. Similarly, but on a smaller scale, there is theHanover Square area.
Eastwood: Calling itself "the village within the city", this former village still has a retail corridor along James Street.
Little Italy: A neighborhood with Italian origins, Little Italy (part of theNear Northeast neighborhood) has several blocks of bakeries, restaurants, pizzerias, shops, and services. Before large-scale Italian immigration, this neighbourhood was heavily populated by German immigrants.[67]
Sedgwick Farms: An affluent neighborhood on the northeast side of the city near Eastwood containing many architecturally-distinct, large, classic homes including aSears Home[68] designed by many noted architects. The neighborhood has historically been home to city leaders, state politicians, and leaders in Syracuse's industry and economy.
University Hill:Marshall Street, along with its terminus South Crouse Avenue, is lined with stores, bars, and restaurants, primarily catering to the student population on "The Hill", as well as the over 25,000 people who work there daily. East Genesee Street at the northwestern corner of the neighborhood has several retail establishments, as well.
Westcott: This neighborhood east of University Hill is inhabited by a wide variety of people, increasingly including some college students as the university grows but still primarily local families and residents. Single-family homes and two-unit apartments comprise the majority of housing. Westcott is known as a bohemian and liberal quarter, and each September hosts the Westcott Street Cultural Fair. The main business district is on Westcott Street between Beech and Dell streets and includes restaurants, bars, a consignment shop, and other businesses.
The Clinton String Quartet has been active for over 15 years and is based in the Syracuse area. All four members were also members of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.
The Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music for more than a half century have presented a series of concerts by variouschamber ensembles.
TheSociety for New Music, founded in 1971, is the oldestnew music organization in the state outside of New York City, and the only year-round new music group inupstate New York. The Society commissions at least one new work each year from a regional composer who awards the annual Brian Israel Prize to a promising composer under 30 years of age and produces the weekly "Fresh Ink" radio broadcast forWCNY-FM.
The Syracuse Opera Company is a professional company that generally performs three operas each season. Founded in 1963 as the Opera Chorus of theSyracuse Symphony Orchestra, it became independent in 1973. In addition to full performances, it offers several free outdoor concerts each year inArmory Square,Thornden Park, and elsewhere. The company has an annual budget of US$1 million and is the only professional opera company in upstate New York.
The Syracuse Shakespeare Festival is a charitable, educational, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to performing the works of William Shakespeare. It was founded in 2002 and is best known for its annual free Shakespeare-in-the-Park program at the Thornden Park Amphitheatre that has attracted more than 12,000 people since its inception.
Syracuse Stage presents experimental and creative theater; a number of its productions have been world premieres and have moved toBroadway.[citation needed] The venue was designed by its most famous former artistic directorArthur Storch. Its artistic director is Robert Hupp.
The Red House Arts Center, which opened in 2004, is a small theater housed in a converted hotel that offers performances by local, national, and international artists, and hosts regular exhibits in its art gallery, and screenings ofindependent films.
Syracuse is also known for a large contemporary music scene, particularly in theheavy metal,hardcore,ska, andpunk rock genres.[75][76] From 1997 to 2003, Syracuse (or its suburbs) was home toHellfest, a major hardcore music festival.
Everson Museum of Art, which opened in 1968 in a building designed byI.M. Pei, features one of the most extensive pottery collections in the United States along with works ofAmerican art, dating from the 18th century to the present. This collection includes paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography, and video.
Erie Canal Museum is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of theErie Canal and its role in Syracuse's growth.
International Mask and Puppet Museum is a museum inLittle Italy focusing on masks and puppets, the latter of which are also used in educational performances for children.
Onondaga Historical Association Museum & Research Center, at 321 Montgomery Streetdowntown, features exhibits on the past of the Syracuse region and contains historical archives relating to the area's history. Its exhibits include a presentation of the history of theUnderground Railroad.
Syracuse and Onondaga County Fire Museum, will occupy the space of the former Syracuse Fire Department fire station 4 on Wolf Street, built in the 1800s (plans announced October 2020).[77]
Onondaga County Public Library (OCPL) operates Syracuse's public libraries.[78] Including the Central Library, ten city libraries, and 21 independent libraries in suburban Onondaga County.[79] A library card from any OCPL library will work at any of the other OCPL libraries.[80]
TheSyracuse City School District, which covers the entire city limits,[83] consists of 34 schools and 4 alternative education programs.[84] In the 2014–2015 school year, the K-12 enrollment was 20,084.[85] 15% of students were classified as English Language Learners, 20% as students with disabilities, and 77% as economically disadvantaged.[85] The drop-out rate was 6%.[85] Syracuse City School District is collaborating withSay Yes to Education with the goal of every public school student graduating high school with the preparation and support to attain, afford, and complete a college or other postsecondary education.[86] They are also one of the "Big 5", which consists of the five New York State School districts with populations over 125,000.[87] "Big 5" school budgets are approved by annually by the Board of Education and city government as opposed to voters in an annual vote.[87]
One of Syracuse's major research universities isSyracuse University, located onUniversity Hill. It had an enrollment of 22,484 for the 2017–2018 academic year.[88]Immediately adjacent to Syracuse University are two doctoral-degree granting universities, theSUNY Upstate Medical University andSUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Both institutions have long-standing ties to Syracuse University. Upstate Medical University is also one of Syracuse's major research universities and is one of only about 125 academic medical centers in the country. The medical university directly generates 10,959 jobs, making it Central New York's largest employer.[60] In addition, theNorton College of Medicine at SUNY Upstate is the onlymedical school in the Central New York region providing state of the art education to over 700+ students.
The City of Syracuse maintains over 170 parks, fields, and recreation areas, totaling over 1,000 acres (4.0 km2).[89]Burnet Park includes the first public golf course in the United States (1901) andRosamond Gifford Zoo. Other major parks includeThornden Park, Schiller Park, Sunnycrest Park,Onondaga Park and Kirk Park. There are 12 public pools, two public ice rinks (Sunnycrest and Meachem), and two public nine-hole golf courses (Burnet and Sunycrest Parks) in the city. Onondaga Park, located in the historic Strathmore neighborhood, features Hiawatha Lake, and a beautiful gazebo, often used for prom photos and wedding shoots.
Right outside the city proper, along the east side and north end ofOnondaga Lake, isOnondaga Lake Park. The adjacent Onondaga Lake Parkway is closed to vehicular traffic several hours on Sundays during the summer months, so it can be used for walking, running, biking, and rollerblading. During the holiday season, the park hosts Lights on the Lake, a two-mile (3.2 km) drive-through light show.
Syracuse University sports are by far the most attended sporting events in the Syracuse area. Basketball games often draw over 30,000 fans, and football games over 40,000. The university has bred dozens of famous professional players since starting an athletics program in the late nineteenth century, including all-time greatsErnie Davis,Jim Brown,Larry Csonka andDave Bing. Both teams play in theJMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse City HallCounty Courthouse at Columbus Circle
The city is headed by an electedmayor who is limited to two four-year terms. Syracuse has aStrong mayor-council form of government. On November 7, 2017,Ben Walsh was elected mayor. He began in January 2018 as the first independent mayor of Syracuse in over 100 years.[90] The last independent mayor of Syracuse was Louis Will, who was elected in 1913. The previous mayor was former Common Councilor at LargeStephanie Miner, who was elected on November 3, 2009; she was the first female mayor of Syracuse. Miner was preceded by former Syracuse Common Council PresidentMatthew Driscoll,[91] who first assumed the position in 2001 after the former mayor,Roy Bernardi, resigned upon his appointment by PresidentGeorge W. Bush to a position in theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development. After serving the remaining term, Driscoll was re-elected that year, and again in 2005.
The Onondaga County Supreme and County Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction for Syracuse. It is also the administrative court for the Fifth District of theNew York State Unified Court System. Judges for these courts are elected at-large.
Syracuse.com is the most popular local media site in Central New York, according to ComScore, with an average of 3.98 Million unique users. Advance Media NY is the home of syracuse.com, which also produces the local newspaper,The Post-Standard. The two media units combined reach 422,000 in the Syracuse DMA, according to Nielsen, 2022. Advance Media NY is a digital media and marketing agency which helps businesses tell their stories in print, digital and visuals.
According toNielsen Media Research, Syracuse is the fifth largest television market in New York State and the 87th largest in the United States (as of the 2020–2021 TV season).[95] Six major full-power stations serve the city:WSTM-TV 3 (NBC),WTVH 5 (CBS),WSYR-TV 9 (ABC),WCNY-TV 24/cable 11 (PBS),WSPX-TV 56/cable 4 (Ion), andWSYT 68/cable 8 (Fox). WSTM-TV also operates the area'sCW affiliate on its DT2 subchannel and cable channel 6, and WSYT carries theMyNetworkTV affiliation on channel 43 and cable channel 7; both stations were previouslyseparately-licensed stations before having their licenses returned to theFCC.
Syracuse University's student-run TV station isCitrusTV. CitrusTV programming is broadcast on the university campus on the Orange Television Network.
Syracuse's cable television provider isCharter Spectrum (Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable in 2016), which, as a part of its regular and digital offerings, provides a 24-hour local news channel (Spectrum News Central New York),public access channel, and an additionalPBS channel. Several suburbs also have access toVerizon Fios for cable television.Dish Network andDirecTV also provide local satellite television subscribers with local broadcast stations.
Syracuse has one major daily morning newspaper,The Post-Standard. Until 2001, Syracuse also had an evening paper,The Herald-Journal. It focuses on local news throughout Central New York, and has a reporter in Washington, DC.
Before the merger with the evening paper, thePost-Standard was named among the "10 best newspapers in America with a circulation of under 100,000" byAl Neuharth ofUSA Today (run by a competing organization). Since the merger, circulation has increased to over 120,000. Even outside of its four-county delivery area, the paper is available in many convenience stores and supermarkets from theCanada–US border to the New York–Pennsylvania border. The newspaper partly caters to this audience as well, covering many stories from theIthaca,Utica, andWatertown areas. Since opening a new printing press in 2002, the paper calls itself "America's Most Colorful Newspaper", as almost every page contains color.
There are other popular free newspapers, includingEagle Newspaper's downtown edition, theCity Eagle, andTable Hopping, which focuses on the restaurant and entertainment scene. Additionally, a weekly newspaper, CNY Vision, publishes news and information focusing on Syracuse's African American community.
A Hispanic-based monthly publication, called the CNY Latino newspaper, is published in Syracuse by the CNY Latino Media Consortium in both paper and online formats, and covers an area from Rochester to Albany and Watertown to Binghamton.
The Syracuse area is covered in a regional lifestyle publication calledThe Good Life, Central New York Magazine, mostly known asCentral New York Magazine. The magazine is bi-monthly (six issues per year) and offers print + digital and digital only subscriptions; it covers the greater Syracuse and Central New York area.
Central New York Magazine premiered in May 2006 and tells "positive and uniquely CNY stories". Coverage areas include local shops and small businesses, regional travel destinations, food and drink, home décor, attractions and things to do, artisans, changemakers, and area trends.
In 2005, local millionaire Tom McDonald proposed anaerial tramway system, called Salt City Aerial Transit (S.C.A.T.), to link the university to the transportation center. The first segment from Syracuse University to downtown was estimated to cost $5 million, which McDonald planned to raise himself. Due to perceived low operating costs, the system was envisioned as running continuously.[97]
The Empire Service runs twice daily in each direction betweenNiagara Falls, NY andNew York Penn Station, with major stops inBuffalo,Rochester, Syracuse,Utica, andAlbany along the way. The Maple Leaf runs once daily in each direction, and follows the same route as the Empire Service, however instead of terminating in Niagara Falls, it continues on to Toronto.
The Lake Shore Limited runs once daily in each direction betweenChicago andBoston or New York City (via two sections splittingAlbany-Rensselaer). It follows the same route as the Empire Service and Maple Leaf between New York City andBuffalo-Depew, where it diverges and continues on throughCleveland andToledo to Chicago.
A regional commuter rail service,OnTrack, was active from 1994 until it was discontinued in 2007 due to low ridership. Its sole route connected theCarousel Center to southern Syracuse, often extending toJamesville in the summer.
Greyhound Lines,Megabus,OurBus, andTrailways provide long-distance bus service to destinations including New York City, Boston, Buffalo, Albany, and Toronto. Greyhound, Megabus, and Trailways use theWilliam F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center in the northern area of the city, while OurBus stops near the campus of Syracuse University.
Syracuse is served by theSyracuse Hancock International Airport in nearbySalina, nearMattydale. The airport is named afterClarence E. Hancock, a former US Congressman representing Syracuse. The airport is served by 8 major airlines, which provide non-stop flights to important airline hubs and business centers such asAtlanta,Boston,Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit,Denver,Ft. Lauderdale,New York City,Orlando,Philadelphia,Tampa, Washington, DC, as well as connecting service to 147 foreign cities in 87 countries. Cargo carriersFedEx andUPS also serve the airport.New York City can be reached in under an hour flight. The City of Syracuse owns the airport and property, while a public for-benefit corporation runs the airport, the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. The airport is protected by the 174th Attack Wing's Fire Department, and patrolled by Syracuse Airport Police Department Officers.
Interstate 81 runs north–south through Syracuse, and provides access to Canada,Pennsylvania and points south. Itsdowntown portion is extremely narrow, only consisting of four lanes and few onramps. The highway was known as the Penn-Can Expressway when first built, leading to thePenn-Can Mall and other similarly named developments. It will soon be rerouted to follow I-481's route around the city instead of going through downtown. The current route will be designated as Interstate 81 Business.[98]
Interstate 690 runs east–west through the city, and provides access to Interstate 90, as well as to Syracuse's northwestern and eastern suburbs. A spur off I-690 directly west of the city,NY 695, provides freeway access to the southwestern suburbs. It meets Interstate 81 in downtown Syracuse in a highly complex and incomplete intersection. Most of its routing through the city directly replaced the former elevated rail lines of theNew York Central four-trackmainline, a fact quite notable by the city's former main rail terminal, where the freeway spans the width between the terminal and its outermost platform. In 1981, artist Duke Epolito erected sculptures of "passengers" on the single remaining passenger platform. The piece is entitled "Waiting for the Night Train".[99]
Interstate 481 forms an eastern loop around the city and continues to the northwest asNY 481 toFulton andOswego, on the shore ofLake Ontario. The highway was built to provide rapid access to eastern suburbs after the affluent community members inManlius andFayetteville squashed the original design to extendInterstate 690 to serve the eastern suburbs. The highway is soon to be replaced in designation by Interstate 81.[98]
Community Grid
In late May, 2023, The Community Grid project was officially approved for construction in the Syracuse. The highly controversial plan consists of removing the I-81 viaduct that runs through the downtown of the city, and replacing it with theBoulevard style Business Loop-81. The heavily congestedInterstate-81 will be re-routed around the city onto the already existingInterstate-481. This project is estimated to cost around 2.25 billion dollars, and will be completed over a multi-year process.[100] Construction has already begun in portions of North Syracuse at the I-81 and I-481 interchange.[101]
U.S. Highway 11 (Route 223 in Quebec toNew Orleans) runs north–south through Syracuse, including downtown, and it follows Salina, State, and Wolf Streets.
New York State Route 690 was built as an extension of Interstate 690 to serve the northwest suburbs of Syracuse. The route is a four-lane divided highway from its southern end at I-690, where it meets Interstate 90 (NYS Thruway), to its end northwest of Baldwinsville in Lysander atNY 48 andNY 631.
New York State Route 695 is a short state highway west of Syracuse in the village ofSolvay inOnondaga County. The number of the highway was derived from the two highways that NY 695 links, Interstate 690 and NY 5.
Public services such as garbage pickup, street plowing, sewage, and street and traffic maintenance are provided by the Department of Public Works (DPW).[102]
The Syracuse water system was one of the few water systems built and operated before federal funding. The water system was constructed mainly to support the industries around Syracuse, New York. Construction of Syracuse's water system began in 1868.[103] The water is brought in on agravity fed system fromSkaneateles Lake, through an unfiltered system, and carried into the city. It is noted for having some of the best drinking water in the nation,[104] due to the quality of the lake.
In 2015, the city experienced an average of at least onewater main break per day. Between 2005 and 2015, the city suffered 2,000 water main breaks. Mayor Stephanie Miner estimated of the cost to fix the city's water infrastructure at $1 billion over a 10–15-year period.[105] On February 25, 2015, Miner testified before a joint hearing of the state Assembly Ways and Means Committee and state Senate Finance Committee. Miner testified that the 2014 polar vortex contributed to the increase in Syracuse's water main break.[106]
On March 3, the 100th water main break in Syracuse in 2015 occurred on James Street.[107] Early in 2015, Miner lobbied the state for funding to fix the city's aging water system. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declined to help, stating that the city should improve its economy and increase tax revenues, which would enable the city to fund their own water pipe repairs.[108]
The Syracuse Police Department (SPD) is the principallaw enforcement agency of the city of Syracuse, New York.[109] For 2017–18, the police department budget was $48.5 million (equivalent to $60.9 million in 2024).[110] Effective April 22, 2022, longtime Deputy Chief Joe Cecile is Chief of the SPD, following his predecessor Kenton Buckner's retirement.[111] Police headquarters is in the John C. Dillon Public Safety Building at 511 South State Street.[112] The SPD is divided into three patrol zones North (Lakefront, Northside, Eastwood, Tip Hill), South West (Strathmore, Valley, Southside, Near-Westside), and Southeast (University Area, Downtown, Meadowbrook, Eastside).[113]
In 2019, a jury awarded Elijah Johnson $35,000 (equivalent to $43,045.03 in 2024) after he was beaten with unreasonable force by three police officers while being arrested. In addition, the city was forced to pay attorneys fees, at a total cost to taxpayers of $213,000.[114]
In 2024, Officer John Tassini was Syracuse's top paid employee earning a total of $282,000.[115]
Established in 2011, SPD operates a network of 521[116] surveillance cameras called the Criminal Observation and Protection System (COPS).[117][118] Between 2011 and 2014 more than 40 utility pole mounted cameras were installed, mainly in the Southwest and Northeast neighborhoods.[119] The cameras were funded by federal, state, and private grants. In Summer 2014, 10 cameras were approved for installation inDowntown Syracuse, the first area not targeted because of high levels of violent crime.[120] Live monitoring ofClinton Square for suspicious people during events and festivals was planned, although police agreed to a prohibition on the use of cameras to monitor protests.[121] Twenty-five additional cameras were planned to be installed in 2016.[118]
In spring 2017, the surveillance system was augmented with the installation ofShotSpotter gunshot detection sensors. Syracuse MayorStephanie Miner cited increasing public acceptance of police cameras and lower technology costs as factors in the decision.[122]
The Syracuse Fire Department (SFD) has the responsibility of protecting the City of Syracuse from fires and other dangers. The department provides multiple services in addition to fire related calls: multi-county regional HAZ-MAT response, first response to medical and trauma calls, unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) capabilities, and teams experienced in high-angle rope, swift water, and confined space rescue operations. The Chief of Fire is Michael J. Monds.[123] SFD headquarters is in the John C. Dillon Public Safety Building at 511 South State Street.[112] The department has a Class 1 rating from theInsurance Services Office, which is the best rating obtainable. This rating has a direct effect on the fire insurance of properties within the city. The SFD operates out of 11 fire stations, organized into three districts (akin to battalions), located throughout the city. The SFD currently maintains nine engine companies (operating with nine corresponding "mini" units), five truck companies, one heavy rescue company, a manpower-squad company, and several special and support units. The department also provides Aircraft Rescue and FirefightingARFF coverage and specialized fire, rescue, medical, and hazardous materials coverage to theSyracuse Hancock International Airport (station 4).
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Syracuse kept at downtown from August 1902 to April 1938,Syracuse Municipal Airport from May 1938 to September 17, 1949, and at Syracuse Hancock Int'l since September 18, 1949.[37]
^ab"State Fair History".The Great New York State Fair. New York State Government.Archived from the original on October 11, 2016. RetrievedOctober 13, 2016.
^Weiner, Mark: "Census of trees sees healthy population – Syracuse, one of Upstate's leafiest cities, is coming back after the devastating1998 Labor Day storm",Post-Standard, April 27, 2001
^"City of Syracuse".syracuse.ny.us.Archived from the original on December 3, 2016. RetrievedDecember 2, 2016.
^"xmACIS2". NOAA Regional Climate Centers.Archived from the original on August 15, 2019. RetrievedAugust 24, 2020.Use "Seasonal Time Series" or "Extremes"
^Koch, Daniel (2022). "Working-Class Germans in the Salt City: Syracuse, New York, 1860–1916".New York History.103 (2):361–376.doi:10.1353/nyh.2022.0043.S2CID257206983.
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