Ontario

Formed January 1, 1789 (15^th county)

Ontario County (112,459), Canandaigua (10,575), Geneva (12,825)

The 1857 Greek Revival courthouse was remodeled and enlarged in 1908.  It is sited on Court Street between Ontario and Gorham streets.  New York State Highway 21 is one block to the west of the site.  Henry Searl designed the courthouse.  The building was renovated in 1988.  The county was established on January 1, 1789 out of Montgomery County as the 15^th county with Canandaigua as the only county seat.  There were 1794 and 1824 versions earlier.  The county is named for the lake which is Native American for “beautiful lake.”  Canandaigua is Native American for “chosen spot.”  Ontario County was the birthplace for 1 New York Governor, Myron H. Clark. 

Ontario County government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a comptroller, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 21 Legislators (legislative.)  One County Court Judge, One Family Court Judge, and One Surrogate Court Judge serve Ontario County (judicial.)  The county is in western New York.  Buffalo, New York is west and Albany, New York is east of the county.  The county center is 3.1 miles South of Canandaigua.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Wayne, Seneca, Yates, Steuben, Livingston, and Monroe counties. 

The area of the county is 662 square miles.  It is 36 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 26 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 169.9 persons per square mile making it 25 out of 62 in the state.  Ontario County has 31.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 90 crosses the county east to west from Seneca County to Monroe County.  United States Highway 20 parallels Interstate Highway 90 from Seneca County to Livingston County.  United States Highway 20 Alternate originates and exits west into Livingston County.  The county looks like the number 7 lying on its face.  Canandaigua is located in the northern third of the county.  Geneva is on the eastern border of the county and extends into Seneca County.  Canandaigua is the county seat and Geneva is the largest city.  Canandaigua is 9.4% of the county population while Geneva is 12.3% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced KAN-AN-DAE-GA.  This county is in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Rushville