Formed January 1, 1799 (28th county)
Cayuga County (76,251), Auburn (26,866)
Large pillars are the major features of the 1832 Greek Revival structure. John L. Hagaman provided the building designs. This masonry building was remodeled in 1922 after a fire. It was enlarged in 1922 and restored in 1978. The courthouse is on Court Street at Genesee Street. United States Highway 20 is two blocks north of the courthouse. A County Administrative building was added in 1967. Aurora was the first county seat until 1809 when Auburn became the seat. Cayuga County split from Onondaga County on January 1, 1799 as the 28th county. The county is named for the Native American tribe. The county seat is named for Auburn, England.
Cayuga County government consists of a sheriff and 15 Legislators. One County Court Judge and One Family Court Judge serve Cayuga County. The county is in the west central part of New York. Buffalo, New York is west and Albany, New York is east of the county. It is located in the Finger Lakes area of the state. The county center is 3.8 miles North-Northeast of Auburn nearer Sennett. The county is surrounded clockwise by Canada and Oswego, Onondaga, Cortland, Tompkins, Seneca, and Wayne counties.
The area of the county is 864 square miles. It is 26 out of 62 in the state. It ranks 36 out of 62 in population in the state. It has a density of 88.3 persons per square mile making it 37 out of 62 in the state. Cayuga County has 45.8% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 90 crosses east to west in the county from Onondaga County to Seneca County. United States Highway 20 parallels Interstate Highway 90 from Onondaga to Seneca counties. Millard Fillmore, the 13th President, was born in this county. The county is shaped like a capital letter L with a smokestack added. Auburn is located in the western half of the county. Auburn is the county seat and the largest city. It is 35.2% of the county population. The county is pronounced KIE-YUE-GA. This county is in the Auburn Micropolitan Statistical Area.
