Chemung

Formed March 29, 1836 (57^th county)

Chemung County (84,152), Elmira (26,516)

The white brick facility was erected in 1861.  The courthouse is on Williams Street at Market Street.  New York State Highway 352 is one block to the northwest of the courthouse.  The architect is Horatio Nelson White.  A separate Clerk’s office (1894) and Treasurer’s office (1832) support the courthouse.  The county was separated from Tioga County on March 29, 1836 as the 57^th county.  Elmira has always been the county seat.  The county’s name is Native American for “big horn.”  Elmira is name for the daughter of a settler. 

Chemung County government consists of an administrator, a sheriff, a comptroller, an attorney, an assessor, and a clerk (executive).  It has 15 Legislators (legislative.)  One County Court Judge and One Family Court Judge serve Chemung County (judicial.)  Chemung County is on the southern border with Pennsylvania.  Buffalo, New York is northwest and New York City, New York is southeast of the county.  The county center is 4.5 miles North-Northeast of Elmira nearer Elmira Heights.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tompkins and Tioga counties and Pennsylvania and Steuben and Schuyler counties. 

The area of the county is 411 square miles.  It is 50 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 32 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 204.7 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 62 in the state.  Chemung County has 45.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 86 originates in the county and goes west into Steuben County.  The county is a very fat C lying on its back.  Elmira is located in the southwest quarter of the county.  Elmira is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 31.5% of the county population.  The county is pronounced CHEE-MUNG.  The county seat is pronounced EL-MIE-RA.  This county is in the Elmira Metropolitan Statistical Area.