Tioga

Formed February 16, 1791 (20^th county)

Tioga County (48,461), Owego (3,656), Waverly (4,406)

The red brick Italianate building was built in 1872 and renovated in 1931.  The structure is located on Court Street between Front and Main streets.  New York State Highway 17 is one block south of the site.  Miles F. Howe provided the designs.  A County Clerk’s Office/Annex supports the courthouse.  Tioga County was created from Montgomery County on February 16, 1791 as the 20^th county.  There were also 1810 and 1823 versions of the courthouse.  Chemago (1791), Spencer (1810), and Owego (1836) have all been the county seat.  The county name is Native American for “at the forks.”  The county seat is also Native American for “where the valley widens.” 

Tioga County government consists of a sheriff and 9 Legislators.  One County Court Judge serves Tioga County.  The county is on the southern border with Pennsylvania.  Albany, New York is northeast and New York City, New York is southeast of the county.  The county center is 6.5 miles West-Northwest of Owego nearer Tioga Center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Cortland and Broome counties and Pennsylvania and Chemung and Tompkins counties. 

The area of the county is 523 square miles.  It is 44 out of 62 in the state.  It ranks 47 out of 62 in population in the state.  It has a density of 92.7 persons per square mile making it 35 out of 62 in the state.  Tioga County has 22.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  There are no Interstates or United States Highways in the county.  Tioga County is shaped like a house with two chimneys on the eastern roof.  Owego is located in the southeast quarter of the county.  Waverly is in the southwest corner of the county.  Owego is the county seat and Waverly is the largest city.  Owego is 7.5% of the county population while Waverly is 9.1% of the county population.  The county is pronounced TIE-OE-GA.  The county seat is pronounced OE-WEE-GOE.  This county is in the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area.