Ithaca, New York
Ithaca (/ˈɪθəkə/) is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named after the Greek island of Ithaca.[3] As of 2020, the city's population was 32,108.[4]
This article is about the city of Ithaca. For the legally distinct town, see Ithaca (town), New York.
Ithaca, New York
United States
New York
1790
1888
Common Council
6.07 sq mi (15.72 km2)
5.39 sq mi (13.96 km2)
0.68 sq mi (1.77 km2)
24.581 sq mi (63.66 km2)
474.649 sq mi (1,229.34 km2)
404 ft (123 m)
32,108
5,958.06/sq mi (2,300.47/km2)
53,661
2,200/sq mi (840/km2)
105,740
220/sq mi (86/km2)
Ithacan
A college town, Ithaca is home to Cornell University, an Ivy League university,[5] and Ithaca College. Nearby is Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3), located in Dryden.[6]
Ithaca Diner
Ithaca Alley
Reputation
In addition to its liberal politics, Ithaca is commonly listed among the most culturally liberal of American small cities. In 1997, Utne Reader named Ithaca "America's most enlightened town".[95] As of 2007, according to ePodunk's Gay Index, Ithaca has a score of 231, versus a national average score of 100.[96] Like many small college towns, Ithaca has also received accolades for having a high overall quality of life.
In its earliest years, during the frontier days, what is now Ithaca was briefly known by the names "The Flats" and "Sodom,"[5][97][98] the name of the Biblical city of sin, due to its reputation as a town of "notorious immorality",[99] a place of horse racing, gambling, profanity, Sabbath-breaking and readily-available liquor. Simeon De Witt renamed the town Ithaca for Odysseus' home island in the early 19th century, though nearby Robert H. Treman State Park still contains Lucifer Falls. Ithaca is primarily known for its growing wineries and microbreweries, live music, colleges and small dairy farms.