Cortland, New York
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland CountyGR6.
The City of Cortland is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville. Interstate 81 and US Route 11 pass through the city.
The State University of New York at Cortland is on the west side of the city.
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[edit] History
The City of Cortland, settled in 1791, was made a village in 1853, and was incorporated in 1900 as the 41st city in the State of New York. When the county was formed in 1808, Cortland vied with other villages for the status of becoming the county seat. The City of Cortland is the county seat of Cortland County. Cortland contains the campus of SUNY Cortland (formerly a teachers' Normal College) within its limits.
Known as the "Crown City" because of its location on a plain formed by the convergence of seven valleys, Cortland is situated about 1,130 feet (344 m) above sea level, making it the uppermost city to crown the state. 40 stars, representing the 40 cities incorporated before Cortland, circle the State of New York and Crown on the Official City Seal. The seven points of the Crown create seven valleys depicting Cortland's seven surrounding valleys. The 41st star in the center of the Crown illustrates Cortland as the closest incorporated City to the geographic center of New York.
Alton B. Parker, the Democratic candidate for President in 1904, was born in Cortland on May 14, 1852.
[edit] Geography
The Tioughnioga River flows past the city, and Interstate highway 81 passes through the northeast side of the community.
Cortland is located at (42.600658, -76.181284)GR1. Cortland lies between Syracuse, New York and Binghamton, New York.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.2 km² (3.9 mi²). 10.2 km² (3.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.51%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 18,740 people, 6,922 households, and 3,454 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,845.8/km² (4,778.6/mi²). There were 7,550 housing units at an average density of 743.6/km² (1,925.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.72% White, 1.56% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.56% from other races, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
There were 6,922 households out of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.7% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.1% were non-families. 36.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 18.3% under the age of 18, 28.4% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 16.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,478, and the median income for a family was $39,167. Males had a median income of $29,857 versus $21,614 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,267. About 13.9% of families and 24.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 15.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Trivia
Famed heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald Padavona), who sang with (among others) Rainbow and Black Sabbath and now fronts his own band, grew up in Cortland, though he was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. A street in Cortland is named for him.
Actor Kevin James played football at SUNY Cortland.
The 1981 Crescent Corsett Babe Ruth League baseball team is still regarded as the finest to ever play in Cortland County.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official website for SUNY Cortland College
- Official City Site of Cortland NY
- Early history of Cortland area
- Cortland business guide
- Information on the City of Cortland
- Job Search Engine for Cortland and Central New York
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
