Ithaca is located in Tompkins County, 28 miles northeast of Elmira and in the Western Region of the state. It lies between Danby and Jacksonville, along Highway 96.
Ithaca was settled in 1789 and named after a Greek island. Cornell University, for which Ithaca is famous, was chartered in 1865. Ithaca was incorporated as a city in 1888. Ithaca College was founded in 1892 as a conservatory of music.
Today Ithaca, population 29,287, is well-known as an educational center. The manufacture of electronic items, and scientific instruments, automobile and engine parts, also are a part of its economy. It also is a major salt producer and an inland shipping point.
Ithaca is at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake. The Cayuga Wine Trail begins at this point and continues north along scenic Highway 89, passing several wineries along the lake's western shore. Buttermilk Falls, Taughannock Falls and Robert H. Treman state parks offer recreational opportunities.
