The Twin Tiers are the collective counties that lie on the New York–Pennsylvania border on either side of the 42nd parallel north . The region is predominantly rural and contains many small towns.
62-735: Separately, the two halves of the Twin Tiers region are known as the Southern Tier region in the state of New York and the Northern Tier region in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania . The "Northern" and "Southern" designations are relative to the states in which they are located, not relative to each other. The Twin Tiers region is usually defined as including these counties: McKean, Potter, and (less often) Cameron Counties refer to themselves as part of
124-501: A county executive and a 13-seat county legislature. The county council currently consists of 19 members each elected from single-member districts. As of 2024, there are 14 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Prior to changes in representation of the New York State Assembly , each county had a given number of representatives. The following were representatives of Chautauqua County. Jamestown Community College has two campuses in
186-638: A PGA Tour event, the B.C. Open , from 1971 until 2006. It then became the Dick's Sporting Goods Open which is a PGA Tour Champions event still played each summer. Binghamton has a AA baseball team, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies , and a Federal Prospects Hockey League franchise, the Binghamton Black Bears . Depending on the boundary definition, Watkins Glen International Speedway , a NASCAR and Indy Racing League sanctioned road racing track,
248-544: A female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.10% of households were one person and 12.60% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99. The age distribution was 24.50% under the age of 18, 10.30% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males. The median household income
310-576: A route from Binghamton to New York City through Scranton, Pennsylvania : a route that could at least partially be upgraded for high-speed rail. As of 2011, the highest priority for high-speed rail projects in New York is in the Empire Corridor , of which no part crosses the Southern Tier. The hilly terrain of the Southern Tier's I-86 corridor is not ideal for high-speed rail service, especially compared to
372-467: Is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate region of New York State , geographically situated along or very near the state border with Pennsylvania . Definitions of the region vary widely, but generally encompass counties surrounding the Binghamton and Elmira - Corning metropolitan areas . This region is adjacent to the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania, and both these regions together are known as
434-687: Is also a major part of the economy. Leading products are dairy, vegetables, orchard fruit and wine grapes (the last of which typically grows only on the fringes of the Southern Tier, as the inland areas tend to not have a long enough growing season to support it). In addition, two prominent microbreweries , the Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York and the Ellicottville Brewing Company in Ellicottville , operate in
496-563: Is also known as the Pennsylvania Wilds . Erie County, Pennsylvania , and Warren County, Pennsylvania , are almost never considered part of the Twin Tiers, though portions of Warren County are occasionally associated with the rest of the region. The region was historically a disputed territory in the history of the United States prior to its founding. The Northern Tier was claimed by Pennsylvania Colony and Connecticut Colony , while
558-621: Is located in the Southern Tier region. From 2000 to 2017, Elmira had a professional ice hockey team in the Elmira Jackals . They played in the United Hockey League from 2000 to 2007 and the ECHL for the franchise's remaining years. The Jackals were replaced by a new Federal Hockey League franchise called the Elmira Enforcers from 2018 to 2021. The last minor league baseball team in
620-470: Is not a legally defined region. Due to this, various neighboring counties can be included in the region, while counties near other regions of New York State may be excluded. For example, some organizations consider Delaware County , Otsego County , Schoharie County and Cortland County to reside in the Southern Tier. The Encyclopedia of New York State lists only Chautauqua County , Cattaraugus County , Allegany County , and Steuben County as part of
682-565: Is served by three regional airports . Elmira-Corning Regional Airport has routes to Atlanta , Washington D.C. , Detroit , and several destinations in Florida . The Greater Binghamton Airport offers Delta Airlines flights to Detroit. Chautauqua County-Jamestown Airport connects to Pittsburgh via Essential Air Service . Bus service is provided along the entire I-86/NY 17 corridor by Coach USA 's Shortline /Erie services from Jamestown to New York City and Buffalo , and Trailways connects
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#1732851189983744-501: Is the birthplace of IBM and flight simulation . In addition, other factories in the region make military aircraft, televisions, furniture, metal forgings and machine tools. The area includes the northern extent of the Marcellus Formation and natural gas. Crude oil and oil sands continue to be extracted from Southern Tier wells as they have for over a century. There is significant debate about allowing hydraulic fracturing of
806-474: The 2000 census , there were 139,750 people, 54,515 households, and 35,979 families in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile (51 people/km ). There were 64,900 housing units at an average density of 61 per square mile (24/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 94.04% White, 2.18% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.73% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. 4.22% of
868-476: The 2010 Census . 92.9% spoke English and 4.1% Spanish as their first language. The age distribution was 21.83% of the population under the age of 18, 3.82% (5,155 people) ages 18 and 19, 7.50% (10,113 people) ages 20–24, 10.37% (13,985 people) ages 25–34, 18.83% (25,406 people) ages 35–49, 21.07% (28,419 people) ages 50–64, and 16.59% (22,381 people) over the age of 65. Of the population, 49.3% (66,509 people) were male and 50.7% (68,396 people) were female. All of
930-512: The 2020 census , the population was 127,657. Its county seat is Mayville , and its largest city is Jamestown . Its name is believed to be the lone surviving remnant of the Erie language , a tongue lost in the 17th century Beaver Wars ; its meaning is unknown and a subject of speculation. The county was created in 1808 and organized in 1811. The county is part of the Western New York region of
992-830: The Allegheny River in the western Southern Tier. The Southern Tier makes up the northernmost portion of Appalachia and lies on the Allegheny Plateau . It is defined on its western boundary by the Chautauqua Ridge in Chautauqua County, and including this ridge and extending eastward across the northern bounds of the region, the continental divide between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watersheds exists. The Eastern Continental Divide runs directly through
1054-536: The American Civil War . The railroad and available fuel from the region's dense forests attracted Corning Glass Works to Steuben County in 1868. The region became home to prosperous farms and small factory towns (with the exception of larger Binghamton) during the first half of the 20th century. But declines in U.S. manufacturing hit the region hard and it suffered even more than other parts of upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania . The region's addition to
1116-697: The American Revolutionary War and the ratification of The Treaty of Canandaigua , between the United States and the Council of the Six Nations. It was officially separated from Genesee County on March 11, 1808. This partition was performed under the same terms that produced Cattaraugus and Niagara counties. The partition was done for political purposes, but the counties were not properly organized for self-government, so they were all administered as part of Niagara County . On February 9, 1811, Chautauqua
1178-612: The Appalachian Regional Commission , often credited to the influence of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy , provided economic stimulus over the last 40 years. Government funds built the Southern Tier Expressway, highway links to the New York State Thruway , encouraged the growth of state colleges at Wellsville, Alfred and Binghamton and sought with mixed success to attract business interests relocating from
1240-561: The Chautauqua Ridge , can be used to mark the border between the Southern Tier and the Niagara Frontier . It is also a significant dividing point in the county's geopolitics , with the "North County" being centered on Dunkirk and the "South County" centered on Jamestown each having their own interests. The county is generally composed of rolling hills and valleys, with elevations ranging anywhere between 1100 and 2100 feet, although
1302-639: The New York Metropolitan Area and urban Western New York. For two decades, the region has tried to remake itself as a tourist destination and relocation area for retirees from big Northeastern cities. Meanwhile, agriculture and manufacturing struggle to compete regionally and globally. Binghamton University (the State University of New York-Binghamton) is one of the SUNY system's four University Centers . Other 4-year and graduate institutions within
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#17328511899831364-724: The Olean Times Herald , the Salamanca Press , The Post-Journal of Jamestown, and The Observer of Dunkirk. The Tribune, Reporter and Leader are all owned by GateHouse Media ; Gannett Company owns the Star-Gazette and Press & Sun-Bulletin. The Southern Tier has an eclectic history of sports. From 1979 to 2009 the LPGA Corning Classic was held at the Corning Country Club. Endicott's En-Joie Golf Course hosted
1426-657: The Twin Tiers . Geographically, most of the Southern Tier resides in the Allegheny Plateau of the Appalachian Mountains , with the eastern areas of the region nestled in the western portion of the Catskill Mountains . A longtime home of the Iroquois Confederacy , European settlers moved to the region after the American Revolutionary War . The fertile yet hilly land, combined with sweeping river valleys, led
1488-464: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,500 square miles (3,900 km ), of which 1,060 square miles (2,700 km ) is land and 440 square miles (1,100 km ) (29%) is water. Chautauqua County, in the southwestern corner of New York State, along the New York- Pennsylvania border, is the westernmost of New York's counties. Chautauqua Lake is located in the center of
1550-998: The 1960s, over a dozen ski resorts resided in the Southern Tier, many in Cattaraugus County, before most of them closed due to various assorted causes by the 1980s. The Southern Tier is home to two professional symphony orchestras: the Binghamton Philharmonic in Binghamton and the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning. Binghamton also has the Binghamton Youth Symphony and the Binghamton Community Orchestra. The Tri-Cities Opera Company present full-scale operas in Binghamton. Most of
1612-547: The 29th district (the old 31st) by Rochester suburbs that had never before been part of the district. Chautauqua County, at the same time, joined southern Erie County and portions of the City of Buffalo in the 27th, areas that had also never been in the same district with each other. In both cases, the suburban additions had significantly more Democratic populations than before, leading to Democrats winning both districts, which led to accusations of cracking-based gerrymandering . Though
1674-635: The Marcellus Shale in the Southern Tier, which is currently banned in New York. Cummins engine company has a large production facility located in Jamestown, NY. The Jamestown Engine Plant, established in 1974, is one of the top five heavy-duty diesel engine producers worldwide with production in recent years typically exceeding 100,000 engines annually. The JEP also remains one of the company's largest manufacturing facilities, as it accounts for 12 percent of Cummins' total engine production in 2012. Agriculture
1736-461: The Republican Party has historically been dominant in Chautauqua County politics, the county had been a perfect bellwether county from 1980 to 2008, correctly voting for the winner of each presidential election in all eight elections during that time. However, in 2012, it voted for Republican Mitt Romney even as Democrat Barack Obama won re-election, marking its first miss since 1976. In 2016
1798-610: The Southern Tier is either served by the Elmira-Corning television market or the Binghamton television market. Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties are out of these stations' ranges, however, and are instead served by the Buffalo and Erie television markets. Two stations (more-or-less independent WVTT-CD and Retro Television Network owned-and-operated translator WBUO-LD ) are licensed to Olean but serve Buffalo in practice. The Olean, Elmira-Corning, and Binghamton radio markets directly serve
1860-572: The Southern Tier was claimed by Pennsylvania, Province of Massachusetts Bay , and New York Colony . Various treaties and land sales eventually placed the Northern Tier in Pennsylvania's hands and the Southern Tier in New York's. The region's name originated in 1968 as part of a marketing campaign in the Elmira Star-Gazette that used twins. Southern Tier The Southern Tier
1922-655: The Southern Tier west of Binghamton, the Jamestown Jammers , relocated out of the area in 2016, ending an era in which the New York–Penn League featured pro teams in Jamestown, Olean, Wellsville, Hornell, Corning, Elmira and Oneonta over the course of its history; collegiate summer baseball still thrives in the region in the form of the New York Collegiate Baseball League and Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League , both with multiple teams in
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1984-451: The Southern Tier with Buffalo , Dubois (at the western end in Salamanca), Sunbury / Lock Haven (at Elmira), and Syracuse , Albany and Harrisburg (at Binghamton). A somewhat-unorganized network of municipally-operated public transportation services operate local and limited intercity bus services between Salamanca and Elmira. Until the demise of long-distance passenger rail service in
2046-694: The Southern Tier, and the Ithaca market indirectly serves some of the area. Seven Mountains Media is the dominant broadcaster in Olean and Elmira-Corning. iHeartMedia and Cumulus Media own station clusters only in Binghamton. Notable newspapers include The Leader of Corning, the Elmira Star-Gazette , the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin , Hornell Evening Tribune, the Wellsville Daily Reporter,
2108-423: The Southern Tier, with anything east of that being considered Central New York . Other definitions define it as comprising the combined Corning-Elmira-Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Areas , which includes Steuben, Chemung, Tioga and Broome Counties but not Chautauqua, Cattaraugus or Allegany, which are considered Western New York . The New York State Division of Local Government Services presently classifies
2170-662: The Southern Tier. The Southern Tier is generally hilly without being mountainous (with the exception of the Catskill mountains). This can range from low rolling hills to more steep and rugged cliffs and valleys. The highest point in western New York is Alma Hill in Allegany County near the Steuben County line in the Southern Tier. Both the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers flow through the Southern Tier in their upper reaches, as does
2232-495: The Twin Tiers, but almost never consider themselves part of the Northern Tier, instead going by the name "Northern Pennsylvania". Significant ambiguity often exists in regions: for instance, the western part of the region (McKean and Potter Counties) often associate themselves with St. Marys , a city larger than any city in that area, but in Elk County , just south of what is considered "Northern Tier" by any standard. This broader area
2294-495: The United States in the 1950s and 1960s, the Erie Railroad operated passenger trains in the region, with Chicago, Illinois as the western terminus and Jersey City, New Jersey as the eastern terminus, with ferry connections to New York City . The last Erie Lackawanna passenger train, the "Lake Cities", ran on January 6, 1970. Amtrak currently does not serve the area. Proposals for high-speed rail in New York have included
2356-571: The construction of the railroads that would supplant them. Plans to connect these canals to the Pennsylvania Canal system, thus making them much more than feeders to the Erie Canal, never came to fruition. Railroads did arrive and the Erie Railroad , which followed the water-level of the Allegheny, Susquehanna and Delaware watersheds, accelerated industrial progress in the region about the time of
2418-753: The core counties include Cornell University , Hartwick College , Ithaca College , SUNY Colleges in Cortland and Oneonta , Jamestown Community College , Fredonia , and Tompkins Cortland Community College . The Southern Tier Expressway – Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17 – serves the Southern Tier. The highway is the region's major corridor and connects to U.S. Route 219 in Salamanca, Interstate 390 in Bath, Interstate 99 in Corning, U.S. Route 220 in Waverly, and Interstates 81 and 88 in Binghamton. The region
2480-463: The core counties include St. Bonaventure University , Alfred University , Elmira College , and Houghton College . Technical and community colleges include Alfred State College , Broome Community College , Corning Community College , and the State University of New York at Delhi . The region is also home to E.B.I. Career College, a vocational school . Institutions of higher learning outside
2542-409: The county also rejoined the former 31st (renumbered again as the 23rd) congressional district along with Cattaraugus and Allegany Counties. Prior to 2013, the county was part of New York's 27th congressional district . Prior to 2003, the county was part of New York's 31st congressional district , but it was controversially redistricted out of that district and into what was the 27th, and was replaced in
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2604-485: The county at Jamestown and Dunkirk. The State University of New York at Fredonia is located in the northern part of the county. Jamestown Business College offered two year degrees, certificates, and a four-year degree in Jamestown, prior to its decision to cease new enrollments in 2024. † - county seat †† - former village Joyce Carol Oates ' 1996 novel, We Were the Mulvaneys is set in rural Chautauqua County, near
2666-467: The county is in the 150th New York State Assembly district, represented by Andy Goodell , and the New York State Senate 57th district represented by George Borrello . The entire county is within the bounds of New York's 23rd congressional district which is represented by Nick Langworthy . The 2012 redistricting process moved all of Chautauqua County into Goodell's assembly district, while
2728-405: The county reverted back to being solidly Republican, as Donald Trump won the county by the largest margin since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Chautauqua County is one of nineteen “charter counties” in New York, which grants the county greater leeway in conducting its own affairs. A board of supervisors governed Chautauqua County until 1975, when a new county charter went into effect with provisions for
2790-686: The county, and Lake Erie is its northern border. Part of the Eastern Continental Divide runs through Chautauqua County. The area that drains into the Conewango Creek (including Chautauqua Lake) eventually empties into the Gulf of Mexico; the rest of the county's watershed empties into Lake Erie and via Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway into the North Atlantic Ocean. This divide, known as
2852-437: The exception of Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua Counties, which are in area code 716 or area code 585 . As of 2023, the westernmost portion of the Southern Tier is located in New York's 23rd congressional district , and the easternmost portion is located in New York's 19th congressional district . The ZIP code prefixes 147 (Jamestown region), 148 – 149 (Elmira region), and 137 – 139 (Binghamton region) are set aside for
2914-406: The following fourteen counties as members of the Southern Tier: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins. This definition corresponds to the same 14 counties in New York State that are members of the Appalachian Regional Commission formed in 1963. Much of the Southern Tier is in area code 607 , with
2976-414: The land within a few miles of Lake Erie is generally flat and at an elevation of 1000 feet or lower. The lowest point in the county is Lake Erie, at 571 feet (174 meters), and the highest point is Gurnsey Benchmark at 2,180 feet (660 meters). Chautauqua County is one of the few counties in the US to border two counties of the same name in different states (Erie County in New York and Pennsylvania). As of
3038-405: The more-level corridor to the north between Albany and Buffalo. There was an attempt at a Genesee Valley Canal in the western half, and in the eastern half, the Chemung and Chenango Canals did connect the Erie Canal to Elmira and Binghamton respectively. Beset by financial and technical difficulties, the latter two canals nonetheless were important catalysts for economic growth, and indeed for
3100-551: The people of the Iroquois Confederacy. There were major settlements along the Allegheny River in Cattaraugus County (which the Senecas acquired by defeating the Wenrohronon during the Beaver Wars in 1638) and at Painted Post in Steuben County, at what is today the northeast side of Corning, New York. The Seneca Nation has a reservation today along the Allegheny River and a headquarters at Salamanca . There are also Native lands (with no current Native residents) on Cuba Lake in Allegany County. The colonies that eventually became
3162-468: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. In terms of ancestry, 17.3% were German , 15.1% were Italian , 11.6% were Swedish , 10.9% were English , 9.3% were Polish , 9.2% were Irish and 5.6% were of American ancestry according to Census 2000 . 93.0% spoke English and 3.8% Spanish as their first language. Of the 54,515 households 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.90% were married couples living together, 10.80% had
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#17328511899833224-422: The region to support a combination of manufacturing industries (including large companies such as IBM and Corning Inc. ) and farming, but with less development compared to neighboring subregions of Upstate. Since the 1950s, the area is often considered to be a part of the Rust Belt , as manufacturing jobs have left the region. The Southern Tier is commonly considered to consist of 8 counties: The Southern Tier
3286-421: The region, and Town Team Baseball also operated in the form of the Southwestern New York Men's Baseball League from 2014 to 2016. Only one major league franchise has ever resided in the Southern Tier: the professional basketball team Elmira Colonels , which played from 1952 to 1953. Chautauqua County, New York Chautauqua County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New York . As of
3348-430: The region, in Steuben County. The Southern Tier is more linked, geographically, with Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River valley than it is with the remainder of New York State. Population of the Southern Tier came primarily from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and downstate New York ("Yorkers"). In contrast, the inhabitants of upper New York State came from New England ("Yankees"). The Southern Tier has long been home to
3410-424: The relatively flat and straight land in the Empire Corridor. Government services are the largest employer in the area. Of second and declining importance is manufacturing. The region's manufacturing economy has suffered for decades, but factories are found in the region's larger communities. Fortune 500 materials maker Corning Inc. is headquartered in Steuben County. Broome County has a large high-tech industry and
3472-414: The state. Chautauqua County comprises the Jamestown– Dunkirk – Fredonia , NY Micropolitan Statistical Area . It is located south east of Lake Erie and includes a small portion of the Cattaraugus Reservation of the Seneca. Prior to European colonization, most of what is now Chautauqua County was inhabited by the indigenous Erie people prior to the Beaver Wars in the 1650s. French forces traversed
3534-514: The states of New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania all laid claim to the Southern Tier at various points in the 17th and 18th centuries, while not making any significant attempt to settle the territory. The region was quickly settled by whites after the Revolutionary War, when settlers were again allowed west of the Appalachian divide. The Southern Tier shared in the economic growth of the early 19th century, but its hilly terrain made it less suitable to canal-building, and later, railroading, than
3596-400: The territory beginning in 1615. The Seneca Nation conquered the territory during the Beaver Wars and held it through the next century until siding with the British crown, their allies for most of the 18th century, against the American revolutionaries in the American Revolutionary War . Chautauqua County was organized by the state legislature during the development of western New York after
3658-506: The western Southern Tier. The western and northern edges of the Southern Tier are known as ski country , and the hilly terrain (that forms a continental divide known as the Chautauqua Ridge) is notorious for frequent and heavy lake effect snow . As a result, Ellicottville has become a "ski town" with both the Holimont and Holiday Valley resorts in the vicinity; the two resorts draw numerous tourists, particularly from Canada , for which U.S. Route 219 provides easy access. At its peak in
3720-417: Was $ 33,458 and the median family income was $ 41,054. Males had a median income of $ 32,114 versus $ 22,214 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 16,840. About 9.70% of families and 13.80% of the population were below the poverty line , including 19.30% of those under age 18 and 8.20% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 census , there were 134,905 people in the county. The population density
3782-616: Was 127 people per square mile (49 people/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 92.57% (124,875 people) white, 2.37% (3,197 people) African-American, 0.51% (688 people) Asian, 0.51% (689 people) Native American/Alaskan, 0.03% (34 people) Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.98% (2,669 people) other, and 2.04% (2,751 people) two or more races. The Hispanic/Latino population of any race was 6.11% (8,241 people). In terms of ancestry, 25% were German , 16% were Italian , 12.8% were Swedish , 16% were English , 10.6% were Polish , 14.9% were Irish and 3.2% were of American ancestry according to
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#17328511899833844-424: Was completely organized, and its separate government was launched. This established Chautauqua as a county of 1,100 square miles (2,800 square kilometres) of land. Chautauqua has not been altered since. The first New York Chautauqua Assembly was organized in 1874 by Methodist minister John Heyl Vincent and businessman Lewis Miller in the county at a campsite on the shores of Chautauqua Lake . According to
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