Introduction to Syracuse, New York
Incorporated as a village in 1824, and as a city in 1848, Syracuse is home to approximately 150,000 inhabitants. The metropolitan area, including Auburn, has a population of about 730,000. Syracuse is located in the center of New York state. It sits 35 miles southwest of Lake Ontario, and 200 miles northwest of New York City.
Syracuse lies in the homeland of the Onondaga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy. The first Europeans were French missionaries and traders who could not remain due to the Iroquois alliance with the British. Notable events in the city's history are the post-war granting of land to ex-officers of the Continental Army, discovery of salt in nearby swamps, and completion of the Erie Canal in 1825.
Total precipitation in Syracuse is about 40.5 inches per year. Snowfalls average 121.1 inches annually. Temperatures reach 90 degrees an average of eight days each summer. July average daily high and low temperatures are 81.7 and 60.1 degrees Fahrenheit. January average daily highs and lows are 31.4 and 14.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
The services and education industries are the largest employers in the Syracuse area, followed by the utilities and manufacturing industries. The largest businesses include:
- Syracuse University
- State University of New York Upstate Medical University
- National Grid
- Wegmans Food Markets
- Oneida Nation and Oneida Nation Enterprises
- St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center
- Magna International
- Verizon Communications
Arts and Leisure
Syracuse cultural, historical and leisure attractions include:
- The Syracuse University Art Collection
- The Everson Museum of Art
- The Community Folk Art Center
- The Onondaga Civic Symphony Orchestra
- The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra
- The Syracuse Opera
- The Central New York Ballet
- The Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)
- The Erie Canal Museum
- The Salt Museum
- The Onondaga Historical Association Museum
Syracuse sports teams include:
- The Syracuse SkyChiefs, a Triple-A baseball club of the International League affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays
- The Syracuse Crunch Hockey Club of the American Hockey League
- The athletic teams at Syracuse University which compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference