Ithaca is located at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, halfway between Toronto, Canada and New York City, in south-central New York's Finger Lakes region. It is 55 miles southwest of Syracuse and 28 miles northeast of Elmira. The city and surrounding area have rolling hills, forests, deep gorges, and splendid waterfalls. Reflecting these scenic treasures, a popular local bumper sticker announces, "Ithaca is Gorges."
Ithaca's lake location helps to temper summer's heat, but in winter, which extends from October through early May, the moisture produces an abundance of snow that totals about 66 inches annually. The month with the highest average snowfall, January, averages 16.9 inches.
Area: 5 square miles (2000)
Elevation: 814 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 21.5° F; July, 68.5° F; annual average 46° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 35.3 inches of rain; 66 inches of snow