Ithaca, city, United States

Ithaca ĭthˈəkə [key], city (2020 pop. 32,108), seat of Tompkins co., S central N.Y., at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, in the Finger Lakes region; settled 1789, inc. as a city 1888. It is important chiefly as an educational center, the seat of Cornell (including divisions of the State Univ. of New York) and Ithaca College. Manufactures include computer-controlled valves and pumps, computer hardware and software, steel, chains, sprockets, and timing belts. Ithaca is a major producer of salt in the state, and, with access to the New York State Canal System, it is an inland shipping point. Tourism in the Finger Lakes area is also important to the city's economy.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography