Chautauqua County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New York. As of 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 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.
History 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 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 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.New York. Laws of New York.;31st Session; Chapter 40; Sections1—2; Page 266. 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 was completely organized, and its separate government was launched.Doty, William J., et al. ;Historic Annals of Southwestern New York.; 3 Volumes; New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company; 1940; Volume 1; Page 360. This established Chautauqua as a county of 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.
Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (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 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 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 political scene, with the "North County" being centered on Dunkirk and the "South County" centered on Jamestown each having their own interests.Dean, Nicholas (August 30, 2009). "Legislators Cite North-South Discrepancies" , The Post-Journal, Retrieved 2009-08-30.
The county is generally composed of rolling hills and valleys, with elevations ranging anywhere between 1100 and 2100 feet, although 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 , and the highest point is Gurnsey Benchmark at .
Adjacent counties Erie County - northeast Cattaraugus County - east Warren County, Pennsylvania - south Erie County, Pennsylvania - southwest
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).
Major highways
Demographics
2020 census +Chautauqua County, New York – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)141,879134,436128,481120,463106,06396.57%94.74%91.94%89.29%83.08%Black or African American alone (NH)1,8692,2972,8202,7632,8911.27%1.62%2.02%2.05%2.26%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3575345585764970.24%0.38%0.40%0.43%0.39%Asian alone (NH)3745064936767960.25%0.36%0.35%0.50%0.62%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census293149xx0.02%0.02%0.04%Other race alone (NH)18067187903630.12%0.05%0.13%0.07%0.28%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census1,2812,0655,229xx0.92%1.53%4.10%Hispanic or Latino (any race)2,2664,0555,9018,24111,7691.54%2.86%4.22%6.11%9.22%Total146,925141,895139,750134,905127,657 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
2000 census As of the 2000 census, there were 139,750 people, 54,515 households, and 35,979 families in the county. The population density was . There were 64,900 housing units at an average density of . 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 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 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 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 was . 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 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.
Government and politics All of 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 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 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 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 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 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.Post Journal
+ Chautauqua County Executives Name Party Term Joseph Gerace Democratic January 1, 1975 – May 10, 1983 David Dawson (acting) Democratic May 10, 1983 – November 25, 1983 John A. Glenzer Republican November 25, 1983 – December 31, 1989 Andrew W. Goodell Republican January 1, 1990 – December 31, 1997 Mark W. Thomas Democratic January 1, 1998 – December 31, 2005 Gregory J. Edwards Republican January 1, 2006 – November 15, 2013 Stephen M. Abdella (acting) UKN November 15, 2013 – December 31, 2013 Vincent W. Horrigan Republican January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2017 George M. Borrello Republican January 1, 2018 – November 26, 2019 Stephen M. Abdella (acting) UKN November 26, 2019 – December 31, 2019 Paul J. Wendel Republican January 1, 2020 – present
+ Chautauqua County Legislature District Legislator Party 1 Kevin Muldowney Republican 2 Robert Bankoski Democratic 3 Bob Scudder Republican 4 Christine Starks Democratic 5 Terry Niebel Republican 6 Thomas R. Harmon Republican 7 Mark Odell Republican 8 Pierre Chagnon Chairman Republican 9 Chuck Nazzaro Democratic 10 Ken Lawton Republican 11 Robert Whitney Democratic 12 Elisabeth Rankin Republican 13 Paul Whitford Democratic 14 Daniel Pavlock Republican 15 Lisa Vanstrom Republican 16 John Davis Republican 17 Frank Jay Gould Republican 18 Bill Ward Republican 19 John Hemmer Republican
New York State Assembly 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.