Genesee County, New York

Genesee County is a county in New York, United States, east of Buffalo and south of Rochester in the western part of the state. It had a population of 58,388 at the 2020 census and covers 493 square miles (1,280 km2) centred near 43°00′N 78°11′W.

Batavia is the county seat, and its postal code is 14020. The county has one city, thirteen towns, six incorporated villages and several unincorporated hamlets, and it lies in the Eastern time zone. Genesee County’s FIPS code is 36037.

Towns & Villages in Genesee County

Genesee County is divided into thirteen towns, each of which may contain one or more villages or hamlets. Batavia is the only city and sits mostly within, but is politically separate from, the surrounding Town of Batavia. The table below lists the city, the thirteen towns, the six incorporated villages, and the county’s better-documented hamlets. “Unincorp.” marks a hamlet with no municipal government of its own.

The old site listing carried a long tail of trailer-park names, single-intersection “corners,” and at least one entry — Cheektowasa, a garbled echo of Cheektowaga — that belongs to Erie County, not Genesee. Those unverifiable or misplaced entries have been dropped rather than republished; see the notes file for the full list.

ZIP Codes

• 14020 — Batavia (also serves the Town of Batavia)
• 14482 — Le Roy
• 14036 — Corfu
• 14125 — Oakfield
• 14416 — Bergen
• 14005 — Alexander
• 14422 — Byron (also serves South Byron)
• 14040 — Darien Center
• 14525 — Pavilion (also serves Pavilion Center)
• 14143 — Stafford
• 14056 — East Pembroke
• 14058 — Elba
• 14013 — Basom (also serves Alabama)
• 14054 — East Bethany

Bethany Center, North Pembroke and Indian Falls have no post office of their own and are served by a neighboring town’s ZIP.

Geography

Genesee County sits on the flat-to-gently-rolling Ontario Lowlands and Erie-Ontario lake plain of western New York, drained mainly by Oatka Creek, Tonawanda Creek and their tributaries. Of its 495 square miles, 493 are land and 2.4 are water. The Tonawanda Indian Reservation lies partly within the county’s northwest corner, in the towns of Alabama and Basom.

Genesee County borders Erie County to the west, Niagara County to the northwest, Orleans County to the north, Monroe County to the northeast, Livingston County to the southeast, and Wyoming County to the south.

Demographics

Genesee County had 58,388 residents at the 2020 census. The city of Batavia is the largest place with about 15,465 people, followed by the village of Le Roy at roughly 4,462. Median household income in the county runs below the New York median of $82,095, typical of the state’s smaller upstate counties. Population density is about 118 people per square mile.

Economy & Local Life

Dairy processing anchors the county’s economy: O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia is one of the region’s larger food-manufacturing employers. Batavia Downs Casino & Hotel, a harness-racing track paired with a casino, is another major local employer and draws visitors from across western New York. Genesee Community College, headquartered in Batavia, serves the county and several neighboring counties. Le Roy is known as the birthplace of Jell-O, first produced there by the Genesee Pure Food Company in the 1890s, and the village’s Jell-O Gallery museum keeps that history on display. Agriculture, including dairy and field crops, remains a fixture of the towns outside Batavia.

History

Genesee County was formed in March 1802 from part of Ontario County and organized in 1803, taking its name from a Seneca word usually translated as “the Beautiful Valley.” The county was originally far larger than today, and several present-day western New York counties were later split from it. Batavia became a national flashpoint in September 1826, when local stonemason and disaffected Freemason William Morgan disappeared after threatening to publish the fraternity’s secrets — an episode widely believed to be a Masonic abduction and murder that helped launch the Anti-Masonic political movement, the first significant third party in American history.

Getting There

The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) crosses the county, with an exit serving Batavia; NY Routes 5, 33, 63 and 98 provide the main local connections.

• Buffalo — 35 miles west
• Rochester — 30 miles northeast
• Niagara Falls — 45 miles northwest
• Batavia to Le Roy — 9 miles east

The nearest commercial airport is Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), about 35 miles west; Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) is a comparable distance to the northeast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Genesee County, New York?
It sits east of Buffalo and south of Rochester, in the western part of the state, centred near 43°00′N 78°11′W.

What is the population of Genesee County?
58,388 people, per the 2020 census.

How big is Genesee County?
493 square miles of land and 2.4 square miles of water, 495 square miles total.

What is the Genesee County seat?
Batavia is the county seat.

How many towns and villages are in Genesee County?
Thirteen towns and six incorporated villages, plus several unincorporated hamlets.

What ZIP codes are in Genesee County?
Batavia is 14020, Le Roy is 14482, and the county’s other towns and villages each carry their own ZIP — see the ZIP Codes section above.

What is Genesee County known for?
Le Roy’s role as the birthplace of Jell-O and the 1826 disappearance of William Morgan in Batavia, which helped touch off the national Anti-Masonic movement.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New York.