Niagara County is a county in New York, United States, on the Niagara River across from Ontario, Canada. It had a population of 212,666 at the 2020 census and covers 522 square miles (1,350 km2) centred near 43°19′N 78°47′W.
Lockport is the county seat, and its postal code is 14094. The county has 3 cities, 4 incorporated villages, several census-designated places, and 12 towns (New York’s civil-township equivalent), and sits in the Eastern time zone.
Towns & Villages in Niagara County
Niagara County’s settled places range from the cities of Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda to small lakeshore hamlets. “Unincorp.” below covers hamlets and crossroads with no incorporated or census-designated status; “CDP” marks a place the Census Bureau tabulates separately without giving it its own government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls | City | 50,193 | 14301–14305 |
| North Tonawanda | City | 31,568 | 14120 |
| Lockport | City · seat | 21,165 | 14094 |
| South Lockport | CDP | 8,234 | 14094 |
| Wilson | Village | — | 14172 |
| Barker | Village | — | 14012 |
| Middleport | Village | — | 14105 |
| Youngstown | Village | — | 14174 |
| Lewiston | Unincorp. | — | 14092 |
| Newfane | Unincorp. | — | 14108 |
| Sanborn | Unincorp. | — | 14132 |
| Ransomville | Unincorp. | — | 14131 |
| Gasport | Unincorp. | — | 14067 |
| Olcott | Unincorp. | — | 14126 |
| Model City | Unincorp. | — | 14107 |
| Appleton | Unincorp. | — | 14008 |
| Burt | Unincorp. | — | 14028 |
| Stella Niagara | Unincorp. | — | 14144 |
| Niagara University | Unincorp. | — | 14109 |
| Pendleton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pendleton Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Somerset | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Somerset | Unincorp. | — | — |
| West Somerset | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hartland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Hartland | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wolcottsville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cambria Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dickersonville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Molyneaux Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Johnson Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| North Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| South Wilson | Unincorp. | — | — |
| La Salle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wendelville | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Walmore | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Reynales Basin | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rapids | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Royalton Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Orangeport | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mapleton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Warrens Corners | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shawnee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Porter Center | Unincorp. | — | — |
A handful of names on older lists refer to the same place or to seasonal mobile-home communities along the Lake Ontario shore (Carlisle Gardens, Coolidge Beach, Hopkins Beach, Sunset Beach, Roosevelt Beach and similar) rather than year-round settlements — they are omitted here as duplicative of the shoreline hamlets already listed.
ZIP Codes
- 14094/14095 — Lockport (also serves South Lockport)
- 14120 — North Tonawanda
- 14301–14305 — Niagara Falls
- 14092 — Lewiston
- 14132 — Sanborn
- 14108 — Newfane
- 14174 — Youngstown
- 14105 — Middleport
- 14131 — Ransomville
- 14067 — Gasport
- 14172 — Wilson (also serves East, North and South Wilson)
- 14012 — Barker
- 14109 — Niagara University
- 14008 — Appleton
- 14028 — Burt
- 14126 — Olcott
- 14144 — Stella Niagara
- 14107 — Model City
Smaller inland hamlets such as Pendleton, Somerset and Hartland share the ZIP of their nearest post-office town rather than carrying one of their own.
Geography
Niagara County sits at the western tip of New York, bounded by Lake Ontario to the north and the Niagara River to the west, with the Niagara Escarpment running east–west through the middle of the county. Land use is a mix of fruit and vegetable farms on the lake plain, suburban development around Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda, and the falls-driven tourism corridor along the river.
The county borders Genesee County to the southeast, Orleans County to the east, Erie County to the south, Lake Ontario to the north, and the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada, across the river to the west.
Demographics
Niagara County had a population of 212,666 at the 2020 census, a density of about 407 people per square mile of land area. Niagara Falls (50,193) and North Tonawanda (31,568) are the two largest communities, together holding roughly two in five county residents. Median household income in the county has historically run below the New York median of $82,095, reflecting the manufacturing job losses Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda saw over the late 20th century.
Economy & Local Life
Tourism tied to Niagara Falls is the county’s best-known industry, drawing visitors to the American and Bridal Veil Falls, the Niagara Gorge trail system, and the Niagara Power Project, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in the country. Lockport’s economy centres on its Erie Canal locks and a mix of light manufacturing; North Tonawanda retains a smaller manufacturing base along the Niagara River. Away from the cities, orchards and vegetable farms on the lake-plain soils around Newfane, Somerset and Wilson supply produce to Buffalo-area markets, and Niagara University, a private Catholic university in the town of Niagara, is a major local employer.
History
New York created Niagara County from Genesee County on March 11, 1808. The county’s name comes from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra, meaning roughly “the strait” or “thunder of waters,” describing the falls. Erie County was carved out of Niagara County’s southern portion in 1821, giving the county close to its present boundaries. The Erie Canal, completed through Lockport in 1825, made the city a shipping and milling center for a century; more recently, the county is remembered for the 1978 Love Canal disaster in Niagara Falls, one of the country’s best-known cases of toxic-waste contamination and a catalyst for the federal Superfund program.
Getting There
Interstate 190 runs the length of the county along the Niagara River, connecting to the Robert Moses Parkway and US Route 62; NY Routes 104, 31, 78 and 93 cross the inland towns.
- Buffalo, New York — 20 miles south
- Rochester, New York — 65 miles east
- St. Catharines, Ontario — 15 miles west, across the border
- Toronto, Ontario — 80 miles west
Niagara Falls International Airport serves the county directly; Buffalo Niagara International Airport, about 25 miles south, offers a wider range of commercial flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Niagara County?
It is in far-western New York, on the Niagara River across from Ontario, Canada, between Lake Ontario and Buffalo.
What is the population of Niagara County?
212,666 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Niagara County?
522 square miles (1,350 km2) of land, plus a large area of Lake Ontario and Niagara River waters.
What is the county seat of Niagara County?
Lockport is the county seat.
How many towns and villages are in Niagara County?
The county has 3 cities, 4 incorporated villages, one census-designated place, and dozens of smaller hamlets spread across its 12 towns.
What ZIP codes are in Niagara County?
ZIP codes range from 14008 (Appleton) to 14305 (Niagara Falls), including 14094 for Lockport and 14120 for North Tonawanda.
What is Niagara County known for?
Niagara Falls, the Erie Canal locks at Lockport, and the 1978 Love Canal toxic-waste disaster in Niagara Falls.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in New York.