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Ithaca and Cornell
Ithaca is a small but cosmopolitan city located in central New York State. It is approximately 250 miles (400 km) northwest of New York City, and 60 miles (100 km) south of Syracuse, New York. For information on events and attractions, please see the website for Visit Ithaca.
Cornell University
Located in Ithaca, Cornell University sits on a hilltop overlooking 40-mile-long, 400-foot-deep Cayuga Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes of central New York State. Two sides of the campus are bound by gorges, cut during the last 12,000 years. Creeks and waterfalls fill the gorges, and no matter where you are on campus you are never far from the sight and sound of falling water. This is an area of great natural beauty, a place that contributes to a healthy and pleasurable quality of life.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Cornell campus is the seamless interconnection of nature and the built environment. Cornell Plantations, curator of the university's natural areas, maintains trails, arboretums, and gardens that intertwine and blend with the university's graceful quads and inspiring architecture.
Not only is Cornell a higher education and research powerhouse, we believe it is also one of the most spectacular university campuses anywhere in the world. But don't take our word for it. Visit us!
Campus
There are more than 260 major buildings on the 745 contiguous acres that comprise Cornell's flagship campus atop East Hill overlooking the city of Ithaca and the southern basin of Cayuga Lake. Widely admired as one of the world's most beautiful academic settings, the campus was once the family farm of the university's co-founder, Ezra Cornell.
The Finger Lakes region of central New York is renowned for natural beauty, with spectacular gorges and waterfalls that bracket the campus. Three state parks are within 10 miles. Popular outdoor activities include sailing, wind surfing, swimming, skiing, hiking, and picnicking.
The city of Ithaca and its surrounding residential areas have a population close to 100,000. There is a surprising array of bookshops, movie houses, specialty stores, nightspots, and restaurants, including many with ethnic cuisine.
Ithaca's international population is quite varied, with international students from 120 countries representing 15 percent of Cornell's enrollment. The city of Syracuse, the Finger Lakes wine district, the Watkins Glen auto racing circuit, and several centers for the performing arts are all within an hour's drive. New York City and Toronto are less than five hours away by car or bus.