Syracuse, city in central New York and seat of Onondaga County. It sits at the south end of Lake Onondaga, where the Lake Plain region meets the Allegheny Plateau. Syracuse is a commercial, distribution, manufacturing, and cultural center situated in an agricultural and resort area. Major manufactures include electrical, air conditioning, and transportation equipment. Air transportation is through Syracuse Hancock International Airport. The city developed as a port on the Erie Canal, which linked the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes. Although the canal now is used primarily for recreation, Syracuse remains an important transportation crossroads. In addition, the city serves as a gateway for tourists to the Finger Lakes region. To the south of the city is a reservation for the Onondaga people.
Among the educational institutions located in the city are the main campus of Syracuse University (1870); Le Moyne College (1946); the Health Science Center (established in 1834) of the State University of New York (SUNY); the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (1911); and several colleges offering two-year degrees.
