Monroe County has a population of 750k people, with 210k people living in the City of Rochester. That means 72% of us live outside the city. Each town and village has something unique to offer. It is impossible to list everything, so here is just a taste of what makes each one special:
Suburban Towns
1. Greece
pop. 96,095
- Greece Canal Park
- Lake Ontario Seaway Trail
- Braddock Bay
- Henpeck Park
- Green Acre Farm & Nursery
- Old Fashioned Forth of July
2. Irondequoit
pop. 51,692
- Duran Eastman Park & Beach (technically Rochester)
- Lake Ontario Seaway Trail
- Irondequoit Bay Marine Park
- Irondequoit Bay Park West
- Tryon Park
- Seneca Park & Zoo (technically Rochester)
- Helmer Nature Center
- The House of Guitars
- Oktoberfest
- Seabreeze (The Jack Rabbit is America’s oldest continuously operating roller coaster)
- Whispering Pines (America’s oldest miniature golf course)
3. Henrietta
pop. 42,581
4. Brighton
pop. 36,609
- Corbett’s Glen Nature Park (overlaps with Penfield)
- Access points along the Erie Canal
- Monroe Community College
5. Penfield
pop. 36,242
- Channing H. Philbrick Park
- Corbett’s Glen Nature Park (overlaps with Brighton)
- Thousand Acre Swamp
- Ellison Park
- Indian Hill
6. Chili
pop. 28,625
7. Gates
pop. 28,400
Suburban Towns/Villages
8. Perinton/Fairport
town pop.46,462, village pop.5,353
- Access points along the Erie Canal
- Thomas Creek Wetlands Walk
- Colonial Belle Erie Canal Tour
- “Trail Town USA”
- Kennelley Park
- Fairport Canal Days
- Fairport Music & Food Fest
- Chase Farm Markets
- Lollypop Farm and Barktoberfest
9. Webster
town pop. 42,641, village pop. 5,399
- Webster Park Lake Ontario
- Gosnell Big Woods Preserve
- Whiting Nature Preserve
- North Ponds Park
- Lake Ontario Seaway Trail
- Webster Arboretum at Kent Park
- Schutt’s Apple Mill
- Herman’s Farm Market & Cider Mill
- Waterfront Arts Festival
- Fireman’s Carnival
- Webster Jazz Festival
- St. Rita’s Annual Fiesta
- Rochester Garlic Festival
10. Pittsford
town pop. 29,405, village pop. 1,355
- The Sunflower Field
- Sam Patch Erie Canal Tour
- Access points along the Erie Canal
- Lock 32 Erie Canal Park & Lockapalooza
- Historic Erie Canal Lock 62
- Wegmans Food Markets’ flagship store
- Powder Mills Park
- Hamlet of Bushnell’s Basin
- Nazareth College
- St. John Fisher College
- Powers Farm Market
- Pittsford Dairy
11. E. Rochester
coterminous, both town and village pop. 6,600
Rural Towns & Towns/Villages
12. Ogden/Spencerport
town pop. 19,856, village pop. 3,601
- Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum
- Rose Turner Park
- Pineway Ponds Park
- Springdale Farm
- Access points along the Erie Canal
- Spencerport Canal Days
13. Parma/Hilton
town pop. 15,633, village pop. 5,886
- Lake Ontario Seaway Trail
- Braddock Point Lighthouse
- Braddock Bay Bird Observatory
- Braddock Bay Raptor Research
- Zarpentine Farms
- Hilton Apple Fest
- Kelly’s Farm Market & Bakery
- Burch Farms
- Fireman’s Carnival
14. Sweden/Clarkson/Brockport
Village spans 2 towns: Sweden town pop. 14,175 Clarkson town pop 6,736, village pop. 8,336
The Victorian Village on the Erie Canal
- Canalfront Welcome Center
- Access points along the Erie Canal
- Northampton Park
- Low Bridge / High Water Festival
- Brockport Arts Festival
- SUNY College at Brockport
- The Strand Movie Theater (America’s second-oldest)
15. Mendon/Honeoye Falls
town pop. 9,245, village pop. 2,674
16. Hamlin
pop. 9,045
17. Riga/Churchville
town pop. 5,590, village pop. 1,961
18. Wheatland/Scottsville
town pop. 4,775, village pop. 2,001
19. Rush
pop. 3,478