Ithaca City, New York, is a county subdivision of Tompkins County in New York, United States. It is an active incorporated place with a C5 Census Class Code. It is one of the few growing cities in New York State outside of the New York City metro area. It also serves as a commuting hub for commuters from the surrounding rural and urban counties.
The Town of Ithaca, which includes the City of Ithaca, surrounds the city on three hills. Fall Creek, Cascadilla, Buttermilk, and Enfield Glen intersect in the town. The city is divided by the Cayuga Inlet. Ithaca was incorporated as a city in 1888. After the World War II, General Electric's Langmuir Research Labs became a major employer. The GE headquarters are in Schenectady.
Native Americans in the area maintained a hunting camp near the Cascadilla Gorge. In 1788, eleven men from Kingston, New York, along with two Delaware people guides, explored the area as a wilderness. Jacob Yaple, Isaac Dumond, and Peter Hinepaw came back with their families in 1789 and 1790. In 1788, Abraham Bloodgood obtained a patent for 1,400 acres of land in the area. The patent he received covered all of the area west of Tioga Street.
The city is known for its waterfalls, with more than 100 located within 10 miles of the downtown area. Ithaca's modern history started in the late 18th century, when Congress awarded land grants to Revolutionary War soldiers. Today, deeds in the city are based on this Military Tract. The Erie Canal, which leads to the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and NYC, passes through Ithaca City.