Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County is in the Southern Tier of New York state.
- For other places with the same name, see Chautauqua (disambiguation).
Cities
Other destinations
Chautauqua Lake, the inland ribbon of water that gave the county its name. Most people visit in the summer, when the weather is best, but another popular choice is fall, as the leaves are changing color.
Understand
Chautauqua County is an area of rolling, wooded hills and small towns in the extreme southwest of New York State, much closer to Cleveland and Toronto than New York City. As a result, it has a somewhat Midwestern vibe.
Get in
By plane
- Chautauqua County/Jamestown Airport (JHW IATA)) is very small. Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF IATA) is larger, though further away. When you price shop, work in the cost of transportation from each airport into your calculation, as the distance between Buffalo and Chautauqua County is significant.
Get around
You will have trouble getting around the county without a car.
See
The most pleasant things to see in this county are the landscape and the wonder of the tremendous Lake Erie. Lake Chautauqua - much longer than it is wide, like the Finger Lakes, but not considered a finger lake - is also beautiful, but generally too cold to swim in even in the summer.
Do
Wine Tasting: The area along Lake Erie is home to many vineyards, and there many wineries to turn those grapes into a liquid form. Tour one winery--or several!
Skiing/Snowboarding: If winter sports are more your thing, there are many places in the hilly interior where you can carve your trail in the slopes.
Eat
If you like Buffalo wings, you will find them in many bars and restaurants.
Drink
Stay safe
Go next
- Buffalo
- Niagara Falls
- Erie, Pennsylvania