Big Flats, New York | |
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Town | |
Location of Big Flats in New York | |
Coordinates: 42°08′37″N 76°55′57″W / 42.14361°N 76.93250°WCoordinates: 42°08′37″N 76°55′57″W / 42.14361°N 76.93250°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
County | Chemung |
Government | |
• Type | Town Council |
• Town Supervisor | Edward Fairbrother |
• Town Council |
Members
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Area | |
• Total | 45.1 sq mi (116.7 km2) |
• Land | 44.5 sq mi (115.2 km2) |
• Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2) |
Elevation | 910 ft (280 m) |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 7,731 |
• Density | 174/sq mi (67.1/km2) |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP code | 14814 |
FIPS code | 36-015-06475 |
Website | www |
Big Flats is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 7,731 at the 2010 census. The town is on the west border of the county, west of Elmira. It is part of the Elmira Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town contains a hamlet also named Big Flats.
The town of Big Flats, which had formerly been called "Great Plains", was organized in 1822 from the town of Elmira.
The Warren E. Eaton Motorless Flight Facility was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Big Flats has a total area of 45.1 square miles (116.7 km2), of which 44.5 square miles (115.2 km2) is land and 0.58 square miles (1.5 km2), or 1.29%, is water.
The Chemung River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River, flows through the southern portion of the town. Sing Sing Creek flows through the center of the town and is a tributary of the Chemung. The geography consists of a broad expanse of relatively flat land, the axis of which lies generally northeast to southwest. It is a river valley. The land has historically been very good for agriculture, including tobacco. Diligent searching will result in the finding of fossil seashells indicating the land was an ancient sea bottom. Other evidence is found in the rock of the region, which is mostly shale. The western town line is the border of Steuben County.
The Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86/New York State Route 17) passes through Big Flats, with access from exits 49, 50, and 51.