Cayuga Lake | |
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Cayuga Lake as viewed in the late afternoon from Cornell University
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Location | Cayuga / Seneca / Tompkins counties, New York, US |
Group | Finger Lakes |
Coordinates | 42°41′00″N 76°41′46″W / 42.68333°N 76.69611°WCoordinates: 42°41′00″N 76°41′46″W / 42.68333°N 76.69611°W |
Lake type | Ground moraine |
Primary outflows | Seneca River |
Catchment area | 2,033 km2 (785 sq mi) |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 38 mi (61 km) |
Max. width | 3.5 mi (5.6 km) |
Surface area | 172 km2 (66 sq mi) |
Average depth | 182 ft (55 m) |
Max. depth | 435 ft (133 m) |
Water volume | 9.46 km3 (2.27 cu mi) |
Residence time | 18.2 years |
Surface elevation | 381.9 ft (116.4 m) |
Islands | 1 (Frontenac Island) |
Settlements | see article |
Cayuga Lake (/keɪˈjuːɡə/ or /kaɪˈjuːɡə/) is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles (64 km) long. Its average width is 1.7 miles (2.7 km), and it is 3.5 mi wide (5.6 km) at its widest point near Aurora. It is approximately 435 ft deep (133 m) at its deepest point.
The city of Ithaca, site of Ithaca College and Cornell University, is located at the southern end of Cayuga Lake.
Villages and settlements along the east shore of Cayuga Lake include Myers, King Ferry, Aurora, Levanna, Union Springs, and Cayuga. Settlements along the west shore of the lake include Sheldrake, Poplar Beach, and Canoga.
The lake has one small island near Union Springs, Frontenac Island. It is one of only two islands in the Finger Lakes, the other being Squaw Island in Canandaigua Lake.
Cayuga Lake is located at 42°41′00″N 76°41′46″W / 42.68333°N 76.69611°W; 116.4 metres (382 ft) above sea level. Its depth, steep east and west sides with shallow north and south ends is typical of the Finger Lakes, as they were carved by glaciers during the last ice age.