European Destinations in New York State
Did you know you can take a tour of Europe without leaving New York State? Okay, not really, but many cities, villages, and towns in NY got their name from various cities and countries in Europe. While they're not even close to looking the same as their counterparts across the pond, they are each unique in their own American way. How many from our list did you already know?
Italy
14512
Located right on the water (of Flint Creek) and nestled in a beautiful valley, with many vineyards in the area, Italy, NY might surprise you that you're not in the Mediterranean. Okay, there will be some obvious signs that this small town is not in the country of Italy but Upstate, NY, but it is just a short drive from Naples (NY)!
Poland
13431
Another CNY town named after a county. There's actually two Poland's in New York, a village near Utica and a town about an hour and a half south of Buffalo.
Madrid
13660
Not many people think of a small town when the hear "Madrid" but the one in norther New York has a population of under 2,000. Located right outside of Potsdam and about an hour and a half drive north of Watertown.
Amsterdam
12010
Located just outside of Schenectady, NY , this town was named after the capital of the Netherlands (not to be confused with New Amsterdam which became Manhattan).
Oxford
13830
Having Oxford on your education history probably doesn't often get assumed for this small town south of Norwich, NY.
Copenhagen
13626
No, the capital of Denmark isn't located just east of Watertown, NY, but could you imagine?
Denmark
13367
While this Denmark does contain Copenhagen, we're talking about the town of Denmark and the Village of Copenhagan, both located in northern New York State.
Norway
13416
Did you know Norway was 15 minutes east of Poland, 15 minutes south of Ohio, and 25 minutes west of Stratford? No, then you've never heard of Norway, NY.
Vienna
13308
Located just northeast of Oneida Lake, Vienna is a small New York town named after the capital of Austria.
Waterloo
13165
Did you know Memorial Day was practically invented in Waterloo (New York, not England. This town is located almost right in between Syracuse and Rochester and is home to Del Lago Resort and Casino.
Paris
13456
Paris, NY is located just south of Utica and is actually named after a person (Colonel Isaac Paris), not the capital city of France.
Berlin
12022
Located just east of Albany, NY, this town is named after the capital of Germany, but many locals pronounce their town name a bit differently.
Athens
12015
This Athens isn't located on the Mediterranean Sea, but on the Hudson River. It's approximately in between Albany and Poughkeepsie.
Genoa
13071
Named for the city of the same name in Italy, this small town is located north of Ithaca, NY.
Naples
14512
Located just west of Italy, NY this town does share it's love of vineyards with it's European counterpart. It's a great wine destination for anyone willing to drive an hour south of Rochester.
Warsaw
14569
Warsaw, NY is located east of Buffalo and southwest of Rochester.
Lisbon
13658
There's a Lisbon, NY as well as a New Lisbon, NY. That probably doesn't cause any confusion at the post office.
Stockholm
13696
Confusingly located northeast of North Stockholm and West Stockholm, this small town is just a 25 minute drive from Madrid (New York).
Hempstead
11549
A short ride from the former New Amsterdam, Hempstead is also named after a city in the Netherlands.
Ithaca
14850
Home of the Ivy League Cornell University, Ithaca takes it's name from the Greek island of Ithaca in The Odyssey, written by Homer.
Geneva
14456
I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is the big convention in Switzerland everyone's heard of. Geneva, NY is probably better known for it's beautiful geography, nestled right at the north end of Seneca Lake, less than an hour drive east to Syracuse or west to Rochester.
Marathon
13803
Just south of Cortland and north of Binghamton, Marathon shares it's name with a really long run and the Greek city those modern-day races are named for.
Liverpool
13088
While they do have a soccer team like their English name-sake, Liverpool, NY is better known for having a fun village and huge county park, located on the north side of Onondaga Lake.
Myceana
13066
Located in the town of Manlius, this town gets it's name from the ancient Greek city of Myceana.
Syracuse
13202
Named for the Italian city of Siracusa on the island of Sicily, this CNY city uses the Greek spelling and unlike Siciliy, is know for it's record snowfall.
Bangor
12966
Bangor is the oldest city in Wales. There's also one in Ireland. There's also one in New York almost as far north as the Canadian border!
Tipperary (Hill)
13204
Tipperary is a town in Ireland. It's also a historically Irish neighborhood in Syracuse, NY and home of the only "upside-down" traffic light where the green light is on top and the red light is on the bottom.
Did you know all of these New York State cities, towns, and villages that get their names from European cities? While not nearly a complete list, it’s amazing how many we could find, and that’s just in New York!
Posted on November 26, 2022
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