The north branch of the Susquehanna River passes south of downtown. The Downtown area sits at the confluence of the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers, in the middle of a long but relatively narrow valley. The highest peak in Binghamton is Table Rock Ridge, which is at 1,854 feet. As such, elevations can vary in the city- Downtown, for example, is at an elevation of around 860 feet, while residential homes in the hills can go up to over 1,800 feet, such as on Ingram Hill. īinghamton, like all of the Southern Tier of New York, lies on the Allegheny Plateau hence its hilly terrain. Geography Cityscape Ĭonfluence Park, facing west toward the confluence of the Susquehanna (left) and Chenango (right) riversĪccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 11.14 square miles (28.9 km 2), of which 10.49 square miles (27.2 km 2) is land and 0.65 square miles (1.7 km 2) (5.83%) is water. Unfortunately, two severe floods have stymied the recovery: while most of the impact of the Mid-Atlantic United States flood of 2006 was in the surrounding metropolitan area, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee topped city flood walls in September 2011, causing $1 billion of damage in greater Binghamton. The increased downtown residential population and the university's plans to build additional student housing have spurred development of supporting businesses and a renewed focus on the riverfront. Major emphasis has been placed on Binghamton University, which built a downtown campus in 2007 and several student housing complexes. The local economy has slowly transitioned toward services and healthcare. In the 21st century, the city has tried to diversify its economic base to spur revitalization. Ī mass shooting took place on April 3, 2009, at the American Civic Association, leaving 14 dead, including the gunman. The local economy went into a deep recession, and the long-prevalent manufacturing jobs dropped by 64% from 1990 to 2013. Īs the Cold War ended in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, defense-related industries in the Binghamton area began to falter, resulting in several closures and widespread layoffs These were most notable at IBM, which sold its Federal Systems division and laid off several thousands of workers. The city's population declined from approximately 64,000 in 1969 to 56,000 by the early 1980s. While these projects failed to stem most of the losses, they established Binghamton as the region's government and cultural center. The construction included the creation of Government Plaza, the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, and the Brandywine Highway. Urban renewal efforts to reverse these trends dominated construction in the city during the 1960s and early 1970s and led to the destruction of many ornate city buildings. Like many other Rust Belt cities, traditional manufacturers saw steep declines, though Binghamton's technology industry limited this impact. Post-war suburban development led to a decline in the city's population and the rapid growth of the towns of Vestal and Union. įlooding in 2011 due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee Today, while there is a continued concentration of high-tech firms, Binghamton is emerging as a healthcare- and education-focused city, with Binghamton University acting as much of the driving force behind this revitalization. However, starting with job cuts made by defense firms towards the end of the Cold War, the region lost a large part of its manufacturing industry. This sustained economic prosperity earned Binghamton the moniker of the Valley of Opportunity.
IBM was founded nearby, and the flight simulator was invented in the city, leading to a notable concentration of electronics- and defense-oriented firms. įrom the days of the railroad, Binghamton was a transportation crossroads and a manufacturing center, and has been known at different times for the production of cigars, shoes, and computers. The city's population, according to the 2020 census, is 47,969. Binghamton is the principal city and cultural center of the Binghamton metropolitan area (also known as Greater Binghamton, or historically the Triple Cities), home to a quarter million people.
Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers. Binghamton / ˈ b ɪ ŋ əm t ən/ is a city in, and the county seat of, Broome County, New York, United States.