Fair Haven, New York
Fair Haven is a village of 1,013 people in Cayuga County, New York.
Why visit Fair Haven
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Wilde Hill, Cottage Farm, Sterling District No. 5 Schoolhouse and Springbrook Greens State Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 19°F, and about 140 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Fair Haven
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fair Haven
Fair Haven is a village located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in Cayuga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 760. Fair Haven is within the town of Sterling and is northwest of Syracuse. The village is on Little Sodus Bay, an arm of Lake Ontario.
From the Wikipedia article Fair Haven, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Cottage Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic home located at Fair Haven in Cayuga County, New York
Sterling District No. 5 Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Building in New York, United States
Sterling Grist Mill Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Factory in New York, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes5
History
The village first gained prominence as a port on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The openings in the sand bars on Little Sodus Bay were widened and protected by jetties in the middle of the 19th century, thus improving the shipping capabilities of Fair Haven. The west pier was later marked with a wooden outer lighthouse with a fourth order Fresnel lens and in 1873 a light keepers house was built on shore which still stands. Sometime later an inner lighthouse was added.
The Southern Central Railroad served Fair Haven, from 1872 until 1887 when it was absorbed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Summer tourists arrived by rail from Auburn and other inland towns to enjoy the parks on the waterfront.which were known for having the very best sand beaches on Lake Ontario. The railroad also carried coal up from Athens, Pennsylvania to a 1500 foot wooden trestle built on the east shore of Little Sodus Bay. The coal was then loaded and shipped by sail freighter to Canada and Ice was harvested from the bay and shipped back by rail to New York City. The trestle was torn down in 1937, a year after the spur was abandoned. When its use as a port waned, the village continued to flourish as a prime recreational destination thanks to the new State Park.
From the History section of Fair Haven, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship2
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries4
Map of Fair Haven
21 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 19°F | 3.8 in | 44.7 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 20°F | 2.9 in | 35.3 in |
| Mar | 41°F | 27°F | 3.0 in | 17.1 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 37°F | 3.5 in | 2.8 in |
| May | 66°F | 48°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 57°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 63°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 62°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 55°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 45°F | 4.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 35°F | 4.1 in | 9.4 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 26°F | 3.9 in | 30.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Oswego Hcn (12 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cayuga County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2021-10-08: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-11-14: Flooding (Flood)
- 2012-10-28: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2005-09-30: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 33 miles away.
- Oswego 14 mi northeast, about 22 min by car
- Fulton 14 mi east, about 23 min by car
- Clyde 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Auburn 28 mi south, about 45 min by car
- Camillus 28 mi southeast, about 45 min by car
- Syracuse 34 mi southeast, about 55 min by car
- Geneva 35 mi southwest, about 56 min by car
- DeWitt 37 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Irondequoit 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rochester 47 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Sterling District No 5 Schoolhouse, Doncram, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.