Lancaster, New York
Lancaster is a village of 10,113 people in Erie County, New York, founded in 1849.
Why visit Lancaster
Townapedia lists 18 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 34 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Lancaster Opera House, Broadway Historic District, Bruce-Briggs Brick Block and Como Lake Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 19°F, and about 95 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Lancaster
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lancaster
Lancaster is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 10,027. It is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Lancaster (village), New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Museums and landmarks18
Broadway Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Lancaster, New York
Bruce-Briggs Brick Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic houses in New York, United States
Central Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Lancaster, New York
Clark-Lester House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Lancaster, New York, listed on the NRHP in Erie County
DePew Lodge No. 823, Free and Accepted Masons
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historical building, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Dr. John J. Nowak House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in New York, United States
Herman B. VanPeyma House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
John P. Sommers House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in New York, United States
John Richardson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Property listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster, New York
Lancaster District School No. 6
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic building in Lancaster, New York, United States
Lancaster Municipal Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.jpg){kind=link}
.JPG){kind=link}
,_Central_Avenue_Historic_District,_Lancaster,_New_York,_November_2009.jpg){kind=link}
Liebler-Rohl Gasoline Station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Filling station in New York, United States of America
6 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
Como Lake Park
Park · 0.9 mi
Park in Erie County, New York, United States
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes34
Flourish Cafe
Restaurant · Sandwich, Soup, Juice, Smoothie
A whole food plant-based café that focuses on real food and education. Soup, sandwiches, smoothies, cold press juice and many take out options.
5476 Broadway Street, Lancaster
Su-We off; Th 11:00-15:00; Fr 11:00- 18:00; Sa 11:00-17:00
Leo's Pizzeria Lancaster
Restaurant · Pizza, Fries, Wings, Grill · 1.4 mi
473 Aurora Street, Lancaster
Mo-We 11:00-22:00, Th-Su 11:00-23:00
Muscarella's Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza, Sandwich, Wings, Fries, Salad · 1.4 mi
470 Aurora Street, Lancaster
Tu-Th 13:00-20:30, Fr-Sa 13:00-21:00, Su 11:00-20:30
The Yelling Goat
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.6 mi
205 Central Avenue, Lancaster
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00, Su 12:00-21:00
Tim Hortons
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.4 mi
470 Aurora Street, Lancaster
Mo-Sa 05:00-21:00; Su 05:00-17:00
22 more on the map.
History
The Village of Lancaster was incorporated in 1849 from part of the town of Lancaster. Lancaster is the third oldest incorporated village in Erie County, behind Springville and Gowanda. The village is proud of its historic past and emphasizes preservation of its historic buildings. Lancaster was formerly known as "Cayuga Creek." Lancaster is one of approximately 30 communities in New York with historic districts.
The oldest house in the village is the Carpenter–Draper House, built in 1831. The Lancaster Presbyterian Church is the second oldest religious structure in Erie County, built in 1832.
Churches in the village include Lancaster Presbyterian Church, St. John's Lutheran, Trinity Episcopal, and Faith United Methodist. Catholic churches include St. Mary of the Assumption and Our Lady of Pompeii.
The Lancaster Opera House, the visual center of the village, was built in 1897. This building is still the main focus of the downtown Lancaster area because of its massive size and its clock tower. At the time it was built, the name "Opera House" indicated it was a multi-use building, a tradition that continues today as the building also houses the Lancaster Town offices. People in the community commonly call it either "the Opera House" or "the Town Hall."
From the History section of Lancaster (village), New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship7
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.9 mi
1822 Como Park Boulevard, Lancaster
Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.4 mi
1 Saint Marys Hill, Lancaster
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries41
Harris Hill Elementary School
School · 4.3 mi
4260 S Harris Hill Rd, Williamsville
Map of Lancaster
133 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 19°F | 3.4 in | 26.7 in |
| Feb | 33°F | 20°F | 2.5 in | 18.1 in |
| Mar | 42°F | 26°F | 2.9 in | 14.1 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 36°F | 3.4 in | 2.5 in |
| May | 67°F | 48°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 58°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 63°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 62°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 54°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 44°F | 4.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 34°F | 3.5 in | 7.8 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 26°F | 3.8 in | 25.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Buffalo Hcn 72528 (5 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
Erie County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2023-03-15: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2022-12-26: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2022-11-20: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-12-19: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Buffalo-Niagara International Airport (BUF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Depew 2 mi northwest, about 3 min by car
- Cheektowaga 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Harris Hill 5 mi north, about 8 min by car
- Eggertsville 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Buffalo 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Lackawanna 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Kenmore 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Batavia 26 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Dunkirk 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Greece 53 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 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
Loading what members have shared...
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
- Lancaster Municipal Building (Lancaster, New York), Shine runner (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
- U.S. Post Office (Depew, New York), Shine runner (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Herman B. VanPeyma House Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- DePew Lodge No. 823, Free and Accepted Masons Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Liebler-Rohl Station, Shine runner (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lancaster Presbyterian Church Lancaster NY Nov 09, Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Clark-Lester House Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Miller-Mackey House Nov 09, Doug Kerr from Upstate New York, CC BY-SA 2.0
- John Richardson House Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Lancaster Historical Society Museum (Potter-Eaton House), Central Avenue Historic District, Lancaster, New York, November 2009, Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lancaster District School No. 6 Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Bruce-Briggs Brick Block, Shinerunner (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
- United States Post Office (Lancaster, New York), Shinerunner, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dr. John J. Nowak House Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- Zuidema-Idsardi House Aug 10, Pubdog ( talk ), Public domain
- John P. Sommers House Apr 12, Pubdog, Public domain
.JPG){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.