Why visit Penn Yan
Townapedia lists 17 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Lake Street Plaza, Abner Woodworth House and Charles Wagener House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 18°F.
Weather in Penn Yan
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Penn Yan
Penn Yan is an incorporated village in and the county seat of Yates County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, Penn Yan had a population of 5,056. It lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes.
From the Wikipedia article Penn Yan, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks17
Abner Woodworth House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in Benton, New York
Charles Wagener House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Ezikial Perry House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Jerusalem, New York, listed on the NRHP in Yates County
George Hays House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
H. Allen Wagener House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
John Briggs House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
Lake View Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Cemetery in Penn Yan, New York
Penn Yan Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in New York, United States
Roderick M. Morrison House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Penn Yan, New York, NRHP-listed
Sampson Theatre
Cinema and theater · National Register of Historic Places
Former theater and movie theater in Penn Yan, New York, United States
Sherman Williams House and Fruit Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Jerusalem, New York, NRHP-listed
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United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Government building in Penn Yan, New York
5 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes9
18th Amendment Kitchen & Cocktail Bar
Diner · American
7 Main Street
We-Th 17:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 17:00-21:00
Laurentide Beer Company
Brewery and winery
14 Maiden Lane
Tu-Th 15:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-21:00; Su 12:00-20:00
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger · 0.5 mi
235 Lake Street
Mo-Th 05:30-23:00; Fr-Sa 05:30-24:00; Su 05:30-23:00
History
The Penn Yan area was home to several Seneca villages until their destruction in the 1779 Sullivan Expedition, after which most of the Seneca population fled westward. The Seneca leader Red Jacket grew up on Keuka Lake. The first white settlers in Western New York were the followers of the Public Universal Friend, a religious enthusiast born in Cumberland, Providence County, Rhode Island, who obtained a large tract for a settlement (called Jerusalem in 1789) in the present Yates County, and founded the village of Hopeton on the outlet of Keuka Lake, approximately one mile from Seneca Lake. Many followers settled there, and lived there after 1790, but the community gradually broke up.
The first frame dwelling at Penn Yan was built in 1799. The village became the county seat in 1823, when Yates County was created. It was incorporated in 1833.
Penn Yan, the name of the village, is said to have been contrived from the first syllables of "Pennsylvania" and "Yankee", as most of the early settlers were from Pennsylvania and New England; the latter were known as Yankees. It became a trading center for the agricultural county, with mills for lumber, buckwheat and other grains. The village was the western terminus of the former Crooked Lake Canal.
In 1921, the Penn Yan Boat Company was founded by German immigrant Charles A. Herrman. It produced wooden and glass-fiber boats until 2001.
From the History section of Penn Yan, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship10
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.0 mi
1837 Flat Street, Penn Yan
Shopping4
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Healthcare3
Map of Penn Yan
61 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 18°F | 1.5 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 18°F | 1.3 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 25°F | 2.1 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 36°F | 2.8 in |
| May | 69°F | 47°F | 2.9 in |
| Jun | 77°F | 57°F | 2.8 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 62°F | 3.4 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 60°F | 2.8 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 53°F | 3.9 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 43°F | 2.9 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 33°F | 2.1 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 25°F | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Penn Yan Ap (1 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
Yates County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-24: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2021-10-08: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Fred (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2014-07-08: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2012-10-28: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 32 miles away.
- Keuka Park 4 mi southwest, about 6 min by car
- Dundee 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- Geneva 14 mi north, about 23 min by car
- Naples 18 mi west, about 29 min by car
- Canandaigua 20 mi northwest, about 31 min by car
- Clifton Springs 21 mi north, about 34 min by car
- Trumansburg 21 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Watkins Glen 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Shortsville 22 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
- Union Springs 23 mi northeast, about 36 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
- Aerial - Penn Yan, NY to Seneca Lake Cayuga and beyond 01 - white balanced (9649358372), Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles Wagener House, Penn Yan NY, Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lake View Cemetery, Penn Yan NY 01, Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Penn Yan Historic District Oct 09, Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Yates County Courthouse, Penn Yan NY 01, Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 4.0
- US Post Office in Penn Yan, NY 02, Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sampson Theatre, Penn Yan NY 01, Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Roderick Morrison House in Yates County NY, Araucana, CC BY-SA 4.0
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