Watkins Glen, New York
Watkins Glen is a village of 1,725 people in Schuyler County, New York.
Why visit Watkins Glen
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 23 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include The Glen Theater, Watkins Glen High School, A. F. Chapman House and Clute Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 79°F; January lows average 14°F.
Weather in Watkins Glen
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen is a village in and the county seat of Schuyler County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,829. Watkins Glen lies between the towns of Dix and Reading. To the southwest of the village is the Watkins Glen International race track, which hosts annual NASCAR Cup Series and WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, and formerly hosted the United States Grand Prix and various IndyCar races.
From the Wikipedia article Watkins Glen, New York (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
The Glen Theater
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
112 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen
Museums and landmarks10
Watkins Glen High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic high school building located at Watkins Glen in Schuyler County, New York
A. F. Chapman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Watkins Glen, New York
Brick Tavern Stand
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic commercial building in New York, United States
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Montour Falls Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic district in Montour Falls, New York
Montour Falls Union Grammar School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic building in Montour Falls, New York, United States
Schuyler County Courthouse Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Courthouse in New York, United States of America
United States Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Government building in Watkins Glen, New York
Watkins Glen Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in New York, United States
Watkins Glen Grand Prix Course, 1948–1952
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes23
Green Elephants Thai Vegan Restaurant
Restaurant · Thai
507 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen
Tu-Su 11:30-14:00, 17:00-21:00
Jerlando's Ristorante
Restaurant · Italian
400 North Franklin Street
Su-Th 10:30-20:00; Fr,Sa 10:30-22:00
Lucky Hare Brewing Bar & Grill
Diner · American · 0.4 mi
2 Seneca Harbor Drive, Watkins Glen
Mo-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Nickel's Pit BBQ
Restaurant · Barbecue · 0.4 mi
205 North Franklin Street
Sa,Su 12:00-22:00; Mo-Fr 16:00-22:00
Pangea Global Teahouse
Restaurant · Asian, French, Bubble Tea, Burger, International, American, Brunch, Pancake, Tea, Coffee Shop · 0.4 mi
221 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen
Mo,We,Fr 10:00-16:00; Sa,Su 08:00-16:00
Seneca Harbor Station
Diner · American · 0.5 mi
1 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen
Su-Th 16:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 16:00-21:00
Seneca Harbor Wine Center
Brewery and winery · 0.4 mi
2 North Franklin Street
Tu-Su 11:00-17:00
11 more on the map.
History
The settlement of the village began in 1791. First named "Jefferson" in 1842, the village was later renamed in 1852 to honor Dr. Samuel Watkins. Watkins' older brother John purchased property around the gorge in 1794 and constructed mills. After his brother's death, Samuel Watkins inherited the property and spent four decades building up the area with roads, shops, and a hotel. The newspaper Watkins Glen Review & Express has served the area since 1854.
From the History section of Watkins Glen, New York on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
The Local Hostel
Motel and hotel · 0.5 mi
220 South Franklin Street, Watkins Glen
Churches and places of worship8
First Baptist Church of Watkins Glen
Church · National Register of Historic Places
St. James Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.5 mi
2590 State Route 414, Montour Falls
First Presbyterian Church
Church · Presbyterian
520 North Decatur Street, Watkins Glen
Saint Mary of the Lake Roman Catholic Church
Church · Catholic
901 North Decatur Street, Watkins Glen
Shopping5
Watkins Glen State Park Gift Shop
Shop · 0.4 mi
1001 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Watkins Glen
75 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 14°F | 2.3 in |
| Feb | 32°F | 15°F | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 21°F | 2.7 in |
| Apr | 53°F | 32°F | 3.3 in |
| May | 66°F | 43°F | 3.1 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 52°F | 4.2 in |
| Jul | 79°F | 56°F | 3.9 in |
| Aug | 77°F | 55°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 48°F | 4.1 in |
| Oct | 58°F | 39°F | 4.1 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 30°F | 2.8 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 21°F | 2.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Mecklenburg 4Sw (7 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
Schuyler County has had 10 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-10-01: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2012-10-28: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2005-09-30: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2004-08-03: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Elmira-Corning Regional Airport (ELM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 16 miles away.
- Montour Falls 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Dundee 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Trumansburg 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- Ithaca 19 mi east, about 31 min by car
- Corning 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Painted Post 19 mi southwest, about 30 min by car
- Elmira 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- South Corning 20 mi southwest, about 32 min by car
- Keuka Park 20 mi northwest, about 32 min by car
- East Ithaca 21 mi east, about 34 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
- NY 14 SB approaching NY 409-NY 414, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lafayette Park in Watkins Glen, New York, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins-Freer House, Watkins Glen, New York - 20221004, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Watkins Glen, New York, in the Finger Lakes Region - Large Letter Postcard (5447391855), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Watkins Glen NY Post Office, J. Passepartout, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen, NY 14891 Post Office, Noahdwilke, CC BY 4.0
- Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625 - 01, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Schuyler County Courthouse Watkins Glen, Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Greetings from Watkins Glen, New York, The Heart of the Finger Lakes Country - Large Letter Postcard (4290486564), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Seneca Lake Pier at Watkins Glen NY (21218662252), See1,Do1,Teach1, CC BY 2.0
- Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625 - 06 - Watkins Glen Municipal Building, AndreCarrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Beauty at Watkins Glen, Jyothiprakash007, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625 - 05 - former Watkins State Bank, AndreCarrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625 - 04, AndreCarrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625 - 02, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 01, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 02, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- First Baptist Church of Watkins Glen Mar 09, Doug Kerr from now in Binghamton, NY, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Franklin Street, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625 - 03, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 92, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 04, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 03, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Seneca Lake from Watkins Glen July 2017, Dough4872, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 05, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 91, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Seneca Harbor, Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Garden at Watkins Glen State Park, New York - 20221004, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 90, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Seneca Harbor Wine Center - fmr Schuyler Iron & Agricultural Works - Watkins Glen, New York - 20200625, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 07, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 10, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 11, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 06, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 08, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 09, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 13, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen State Park - 20200625 - 89, Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Watkins Glen High School, SlipperyDude, CC BY-SA 3.0
- A.F. Chapman House, Watkins Glen, NY, Dmadeo, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Montour Falls Historic District Mar 09, Doug Kerr from now in Binghamton, NY, CC BY-SA 2.0
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