Location & Accessibility
Welcome to Livingston County! Welcome to an area where growth is welcomed, the environment is preserved and where rural character and work ethic has engendered a resourceful workforce that is skilled and motivated.
Livingston County, located in the Genesee Valley/Finger Lakes region of western New York State, encompasses 638 square miles with the population 64,328. Characterized by small town charm, rural character and a friendly sense of community, Livingston County is nonetheless diverse and growing.
Located in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area (population 1.1 million), the County is 10 minutes south of the Thruway on Interstate 390, western New York’s only north-south expressway. Six exits within Livingston County assure that any part of the County is within 15 minutes of this limited access highway.
The richest market in the world is within a radius of 750 miles of New York State. This radius includes half of the total US and Canadian population and covers the 18 northeast states and parts of two Canadian provinces. Half of the personal income, wholesale sales, and about 50% of the retail trade is accounted for within this radius.
Interstate 390 provides direct access to Rochester, the New York State Thruway (I-90) and the Southern Tier Expressway (I-86). The Canadian border is less than two hours away. Approximately 15,000 workers commute daily, without congestion, to or from Rochester. The Greater Rochester International Airport is 30 minutes or less from northern and central Livingston County. The county is served by Rochester Transit System metropolitan bus system and local buses.
Two active short line railroads, the Genesee & Wyoming and the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville, both provide direct interconnections with the Norfolk Southern, CSX and Canadian Pacific mainline railroad. These railroads enable companies to enjoy the advantages of both customized scheduling and inventory control along with competitive advantages of choice among Class I carriers.
Our region has maintained its position as one of the most highly skilled and productive manufacturing centers in the country. Best known for its "big three" (Kodak, Xerox and Bausch & Lomb), many of the area's fastest growing companies are located in the "knowledge industries" of telecommunications, photonics and biosciences. Over 60% of those employed in the manufacturing sector are in high tech industries. Our area is the nation's # 1 exporter on a per capita basis with one of the highest patent registrations. Productivity by our area's manufacturers is among the highest in the country with the value added per production worker being higher than any other city in the U.S.
Agriculture and food production are a large part of the expanding businesses in Livingston County. Over 50% of our land area is in agriculture with the county within the top five New York Counties in grain, beet, bean and dairy production.
Nearly all food processors and commodity handlers have expanded into major regional and national production marketers. Livingston County is the sole manufacturing location for Kraft's Cool Whip dessert topping and a major production site of Oscar Mayer Lunchables. Barilla, the world-wide pasta market leaders, opened its second U.S. manufacturing plant here in 2007.