Ontario County is in the heart of New York's renowned Finger Lakes Region. Included in these 644 square miles of breathtaking beauty are sixteen towns, nine villages and two cities. According to the Census 2000, there are approximately 100,224 residents scattered throughout the county. 

Ice Age glaciers naturally formed all the lakes in the Finger Lakes Region. Their shape reminded early mapmakers of the fingers of a hand, hence the name 'Finger Lakes.' A favorite destination for wine tasting and winery tours, the Finger Lakes offer a myriad of recreational activities such as skydiving, hang-gliding, boating, fishing, snorkeling,  hunting, camping, hiking, horseback riding and golfing.

A Board of Supervisors governs the county, represented by twenty-one members (one from each town, two from the city of Canandaigua and three from the city of Geneva). The county seat is the historic city of Canandaigua, founded in 1789. Today, it is known for its wineries, fruits and vegetables. In the Iroquois language, Canandaigua means the 'chosen spot.'

Ontario County includes seventeen school districts that offer first-rate education to its youngest residents. Not all of these schools are located within the county limits; the geographic territories of some of the schools include only a portion of Ontario County. The county also contains two colleges. Finger Lakes Community College (SUNY) is located in Canandaigua and has off-campus centers in Geneva, Newark, and Victor.  Hobart-William Smith College is located in Geneva. In addition, residents have the advantage of nearly forty colleges and universities within an hour's drive of Ontario County. Some of these highly respected institutions include the University of Rochester, Syracuse University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Cornell University in Ithaca.