--- title: "Rochester – what is there, and how you get there | Mixroutes" description: "Rochester, United States: Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, New York, United States. Nearby: University of Rochester, Diocese…" url: "https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/rochester" markdown: "https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/rochester.md" image: "https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Roc_des_B%C5%93ufs_-_223.jpg/1920px-Roc_des_B%C5%93ufs_-_223.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail" --- City in New York, United States # Rochester Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, New York, United States. ![Rochester](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Roc_des_B%C5%93ufs_-_223.jpg/1920px-Roc_des_B%C5%93ufs_-_223.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) Rochester · Another one of my pictures: This photograph was taken by Medium69 The place Rochester is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the fourth-most populous city in New York, with a population of 206,108 as of the 2025 Census estimate. The Rochester metropolitan area in Western New York has an estimated 1.05 million residents and is the 54th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Throughout its history, Rochester has acquired several nicknames based on local industries; it has been known as "the Flour City" and "the Flower City" for its dual role in flour production and floriculture, and as the "World's Image Center" for its association with film, optics, and photography. Adapted from [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester%2C_New_York), CC BY-SA 4.0. What is there ## Worth seeing in and around Rochester 10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name. 1. University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River, in 1930. 4.3 km · private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Rochester) 2. Diocese of Rochester The Diocese of Rochester is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Upstate region of New York State in the United States. The metropolitan for the diocese is the archbishop of New York. 400 m · diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Rochester) 3. Blue Cross Arena Blue Cross Arena, also known as the War Memorial, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rochester, New York. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 10,662. 1.4 km · multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rochester, New York · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Cross_Arena) 4. Marina Auto Stadium Rochester Community Sports Complex Stadium, also called the "downtown soccer stadium", is a soccer-specific stadium in Rochester, New York within the Rochester Community Sports Complex. It is home to the Flower City Union of the National Premier Soccer League. 1.1 km · soccer-specific stadium located in Rochester, New York, USA · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester_Community_Sports_Complex_Stadium) 5. National Technical Institute for the Deaf The National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. As one of nine colleges within the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, NTID provides academic programs, access, ASL in-class interpreters and support services—including on-site audiological, speech-language, and cochlear implant support. 9.7 km · American national university for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing, located in Rochester, New York · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Technical_Institute_for_the_Deaf) 6. Memorial Art Gallery The Memorial Art Gallery, colloquially referred to as the MAG, is a civic art museum in Rochester, New York. Founded in 1913, by Emily Sibley Watson and given in trust to the University of Rochester. 2.5 km · art museum operated by the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York, United States · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Art_Gallery) 7. Sacred Heart Cathedral The Sacred Heart Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Rochester, New York, United States. The renovated cathedral is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Rochester and seat of the diocesan bishop, as well as home to a parish community. 3.3 km · Roman Catholic cathedral in Rochester, New York, USA · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Heart_Cathedral_(Rochester,_New_York%29) 8. Kodak Tower Kodak Tower is a 19-story skyscraper in the High Falls District of Rochester, New York, and is part of the Eastman Kodak Headquarters complex. It has a roof height of 340 ft and stands 366 ft with its antenna spire included. 600 m · skyscraper in Rochester, New York, USA · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_Tower) 9. The Metropolitan The Metropolitan, formerly known as Chase Tower, and Lincoln First Bank, is a skyscraper located in Rochester, New York, United States. It is the third tallest skyscraper in Rochester, standing at 392 feet. 1.3 km · skyscraper in Rochester, New York · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metropolitan_(Rochester,_New_York%29) 10. The National Museum of Play The Strong National Museum of Play is part of The Strong in Rochester, New York, United States. Established in 1969 and initially based on the personal collection of Rochester native Margaret Woodbury Strong, the museum opened to the public in 1982, after several years of planning, cataloguing, and exhibition development for the museum's new building in downtown Rochester. 1.9 km · national museum dedicated to toys and play located in Rochester, New York, United States · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strong_National_Museum_of_Play) Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0. See ## What Wikivoyage says to see Rochester may not be the most popular place for sightseeing, but the Genesee River gorge and its three waterfalls are certainly worth a trip. For nature lovers, the most scenic of the city's parks is probably Highland Park, although Genesee Valley Park has more recreation options. Where Rochester shines is in its selection of cultural attractions; the variety and quality compare favorably to cities twice its size. From [Wikivoyage: Rochester](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rochester_(New_York%29), CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us. Do ## Things to do You might sometimes catch residents complaining that there's not much to do around Rochester, but a little research reveals a wealth of opportunities, even during the long winters. Nearly everything is family-friendly, too; Rochester is consistently ranked one of the best cities in the world for visiting with kids. 1. Rochester Riverside Convention Center 123 E Main St (Park at South Ave Garage),. 2. Rochester Red Wings 3. Rochester Americans 4. Rochester Knighthawks 5. Rochester Lancers 6. Flower City Union From [Wikivoyage: Rochester](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rochester_(New_York%29), CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us. Eat ## Where to eat Dining in Rochester is typical of most mid-sized American cities. The immediate suburbs are crawling with large chain restaurants, but you can find more original fare in the city proper, and in outlying areas away from the biggest commercial strips. 1. Bill Gray's Seabreeze 4870 Culver Rd, Irondequoit (on Hot Dog Row),. 2. Bill Gray's at the Skyliner Diner 1 Manhattan Square Dr (inside Strong Museum),. 3. Bill Gray's Port of Rochester Inside the Port of Rochester terminal building. 4. Campi's 205 Scottsville Rd (Just north of I-390 exit 17),. 5. Dogtown Sun-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri Sat 11AM-midnight. From [Wikivoyage: Rochester](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rochester_(New_York%29), CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us. Go there ## Getting to Rochester **Airports:** Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester (ROC), 7 km · Buffalo Niagara (BUF), 94 km · Syracuse Hancock (SYR), 123 km\ **Stations:** Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, 6.9 km · Louise M. Slaughter Rochester Station, 700 m\ - Buffalo → Rochester 107 km · quickest by road, 1h 42m · $10–13 [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/buffalo-to-rochester) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Buffalo&to=Rochester) - Syracuse → Rochester 120 km · quickest by road, 1h 57m · $11–15 [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/syracuse-to-rochester) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=Syracuse&to=Rochester) - New York → Rochester 123 km · quickest by road, 2h 24m · $13–18 [Guide](https://www.mixroutes.com/routes/new-york-to-rochester) [Today](https://www.mixroutes.com/results?from=New+York&to=Rochester) - From anywhere The planner compares every way there from wherever you are. [Plan a trip](https://www.mixroutes.com/?to=Rochester) Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds. Not yet researched ## No local-transport research exists yet for Rochester Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Rochester. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more. What Wikivoyage says about moving around - Get in There is also scheduled charter service at the airport. From [Wikivoyage: Rochester (Minnesota)](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rochester_(Minnesota%29), CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09. The nearest places where the work is done 1. [Fire Island](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/fire-island) US 10 ways of moving, 19 sources 464 km 2. [Vinalhaven and the Fox Islands](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/vinalhaven) US 9 ways of moving, 13 sources 714 km 3. [Bacalar](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/bacalar) MX 9 ways of moving, 41 sources 2,904 km 4. [Caye Caulker](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/caye-caulker) BZ 9 ways of moving, 42 sources 2,992 km 5. [Tortola and the British Virgin Islands](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/tortola) VG 11 ways of moving, 15 sources 3,009 km If you know how people move in Rochester – the stand, the rule, the fare – [tell us](https://www.mixroutes.com/report?key=blog%7Crochester&title=Rochester&sub=Field+notes&back=%2Fnotes%2Frochester), and the note gets an entry. Around it ## Next door to Rochester - [Gates](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/gates) town in New York, United States 6.8 km - [Rochester metropolitan area](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/rochester-metropolitan-area) metropolitan area of Rochester, New York, United States 7.9 km - [Teoronto Block Historic District](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/teoronto-block-historic-district) historic district in New York, United States 500 m [The place page for Rochester](https://www.mixroutes.com/places/rochester) [All the notes](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes) [Every note on United States](https://www.mixroutes.com/notes#c-US) --- This is the markdown version of https://www.mixroutes.com/notes/rochester, for search crawlers and AI assistants. The HTML page is the canonical copy. Mixroutes is made by Lascade LLC, Sharjah Media City, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Index of every page: https://www.mixroutes.com/llms.txt