Lake Ontario's southern shore provides Rochester's northern boundary, with the city of 211,000 spreading south from the water's edge. The Genesee River flows north through downtown, dropping 96 feet over three major waterfalls within the city limits. Rochester sits at roughly 500 feet elevation, experiencing lake-effect weather patterns: heavy winter snowfall averaging well over 100 inches annually, cold temperatures around 25°F, and mild summers reaching the low 80s. The city's 37 square miles contain distinct neighborhoods radiating from the downtown core, shaped by the river valley's topography.
