Rochester
BeenUnited States of AmericaDfa
📷 Patrick Ashley· CC BY 2.0From the rivers to the lakes; The Flower City
About
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 211,328 at the 2020 census. The Rochester metropolitan area in Western New York has an estimated 1.06 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.
Wikipedia →Summary excerpted from the Wikipedia article Rochester, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text may be clipped or paraphrased to fit this page.
Why visit
Rochester rewards travelers interested in industrial history, photography, and Susan B. Anthony's legacy. Visit the George Eastman Museum (Kodak founder's mansion, now the world's oldest photography and film museum). Tour the Susan B. Anthony House where she lived and was arrested in 1872 for trying to vote. Walk the High Falls of the Genesee River right downtown; a 96-foot drop in the heart of the city. The Strong National Museum of Play (toys, video games, the National Toy Hall of Fame) is exceptional, especially with kids. Day-trip to the spectacular Letchworth State Park ('the Grand Canyon of the East'), the Finger Lakes wineries (Seneca, Cayuga, Keuka), or Niagara Falls 110 km west.
When to avoid
Rochester has serious post-industrial decline issues; some neighborhoods have high crime and concentrated poverty. Stay aware downtown after dark. Winter is brutal; lake-effect snowstorms can dump 30+ cm in a single night. The Inner Loop highway scars the downtown. Rochester International Airport (ROC) has limited service; many travelers fly into Buffalo or Syracuse. Don't expect busy nightlife on weekday evenings. Skip the Kodak headquarters area at night; it's rough. The garbage plate (a local diner specialty) is an acquired taste.
Summer (Jun to Aug)
Summers are warm, humid, and pleasantly long-dayed; daytime highs of 24 to 27°C with humidity from Lake Ontario. Nights cool to 14 to 16°C. July and August can hit 32 to 35°C in heat waves. Lake Ontario water stays cool (18 to 20°C) but swimmable. The Rochester International Jazz Festival in late June (one of the country's biggest) takes over downtown. The Lilac Festival in May celebrates the city's namesake blooms in Highland Park. Outdoor patios proliferate. Pack light layers, swimsuit, sunscreen, and a light rain shell for thunderstorms.
Winter (Dec to Feb)
December through February are the cooler or wetter period in Rochester. Winter in Rochester works best when museums, concerts, cafes, and short walks form the structure. The practical issue in Rochester is whether weather and daylight shorten the useful day. For Rochester, the season often favors interiors and shorter local routes: museums, churches, galleries, theaters, bookshops, cafes, and nearby streets. A cold or wet day in Rochester works best with shorter walks, confirmed hours, and a clear way back to lodging.
The next week in Rochester
7-day forecast from Open-Meteo. UV badges flag days when sun protection matters (3 and above is moderate; 8 and above is risk territory for unprotected fair skin within 30 minutes).
Today
Overcast
20° / 7°
UV High
Sat
Overcast
26° / 9°
UV High
Sun
Fog
22° / 13°
UV Moderate
Mon
Thunderstorm
30° / 14°
UV High
Tue
Drizzle
30° / 19°
0.6 mm
UV High
Wed
Overcast
24° / 11°
UV Moderate
In May 16
JFMAMJJASOND
Air quality
No monitoring station within 25 km.
Weather
33° / -3°
Typical high / low
3 mm rainfall this month
Daylight
14.6h
05:47 – 20:25local
Year-round climate
Monthly highs, lows, and rainfall (long-term averages, NASA POWER).
Airports near Rochester
2 commercial airports within 100 km. Closest is Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC) at 7 km.
Getting around Rochester
Public-transit operators within 8 km of the city center. Click through to each operator’s site for routes, fares, and tickets.
Local transit operators
AmtrakRGRTAVIA RailGreyhoundFlixbusTrain de CharlevoixAmtrak Chartered VehicleNew York TrailwaysB MetroAdirondack TrailwaysOcean Travel
Operators and modes aggregated by TransitLand from individual transit-agency GTFS feeds. Route classifications (subway / tram / rail / bus / etc) come from each feed’s GTFS route_type codes.
Sister cities
Sources
This page blends public reference data, climate/elevation services, and personal notes. Travel requirements can change, so visa and entry details should be checked again before booking.
- Wikipedia →
Summary, canonical article, and some image fallbacks.
- Wikidata →
Population, area, image, coordinates, and linked identifiers where available.
- NASA POWER →
Monthly temperature and rainfall climatology.
- Open-Meteo historical weather →
1991-2020 temperature and precipitation cross-check for compact climate fields.
- Open-Elevation →
Coordinate-based elevation backfill.
- tz database →
Coordinate-based IANA timezone lookup.
- City flag source →
CC BY-SA 4.0, IndysNotHere.
- Site credits →
Global source notes, map tiles, flags, licenses, and attribution policy.