New York State Route 261
Encyclopedia
New York State Route 261 (NY 261) is a north–south state highway
located west of the city of Rochester
in Monroe County, New York
, in the United States. It extends for 8.44 miles (13.58 km) through mostly rural areas from an intersection with NY 104
on the Greece
–Parma
town line to a dead end at the Lake Ontario
shoreline in Greece. The majority of NY 261 is situated on the boundary between the towns of Greece and Parma; however, the last 2 miles (3.2 km) of the route are located solely in Greece. NY 261 meets the Lake Ontario State Parkway
southwest of Manitou Beach on the latter stretch.
The origins of NY 261 date back to the mid-1910s when the highway was initially taken over by the state. It went unnumbered—in terms of having a posted designation—until ca. 1931, at which time it became NY 261. The portion of NY 261 between the Lake Ontario State Parkway and Manitou Beach was initially state-maintained; however, it has since been transferred to Monroe County, which maintains the road as the unsigned County Route 272 (CR 272).
(Ridge Road
) on the Greece
–Parma
town line. It is initially known as Manitou Road, a highway designated as CR 208 by Monroe County
south of NY 104. The route heads northward, following the boundary between Greece and Parma as it traverses a predominantly rural portion of Monroe County. After 2.5 miles (4 km) of sporadic development amongst open fields and wooded areas, NY 261 enters the small hamlet of West Greece, where it meets NY 18
at Latta Road. The east–west route turns north here, overlapping with NY 261 for 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) before turning westward onto Parma Center Road. Past NY 18, the amount of development remains sporadic well into northwestern Monroe County.
About 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of NY 18, Manitou Road crosses Salmon Creek and parallels it for a short time before branching into two roads, both of which eventually intersect with the Lake Ontario State Parkway
and reach the Lake Ontario
shoreline. The left branch, which continues on the same linear north–south alignment as Manitou Road and thus is situated on the town line as well, is named Payne Beach Road and designated as CR 224. NY 261, however, takes the right fork, named Manitou Beach Road, northeast into Greece. The route continues to follow Salmon Creek into the hamlet of Braddock Heights, where NY 261 connects to the Lake Ontario State Parkway by way of an interchange. This exit is the westernmost interchange on the parkway in Monroe County, which becomes a four-lane divided highway until reaching Orleans County
.
NY 261 continues northeast past the Lake Ontario State Parkway, serving a line of homes overlooking Braddock Bay
to the southeast, and eventually Lake Ontario to the east. State maintenance of NY 261 ceases just northeast of the junction with the parkway, at which point it becomes county-maintained as the unsigned CR 272. Roughly 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) northeast of the Lake Ontario Parkway, NY 261 reaches the lakeside hamlet of Manitou Beach. The route turns southward before reaching the lake shore, however; instead, it parallels the shoreline for 200 yards (183 m) before terminating at an isolated dead end south of the hamlet.
let a contract to improve all of modern NY 261 to state highway standards. The reconstruction cost $79,296.22 (equivalent to $ in ), and the roadway was added to the state highway system on December 26, 1916, as the unsigned State Highway 1281 (SH 1281). In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, hundreds of state-maintained highways that did not have a posted route number were assigned one. NY 261 was assigned to SH 1281 by the following year. The alignment of the route has not changed since that time; however, ownership and maintenance of NY 261 northeast of the Lake Ontario State Parkway
was transferred from the state to Monroe County
at some point prior to 1997.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
located west of the city of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
in Monroe County, New York
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
, in the United States. It extends for 8.44 miles (13.58 km) through mostly rural areas from an intersection with NY 104
New York State Route 104
New York State Route 104 is a long east–west state highway in Upstate New York, United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follows a routing largely parallel to that of the southern shoreline of Lake...
on the Greece
Greece (town), New York
Greece is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town had a total population of 96,095. The town motto is "Discover the Promise."...
–Parma
Parma, New York
Parma is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 15,633 at the 2010 census.The Town of Parma, then in Genesee County, was organized in 1808, named after Parma in Italy.-Geography:...
town line to a dead end at the Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
shoreline in Greece. The majority of NY 261 is situated on the boundary between the towns of Greece and Parma; however, the last 2 miles (3.2 km) of the route are located solely in Greece. NY 261 meets the Lake Ontario State Parkway
Lake Ontario State Parkway
The Lake Ontario State Parkway is a parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in western New York in the United States. The western end of the highway is at a partial interchange within Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County. Its eastern terminus is at an intersection with...
southwest of Manitou Beach on the latter stretch.
The origins of NY 261 date back to the mid-1910s when the highway was initially taken over by the state. It went unnumbered—in terms of having a posted designation—until ca. 1931, at which time it became NY 261. The portion of NY 261 between the Lake Ontario State Parkway and Manitou Beach was initially state-maintained; however, it has since been transferred to Monroe County, which maintains the road as the unsigned County Route 272 (CR 272).
Route description
NY 261 begins at an intersection with NY 104New York State Route 104
New York State Route 104 is a long east–west state highway in Upstate New York, United States. It spans six counties and enters the vicinity of four cities—Niagara Falls, Lockport, Rochester, and Oswego—as it follows a routing largely parallel to that of the southern shoreline of Lake...
(Ridge Road
Ridge Road (Western New York)
Ridge Road is a east–west road that traverses four counties in Upstate New York in the United States. It is named for the rise atop which the road was built, a mound of sand and gravel that was formed when it was the shoreline of ancient Glacial Lake Iroquois...
) on the Greece
Greece (town), New York
Greece is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town had a total population of 96,095. The town motto is "Discover the Promise."...
–Parma
Parma, New York
Parma is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 15,633 at the 2010 census.The Town of Parma, then in Genesee County, was organized in 1808, named after Parma in Italy.-Geography:...
town line. It is initially known as Manitou Road, a highway designated as CR 208 by Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
south of NY 104. The route heads northward, following the boundary between Greece and Parma as it traverses a predominantly rural portion of Monroe County. After 2.5 miles (4 km) of sporadic development amongst open fields and wooded areas, NY 261 enters the small hamlet of West Greece, where it meets NY 18
New York State Route 18
New York State Route 18 is an east–west state highway in western New York in the United States. It runs parallel to the south shore of Lake Ontario for most of its length between Niagara County and Monroe County...
at Latta Road. The east–west route turns north here, overlapping with NY 261 for 0.4 mile (0.643736 km) before turning westward onto Parma Center Road. Past NY 18, the amount of development remains sporadic well into northwestern Monroe County.
About 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north of NY 18, Manitou Road crosses Salmon Creek and parallels it for a short time before branching into two roads, both of which eventually intersect with the Lake Ontario State Parkway
Lake Ontario State Parkway
The Lake Ontario State Parkway is a parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in western New York in the United States. The western end of the highway is at a partial interchange within Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County. Its eastern terminus is at an intersection with...
and reach the Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
shoreline. The left branch, which continues on the same linear north–south alignment as Manitou Road and thus is situated on the town line as well, is named Payne Beach Road and designated as CR 224. NY 261, however, takes the right fork, named Manitou Beach Road, northeast into Greece. The route continues to follow Salmon Creek into the hamlet of Braddock Heights, where NY 261 connects to the Lake Ontario State Parkway by way of an interchange. This exit is the westernmost interchange on the parkway in Monroe County, which becomes a four-lane divided highway until reaching Orleans County
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
.
NY 261 continues northeast past the Lake Ontario State Parkway, serving a line of homes overlooking Braddock Bay
Braddock Bay
Braddock Bay is a small bay of Lake Ontario, located northwest of Rochester, New York, United States. Braddock Bay is renowned for being an excellent bird-watching location, as raptors and other birds congregate when migrating north in Spring...
to the southeast, and eventually Lake Ontario to the east. State maintenance of NY 261 ceases just northeast of the junction with the parkway, at which point it becomes county-maintained as the unsigned CR 272. Roughly 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) northeast of the Lake Ontario Parkway, NY 261 reaches the lakeside hamlet of Manitou Beach. The route turns southward before reaching the lake shore, however; instead, it parallels the shoreline for 200 yards (183 m) before terminating at an isolated dead end south of the hamlet.
History
On June 9, 1915, the state of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
let a contract to improve all of modern NY 261 to state highway standards. The reconstruction cost $79,296.22 (equivalent to $ in ), and the roadway was added to the state highway system on December 26, 1916, as the unsigned State Highway 1281 (SH 1281). In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, hundreds of state-maintained highways that did not have a posted route number were assigned one. NY 261 was assigned to SH 1281 by the following year. The alignment of the route has not changed since that time; however, ownership and maintenance of NY 261 northeast of the Lake Ontario State Parkway
Lake Ontario State Parkway
The Lake Ontario State Parkway is a parkway along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in western New York in the United States. The western end of the highway is at a partial interchange within Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County. Its eastern terminus is at an intersection with...
was transferred from the state to Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
at some point prior to 1997.