Orchard Park (town), New York
Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, United States, and an outer ring suburb southeast of Buffalo. As of the 2010 census the population was 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the "Southtowns" of Erie County and is best known as the site of Highmark Stadium, home of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills. History. In 1803, Didymus C. Kinney and wife Phebe (Hartwell) purchased land and built a cabin in  the southwest corner of the township, which has since been turned into a museum. The following year, a migration of Quaker settlers began. The town was separated from the town of Hamburg in 1850 and was first named "Ellicott", after Joseph Ellicott, an agent of the Holland Land Company. Within months, the name was changed to the town of "East Hamburgh". Around 1934, the town was renamed "Orchard Park" after its principal settlement. In the early 1900s, a large fire burned down most of the central part of the village of Orchard Park around South Buffalo Street. The Buffalo, Rochester  and Pittsburgh Railroad Station and the Johnson-Jolls Complex are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Geography. Orchard Park is located at (42.7622, -78.7414). The village of Orchard Park is southeast of downtown Buffalo. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.21%, is water. Major routes. U.S. Route 219 passes through the west part of the town and forms junctions with U.S. Route 20A (Quaker Street) and NY 179 (Milestrip Road). U.S. Route 20 (Southwestern Boulevard) passes through the north part of the town and  forms a junction with NY 277 and NY 240 (Orchard Park Road). Demographics. As of the census of 2010, there were 28,272 people, 11,553 households, and 7,656 families residing in the town. The population density was 717.7 people per square mile (277.1/km). There were 10,644 housing units at an average density of 276.4 per square mile (106.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were  1.0% of the population. There were 10,277 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from  25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $151,227, and the median income for a family was $112,906. About 1.1% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line. Government. The town of Orchard Park has a supervisor-council form of government. Elected at large positions are Supervisor, Council  Member, Clerk, Highway Superintendent and Town Justice. Other appointed positions are Town Attorney and Deputy Attorney, Engineer, Assessor, Building Inspector, Recreation and Youth Services Director and Chief of Police. Education. The Orchard Park Central School District operates four K-5 elementary schools (Eggert, Ellicott, South Davis, and Windom), Orchard Park Middle School, and Orchard Park High School. The mascot for the Orchard Park's athletic teams is a Quaker. Bryant & Stratton College is in Orchard Park. Erie Community College (ECC) is at the western town line. Orchard Park also has a number of private, Catholic schools, including Nativity and St. John  Vianney. Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (pre-k through 8), closed in 2014 after exhaustive research conducted by the Diocese of Buffalo on demographics, finances and educational relevance. Culture. Art. The annual Orchard Park Festival of the Arts, an outdoor art and craft show, is held each year on the third weekend of September, on the campus of Orchard Park Middle School. It is sponsored by the Orchard Park Chamber of Commerce. It was organized as the Quaker Arts Festival in the 1960s by Orchard Parkers John Coleman of The Suburban Press and Chet Seymour of the Orchard Park  Presbyterian Church, and was originally held on the grounds of the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church. It was run by the Orchard Park Jaycees from 1963 to 2017. Music. Since 1985, under the direction of the Orchard Park Council of the Arts, local businesses and the town of Orchard Park sponsor free outdoor musical entertainment throughout the summer at the pavilion bandstand on the grounds of the middle school. Organized in 1949, the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra, composed of more than 70 volunteer musicians, performs four regular concerts each year in the high school auditorium. The Orchard Park Chorale was founded  in 1975 under the sponsorship of the Adult Education Program of the Orchard Park School District. Its more than fifty singers perform regularly at the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church. Food. Orchard Park is home to Taffy's Hot Dog Stand at the corner of U.S. Route 20 and NY Rtes 240 & 277. Ted's Hot Dogs is located about 1/8 of a mile north. Big Tree Inn, Homegrown Bistro, Buffalo's Best Grill, Buffalo Sports Garden (BSG), Byrd House, Dove, Duff's, Eckl's, Mangia Ristorante, O'Neill's Stadium Inn and OP Social are other restaurants in town. The town  is also home of the 3000th Tim Hortons restaurant location as well as Spot Coffee and Panera. Additional Orchard Park restaurants include Mighty Taco, a Buffalo-area chain restaurant, Charlie the Butcher, located adjacent to a Noco gas station, and the pizzerias Cappelli's, Leo's, Pappacino's, and Ricotta's (two locations). National chains include and are not limited to Red Robin, Denny's, McDonald's and Wendy's.