Chili, New York

Chili, New York
Town
Chili town hall
Location in Monroe County and the state of New York.
Location of New York in the United States
Coordinates: 43°06′14″N 77°45′10″W / 43.10389°N 77.75278°W / 43.10389; -77.75278
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Monroe
Established	February 22, 1822; 204 years ago (1822-02-22)
Government
• Type	Council government
• Town supervisor	David Dunning (R) Town council Mark Decory (R) James Valerio (R) Michael S. Slattery (R) Tracy DiFlorio (R)
Area
• Total	39.85 sq mi (103.2 km2)
• Land	39.50 sq mi (102.3 km2)
• Water	0.35 sq mi (0.91 km2)
Elevation	556 ft (169 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	29,123
• Density	729.0/sq mi (281.47/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes	14428 (Churchville) 14514 (North Chili) 14546 (Scottsville) 14623-14624 (Rochester)
Area code	585
FIPS code	36-055-15462
Website	www.chiliny.gov

Chili (/ˈtʃaɪlaɪ/ CHY-ly) is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 29,123 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the city of Rochester, established in 1822 from part of the town of Riga. North Chili was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Black Creek Park is one of many parks in Chili where visitors can make use of nature trails that run along the creek.

History

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The Chili area was once the hunting ground of the Seneca people. The first white settler was Captain Joseph Morgan, who purchased land from Peter Sheffer of neighboring Wheatland.

The area of Chili became part of the newly formed town of Northampton. With the formation of Monroe County the area became part of the town of Riga before splitting off into its own town on February 22, 1822.

Chili's etymology is disputed. Two popular theories are that it was named after the country of Chile, which was striving for independence at the time, or after the Chiliast faith embraced by some of the early settlers of South Chili.

The Chili Mills Conservation Area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Geography

Chili is in southwestern Monroe County and is bordered at its northeastern corner by the city of Rochester. The town is bordered to the north by the towns of Gates and Ogden, to the west by the town of Riga, to the east by the town of Henrietta, and to the south by the town of Wheatland. Downtown Rochester is 7 miles (11 km) northeast of the hamlet of Chili Center.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Chili has a total area of 39.9 square miles (103 km²), of which 39.5 square miles (102 km²) are land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²), or 0.89%, are water. Both Interstate 490 and the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) pass through Chili.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 29,123 people residing in the town. The population density was 737 inhabitants per square mile (285/km2).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, the racial makeup of the town was 79.0% White, 8.7% African American, 0.0% Native American, 1.9% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 2.4% from other races, and 7.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.2% of the population.

There were 11,883 households. In the town, 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18, and 19.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $89,793, and the per capita income for the town was $44,593. About 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line.

Education

Chili is served by the Churchville-Chili Central School District, Gates Chili Central School District, and Wheatland–Chili Central School District.

Government

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The town is governed by a town board consisting of a supervisor and four board members, all elected by registered town voters.

The local government includes^{[as of?]} town supervisor David Dunning (R) and town councillors Mark Decory (R); James Valerio (R); Michael S. Slattery (R); and Tracy DiFlorio (R). The appointed deputy town supervisor is Michael S. Slattery.

Communities and locations

• Chili Center – The centre of town government and the most urbanized portion of the town.
• Genesee River – Part of the east border of the town.
• North Chili – A hamlet in the northwest part of the town and home to Roberts Wesleyan College.
• South Chili – A rural area in Chili running along the New York State Thruway. The first business was located here called the Checker Tavern
• West Chili – A small community located just north of Black Creek Park. Originally called Buckbee's Corners.
• East Chili - A small community in the eastern part of the town. This does not exist in present day.
• Clifton- A small rural hamlet in the southern part of the town. Originally called Hardscrabble, it produced a world award-winning type of flour.

Places of local interest

Roberts Wesleyan University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university in North Chili. The school enrolls approximately 2,000 students. The school hosts various community events on its facilities, including soccer games, swimming lessons, dance recitals, fireworks, concerts, drama productions and many other events.

Notable people

• Homer G. Balcom, structural engineer of the Empire State Building; born in Chili in 1870
• Brittanee Drexel, murder victim who disappeared in 2009; lived in Chili with her mother and step-father

Sister cities

• Agropoli - Italy

References

External links

• official site