Bethany Volunteer Fire Department, 5253 Old Telephone Rd, East Bethany, NY 14054, US

Batavia is the Birthplace of Western New York. In 1802, Joseph Ellicott, agent for Holland Land Company, established the Holland Land Office as his administrative headquarters. The Holland Land Purchase included 3.5 million acres in Western New York. The Purchase extended south to Pennsylvania, north to Lake Ontario, west to Lake Erie, and a few miles to the east of Batavia. Most of the early settlers came from England, New England, and Pennsylvania with small pockets of German, Scotch Highlanders and Dutch settlements. In 1802 New York State established Genesee County and made Batavia the County seat. The City was incorporated in 1915 and the City Charter was created.As the administrative center for Holland Land Company, all roads led to and from Batavia and the economy benefited from its central location immediately. While Batavia lost its central location with the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825, it regained its advantageous location with the construction of railroads starting in 1837.Today, all major western New York State routes still lead to Batavia and the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90, borders the northern boundary of the City. In the heart of Batavia, the Holland Land Office Museum specializes in the history of Genesee County.The City of Batavia is located directly off Exit 48 of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 90 and is centrally located between Buffalo and Rochester. State Routes 5, 98, 33 and 63 also pass through the heart of Batavia.The City and surrounding region offer a wide variety of activities for people of all ages. The City is home to the Batavia Muckdogs, the farm club of the St. Louis Cardinals. The Batavia Muckdogs are the 2008 New York-Penn League Champions. Cheer on the team June through August at Dwyer Stadium. Golf lovers can tee off at The Batavia Country Club, Meadowbrook Golf Course, Terry Hills Golf Course or Carter's Sweetland Pines. All are located within a few minutes drive of the City's limits.The City of Batavia provides an ideal location for travelers that want to take advantage of all that western New York has to offer. It is less than an hour from Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park and Lake Ontario and less than 30 minutes from the Genesee Country Museum, one of the largest outdoor living history museums in the country. Darien Lake Theme Park Resort is located approximately 20 minutes southwest of the City.For further information about major attractions, shopping, restaurants and accommodations in the area, see the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and the Batavia Business Improvement District web sites.Batavia experiences a number of varying seasonal types of weather. Some of the more interesting climate patterns are outlined in the table below: