Town guide

Orleans, New York

Orleans is a town in Jefferson County, New York, home to about 2,778 people across 71 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 13640, 13641, 13656 and 13692, and parts of 13607 and 13624 are in Orleans too.

Homes sold for a median of $295 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 3 were seller’s markets.

Population2,77839 per sq mi
Median home value$190,300Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$295Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking33%Median of 3 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Orleans

6 ZIP codes, 2 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Orleans. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Orleans’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Orleans

Distances

Nearest major airportSyracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR)77 miles away
Closer regional airportWatertown International Airport (ART)16 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Buffalo, NY171 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY266 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Orleans; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Orleans

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Orleans had 2,788 residents in the 2020 census, up 13% since 2000.

It’s the 530th largest of 1,007 towns in New York by population.

Jefferson County grew from 76,748 residents in 1900 to 116,721 in 2020.

Orleans population by census2000: 2,465, 2010: 2,789, 2020: 2,7882,46520002,78920102,7882020

Jefferson County, 1900–2020

Jefferson County population, 1900 to 20201900: 76,748, 1910: 80,382, 1920: 82,250, 1930: 83,574, 1940: 84,003, 1950: 85,521, 1960: 87,835, 1970: 88,508, 1980: 88,151, 1990: 110,943, 2000: 111,738, 2010: 116,229, 2020: 116,72177K’00’1082K’20’3084K’40’5088K’60’7088K’80’90112K’00’10117K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 37.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near OrleansJan: high 30°F, low 10°F, 2.9 in; Feb: high 31°F, low 11°F, 2.2 in; Mar: high 40°F, low 21°F, 2.4 in; Apr: high 54°F, low 33°F, 3.1 in; May: high 66°F, low 44°F, 3 in; Jun: high 75°F, low 53°F, 3.1 in; Jul: high 79°F, low 59°F, 3 in; Aug: high 78°F, low 57°F, 3.2 in; Sep: high 71°F, low 49°F, 3.6 in; Oct: high 58°F, low 39°F, 4.2 in; Nov: high 47°F, low 30°F, 3.4 in; Dec: high 36°F, low 19°F, 3.1 in30°10°Jan2.931°11°Feb2.240°21°Mar2.454°33°Apr3.166°44°May3.075°53°Jun3.179°59°Jul3.078°57°Aug3.271°49°Sep3.658°39°Oct4.247°30°Nov3.436°19°Dec3.1Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Watertown Intl Ap, NY weather station (16 miles away).

Jobs in Jefferson County

28,622 jobs at 2,348 businesses in Jefferson County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyHealth care and social assistance: 6,322 jobs; Retail trade: 6,096 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 3,974 jobs; Manufacturing: 2,226 jobs; Construction: 1,635 jobs; Administrative and support: 1,152 jobs; Other services: 1,137 jobs; Wholesale trade: 1,067 jobsHealth care and social assistance 22% Retail trade 21% Hotels and restaurants 14% Manufacturing 8% Construction 6% Administrative and support 4% Other services 4% Wholesale trade 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

Nearest hospitals

  • River Hospital ClinicsCritical access hospital · emergency room · Alexandria Bay8.8 miles
  • Samaritan Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 2 of 5 · Watertown17.5 miles
  • Carthage Area Hospital, INCCritical access hospital · emergency room · Carthage24.4 miles

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.

Places in and around Orleans

Parks (2 nearby)

  • Grass Point State Park · 109 acres4.8 mi
  • Rock Island Lighthouse State Park · 1 acres5.1 mi

Grocery stores

  • Price Chopper5.8 mi
  • Big M8.1 mi

Pharmacies

  • Kinney Drugs5.7 mi
  • Kinney Drugs8.4 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Orleans Public Library1.5 mi

Museums

  • Boldt Castle9.2 mi

Counts are within about 5.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Notable people born here

  • Margaret Clay Ferguson (1863) · American botanist and botanical collector (1863-1951)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Orleans

Public schools here are run by La Fargeville Central School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
La Fargeville Central SchoolLa FargevillePre-K–12448Public1.5 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Orleans is

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Towns near Orleans

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Shares ZIP codes with Clayton, Alexandria, Cape Vincent and Pamelia.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.