The City of Ithaca (named for the Greek island of Ithaca in Homer’s Odyssey) sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York State. The City of Ithaca is the center of the Ithaca metropolitan area (which also contains the legally distinct Town of Ithaca and other towns and villages in Tompkins County) and county seat of Tompkins County, New York.

As of 2000, the city had a population of 29,287, and the metropolitan area had a population of 100,135. Ithaca is the smallest metropolitan statistical area in New York State.It is known for its liberal politics, particularly in contrast to the surrounding rural (and conservative) villages.

According to Census Bureau estimates, the population of Tompkins County increased by 5.1% from 2000 to 2003. The number of people living in the county rose from 96,501 to 101,411.