Quick answer: There is no major city directly west of Binghamton, NY that would be considered part of the New York City metropolitan area. The nearest major city west of Binghamton is Syracuse, NY, which is about 90 miles away.
Binghamton is a city located in the Southern Tier region of New York, about 165 miles northwest of New York City. It is situated near the Pennsylvania border, on the Susquehanna River. When people refer to New York City, they are generally talking about the five boroughs that make up the largest city in the United States – Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island. These boroughs have a total population of over 8.5 million people.
New York City’s metropolitan area encompasses parts of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. It has an estimated population of over 20 million. So when asking what the “New York City” is west of another location in New York, it implies looking for major cities that are part of or directly connected to this metropolitan area.
Examining Cities West of Binghamton
There are a few smaller cities west of Binghamton, such as:
- Elmira (population 27,000)
- Ithaca (population 30,000)
- Utica (population 60,000)
However, none of these cities are considered part of the New York City metropolitan area. They are much smaller in size and population compared to the five boroughs.
Syracuse (population 143,000) is the closest major city to the west of Binghamton, situated about 90 miles away. It is sometimes referred to as “Central New York’s Gateway to NYC.” Syracuse has train connections to New York City via Amtrak and regional rail. But it would be a stretch to consider Syracuse a part of NYC’s metropolitan area.
If you kept traveling west along Interstate 88 past Binghamton, you would reach Rochester (population 210,000) about 140 miles away. Rochester is considerably larger than Syracuse and has its own metropolitan area, but it is still not considered directly connected to New York City.
Therefore, the answer is that there is no singular “New York City” west of Binghamton. The Big Apple’s metropolitan area does not extend that far northwest. Binghamton is firmly situated in the Southern Tier region of Upstate New York.
The Geography and Boundaries of New York City’s Metropolitan Area
So what defines the boundaries of New York City’s metropolitan area? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the New York metropolitan area includes the following counties:
Image showing counties included in the New York City metro area. Source: Census Bureau
As you can see, the metro area extends northeast into Long Island, southwest into New Jersey, southeast into the lower Hudson Valley, and even partly into Pennsylvania and Connecticut. But it does not come close to reaching the Binghamton area.
The Census Bureau outlines that the general criteria for including counties in a metro area is having at least 50% of their population commute to the urban core (in this case New York City) for work. Binghamton is simply too far from NYC for this criteria.
For statistical purposes, the Binghamton metro area is considered part of the Triple Cities region in New York. This also includes nearby cities like Johnson City, Endicott, and Endwell. The Binghamton area is also sometimes classified as part of the wider Northeastern United States region.
Major Cities Between Binghamton and New York City
Although there is no singular metro area between Binghamton and NYC, there are a few other sizeable cities along that route:
| City | Distance from Binghamton | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Scranton, PA | 75 miles | 77,000 |
| Allentown, PA | 135 miles | 121,000 |
| Newark, NJ | 190 miles | 311,000 |
Scranton and Allentown are mid-sized cities that are part of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. Newark is considerably larger and part of the New York metropolitan area. From Binghamton, you would need to pass through these types of cities before reaching the direct NYC metro region.
So in summary – no, there is no major city that is considered directly part of New York City if you head due west from Binghamton. The metro area does not extend nearly that far. Syracuse sits about 90 miles west as the nearest major city.
Traveling From Binghamton to New York City
For those who live in or near Binghamton, traveling to New York City is still fairly convenient despite being almost 200 miles away.
There are a few main options for getting from Binghamton to NYC:
- Driving: By car, the drive is roughly 3 hours nonstop to Midtown Manhattan via Interstate 88 and Route 17. With no traffic, the distance is about 185 miles.
- Bus: ShortLine/CoachUSA bus service offers multiple daily routes between Binghamton and New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal. The journey takes 4-5 hours.
- Train: Amtrak operates 1 train daily from Binghamton to NYC’s Penn Station, with travel time around 5.5 hours.
- Plane: From Binghamton Airport, you can fly to New York City airports such as JFK, LaGuardia or Newark, with about an hour in the air. Several major airlines have service between BGM and NYC airports.
So while not the most convenient commute, it is definitely feasible to travel between the two cities regularly for business or leisure purposes. The transportation connections are sufficient.
Conclusion
In summary – there are no major cities that would be considered part of the New York City metropolitan area if traveling directly west from Binghamton. Smaller cities like Elmira, Ithaca, and Utica exist in that western region, but are not connected to NYC’s metro.
The closest major city is Syracuse, situated 90 miles west of Binghamton. And getting from Binghamton to New York City requires about a 3 hour drive or 4+ hour bus/train ride. The distance between the two cities is substantial. But there are enough transportation options to make regular trips between Binghamton and NYC fairly convenient.
