OverviewOneida is a city in northeastern Madison County, bordered to the north and partly to the east by Verona (Oneida County), to the east partly by Verona and by Vernon, to the south by Stockbridge, to the southwest by Lincoln and to the west by Lenox. Oneida is the only city in Madison County but still has only about 11,000 residents. What becomes confusing here are the names; just east of the city of Oneida is the village of Oneida Castle, which is in Oneida County. All are named after the Oneida tribe, which held a lot of land around here centuries ago. The Oneida Indian Nation now owns land in the vicinity (and operates the popular Turning Stone Casino, just minutes from Oneida), and the Nation is one of four recognized tribes of Oneida people. The city of Oneida is about halfway between Syracuse (to the west) and Utica (to the east); each is about 30 miles away. The Erie Canal and Oneida Creek are located on the perimeter of the Oneida city limits. Oneida is centrally located on the New York State Canalway Trail System, a network of more than 260 miles with a large portion adjacent to the waterways of the state Canal System. The Adirondack Mountains are about an hour east of Oneida. Several colleges and universities are nearby.
Local Museums & Landmarks
The biggest attraction is Turning Stone Casino and Resort, only 9 miles northwest in Verona. Oneida itself has several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Main-Broad-Grove Streets Historic District, Cottage Lawn (home of the Madison County Historical Society), the Mount Hope Reservoir, Oneida Armory, the Oneida Community Mansion House (a “living museum” that celebrates the utopian Oneida Community) and the U.S. Post Office. The Shakowi Cultural Center tells the story of the Oneida Indian Nation and is located on the Oneida Indian Reservation. Just west of here is the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota; just east is Fort Stanwix in Rome, Oneida County. |