Cortland County is located in west central New York, right above the Southern Tier region. Cortland County has a total area of approximately 502 square miles of which 99% is land and less than 1% water. As of the census of 2000, there were 48,599 people, 18,210 households, and 11,617 families residing in Cortland County, New York. The population density was at 97 per square mile. Out of New York's 58 counties, Cortland County ranks only as 47th most populous. The name is in honor of Pierre Van Cortlandt , who wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777.