Cortland County is located in the geographic center of New York State. There is something to do year round with 22 miles of river, 25 lakes and ponds, 30,000 acres of state forest land, a nature center, a man-made lake with a beach, 99 holes for golf, 74 downhill ski slopes, 41 cross-country trails, and 328 camping sites.
Highway distance from the City of Cortland:
| Ithaca NY | 24 miles |  |
| Syracuse, NY | 34 miles | |
| Binghamton, NY | 48 miles | |
| Rochester, NY | 120 miles | |
| Buffalo, NY | 183 miles | |
| Albany, NY | 177 miles | |
| New York, NY | 216 miles | |
| Philadelphia, PA | 223 miles | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 394 miles | |
| Boston, MA | 344 miles | |
| Toronto, Canada | 278 miles | |
| Washington, D.C. | 355 miles |