Cattaraugus County is located in southwestern New York. Cattaraugus County has a total area of approximately 1322 square miles of which 99% is land and 1% water. As of the census of 2000, there were 83,955 people, 32,023 households, and 21,647 families residing in Cattaraugus County, New York. Out of New York's 58 counties, Cattaraugus County ranks as 29th most populous. The county name comes from a Seneca Indian word meaning "bad smelling banks," referring to the odor of natural gas which leaked from seams in rock formations.