Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie, Buffalo is New York State’s second most populous city. The Erie Canal, Lake Erie, and railroads are an important part of the city’s history as a major trading and industrial center. Buffalo was planned on a grand scale, with wonderful buildings, such as City Hall and the the Frank Lloyd Wright art gallery, and one of the most significant urban park systems in the country, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The scene for running in Buffalo centers around waterfront runs along Lake Erie and the Niagara River, and in some of the great parks and along Olmsted-designed parkways. Fun fact: the YMCA ‘Turkey Trot’ is the oldest continuously run footrace in the world.
The best places to run in Buffalo are the Olmsted-designed Delaware Park, and several routes showcasing Erie Basin and the Niagara River. There are also some great runs in the Tonawanda area. And no running experience in Buffalo is complete without doing a section of the 360-mile Erie Canalway Trail. For more in the area, see our guide for nearby Niagara Falls — both the U.S. and Canadian sides, and the Niagara region of Ontario, including Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines.
The NFTA operates an extensive bus and metro/light rail system. . Metro Rail light rail/subway operates through Buffalo’s central. Be aware that Buffalo can have cold and very snowy winters due to lake effect snows. Bring winter running gear!
a four season climate. Lake Erie is an influence, resulting in lots of overcast, precipitation falling on nearly 50% of days, and an average of 92 inches of snowfall annually. There are years when the snow can really stack up. Average January highs are around the freezing mark. Summers are warm and humid, with average high temps around 80F. Fall in the area is gorgeous.
