Penn Yan, New York is a quaint, charming village that serves as the county seat of Yates County. Located in the splendid Finger Lakes Region of southwestern New York, Penn Yan nestles on the northern end of Keuka Lake, known as the ‘Lady of the Lakes’. The purity of its waters is unsurpassed in New York's Southern Tier, and Keuka is renowned for its excellent fishing. 

Incorporated in 1833, Penn Yan’s population is roughly 5,500 (Census 2000 data.)  Proud of their history, residents have restored and preserved many buildings from previous eras, creating a rustic and old-world ambience. Close to the Pennsylvania state border, the village was so named because when it was founded, there was an equal amount of Pennsylvanians as well as Yankees living here.  Penn Yan, NY boasts two historic districts within this village of 2.3 square miles.

Modern-day Penn Yan contains three churches, the Yates County courthouse, a stone prison, two newspaper offices, twenty general stores, five taverns and a bank. There are two gristmills as well as two sawmills and about four hundred fifty other dwellings. 

Along with an excellent public school system, Penn Yan is also home to St. Michael's School, a private school for grades K through 5, and the Emmanuel Baptist Academy, serving grades K through 12.  Keuka College is also found here, an excellent, private liberal arts institution. Within a forty-mile commute of the village, thirteen other institutes of higher learning are located, including Cornell University and Ithaca College.

A number of gracious bed and breakfast resorts grace this pleasant community. Finton's Landing, Merritt Hill Manor, and the Trimmer House all appear on the Finger Lakes Winery Tours and overlook Keuka Lake. Penn Yan’s Windmill Farm and Craft Market is the largest of its kind in Upstate New York, attracting eight to ten thousand visitors per week. The market distributes the wondrous fare that emerges from the many area farms, including large percent from the thriving Mennonite population. Excellent dairy farms, apple orchards and grape vineyards flourish through the region.

With its scenic beauty and rural charm, it is easy to see why Penn Yan, New York has been consistently named one of the top one hundred “Best Small Towns in America”.