Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13th-most populated municipality in the state of New York. Formally established in 1820, Syracuse was named after the classical Greek city Syracuse, a city on the eastern coast of the Italian island of Sicily, for its similar natural features.