The population density of the area along the western section of the Erie Canal increased five-fold between 1817 and 1835. As capital was consistently being allocated westward, new cities shot up between New York City and Lake Erie. Rochester's population increased almost 25 times between 1820 and 1850, Syracuse saw a 13-fold enhancement, and Buffalo's population grew by about 21 times its original size during the same time period. Foreign immigrants contributed substantially to the increased population of western cities. For example, between 1840 arid 1845, 300,000 immigrants landed in New York City. However the population only increased by 80,000, which means that the majority of immigrants travelled up the Hudson River to Albany or westward along the Erie Canal. The Gateway did not solely spur the growth of western cities. In fact, some might say that New York City was its primary beneficiary. About New York City, 19th Century real estate mogul Samuel B. Ruggles stated, The flourishing growth of this city must be attributed almost entirely to the Erie Canal, which has opened our internal commerce with the West, and poured in upon us a rare, steady, and rapidly. Similarly, in 1842, the editor of the Albany Argus declared, "So long as New York remains at the head of the western trade, it must irresistibly advance in wealth, influence, and population, until she will be known not only as the great city of America, but as the great city of the world.". See also Erie Canal Philadelphia Main Line Notes References Goodrich, Carter, Canals and American Economic Development. New York: Columbia University Press, 1961. Print. Shaw, Ronald, Erie Water West, Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 1966. Print. Walton, Gary, and Hugh Rockoff. History of the American Economy. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Trade routes Erie Canal