New York State Route 243 (NY 243) is a east–west state highway in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It begins at an intersection with NY 98 in the town of Freedom and proceeds southeastward across mostly rural areas of Cattaraugus and Allegany counties to Rushford Lake. From here, the highway turns eastward into the town of Caneadea, where it ends at a junction with NY 19. NY 243 has been altered since it was assigned as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, specifically a truncation from Farmersville to NY 98 in Freedom. The junction with between NY 98 and NY 243 was reconstructed in the middle of the 20th century. Route description NY 243 begins at an intersection with NY 98 in the Cattaraugus County town of Freedom, just north of the Farmersville–Freedom town line. The route proceeds eastward as a two-lane rural road, passing several farms on the town line before crossing into Allegany County at the hamlet of Fairview, located at a five-way intersection with County Line, Hyuck, and Fairview roads. From here, the route trends southeastward into the town of Rushford, where it winds its way across rolling, mostly open terrain to the isolated hamlet of Rushford. NY 243 largely bypasses the community to the northeast, intersecting the northern terminus of County Route 7B (CR 7B, named Buffalo Street) and CR 7E (Upper Street) as it curves around Rushford. East of the hamlet, the highway runs generally eastward across another rural stretch, following the northern edge of Caneadea Creek as it connects to the southern terminus of CR 23 and the western end of CR 49. Not far from the latter junction, the creek empties into Rushford Lake, a small water body located on the Rushford–Caneadea town line. NY 243 loosely parallels the northern edge of the lake, serving several local roads that lead south to lakeside houses comprising the hamlet of Balcom Beach. Past the lake, the roadway heads eastward across an undeveloped part of the town of Caneadea, veering to the north and south as it runs along the base of several hills. NY 243 eventually enters the hamlet of Caneadea, where it crosses over an abandoned railroad grade before ending at a T-intersection with NY 19 in a residential area just west of the Genesee River. History The origins of NY 243 date back