 Cayuga County , located in the Finger Lakes region of New York , has a highly unorthodox shape . Most of the county is only about 15 miles ( 24 km ) wide from its western border to its eastern edge . From north to south , however , it extends from Locke north to the Lake Ontario shoreline — a distance of about 55 miles ( 89 km ) . NY 38 passes through much of the county , ending about 4 miles ( 6 km ) south of the shoreline in Sterling . As a result , over half of NY 38 's routing is located in the county , with the midpoint located near the city of Auburn . 
