Otto, New York

Otto is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York.   The name comes from Jacob S. Otto, an agent of the Holland Land Company.

The Town of Otto lies on the northern border of the county

The town was first settled around 1816. The Town of Otto was formed in 1823 from part of the Town of Perrysburg. In 1854, the town was divided to form the Town of East Otto. Otto lost more territory to Perrysburg in 1823, and a to Ashford in 1835.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.3 square miles, of which, 32.2 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles of it (0.34%) is water.

The north town line is formed by Cattaraugus Creek and is the border of Erie County, New York, and the west town line is formed by South Branch (of Cattaraugus Creek).

The main highways through Otto are county roads. Cattaraugus County Route 12 is the main road through town, which extends southwestward Cattaraugus and northeastward toward East Otto, while Cattaraugus County Route 11 (North Otto Road) spurs northward from the hamlet of Otto through North Otto, and Cattaraugus County Route 13 (Maples Road) splits off east of the hamlet toward Ellicottville.

Communities and Locations in Otto, New York.

  • Otto (formerly "Waverly') – The hamlet of Otto is near the south town line at the junction of County Roads 11 and 12. It is the only significant settlement in the town.
  • North Otto – The sparsely populated and heavily agricultural area located along County Road 11 between the hamlet of Otto and Zoar Valley. Its residents are occasionally stereotyped as hicks, rednecks and hillbillies.
  • Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area – A conservation area in the northern part of the town.

Places

Photo of Zoar Valley – North Otto water access

The Zoar Valley Parking Area on North Otto Road has access to the Cattaraugus Creek.

Fishing

Depending upon the time of year, you could catch Steelhead(rainbow trout) and other kinds of trout on the Cattaraugus Creek. Get the map

Photos tagged as #EnchantedMountains or #EMFun. @emountains