The town was part of the Central New York Military Tract of 1789 used to pay soldiers for service in the American Revolution. Most of the soldiers chose to sell their allotments for cash so that the town was briefly in the hands of land speculators until the actual residents purchased lots. Settlement began around 1791. The Town of Van Buren was formed in 1829 from the Town of Camillus.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which, of it is land and of it is water. Van Buren is bordered on the north and west by the Seneca River. Its neighbor across the river is the Town of Lysander. On the southwest, Van Buren is bordered by the Town of Elbridge; on the south, the Town of Camillus; and on the east, the Town of Geddes. Van Buren contains the southern portion of the Village of Baldwinsville, which was incorporated in 1848. The northern part of the Village of Baldwinsville is in the Town of Lysander. The Baldwinsville Central School District, formed in 1949, includes most of the area of both Van Buren and Lysander. The New York State Thruway crosses the south part of Van Buren. New York State Route 690 is a limited access highway connecting with Thruway Exit 39 and bypassing Baldwinsville on the west. New York State Route 31 runs northeast-southwest through Van Buren, connecting Baldwinsville and Jordan. New York State Route 173 runs northwest--southeast, connecting Van Buren with Fairmount and Onondaga Hill. New York State Route 48 follows the course of the Seneca River in the eastern part of Van Buren; prior to the construction of Route 690, it carried much of the traffic between Baldwinsville and Syracuse. County and town roads complete the highway net.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,667 people, 5,288 households, and 3,384 families residing in the town. The population density was 356.2 people per square mile. There were 5,618 housing units at an average density of 158.0 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.05% White, 0.80% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population. There were 5,288 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.95. in Van Buren In the town, the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $43,003, and the median income for a family was $50,724. Males had a median income of $37,230 versus $26,842 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,997. About 4.9% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Communities and locations in Van Buren
Bangall —- A hamlet north of Ionia. It was called "Sand Spring" when the first sawmill in the town was built there in 1815.
Baldwinsville —- The south part of the Village of Baldwinsville.
