Clarence is a town and affluent suburb located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States, northeast of Buffalo.

[3] The Clarence census-designated place occupies the southeast part of the town and roughly corresponds to a postal district with ZIP code 14031 and 14221 in the western side which it shares with nearby Williamsville.

The local Native Americans called the area Ta-Num-No-Ga-O, which means "Place of Hickory Bark".

Clarence (in the north) and Willink (in the south) then comprised the entire area of what would, in 1821, become Erie County.

[4] During the War of 1812, the press of the Buffalo Gazette was moved to Clarence, out of harm's way of the British troops.

One historian credits Clarence as the site of the introduction of the carrousel to the United States.

Artifacts from the Clarence carrousels are now preserved in the Circus Hall of Fame in Sarasota, Florida.

Including wooden horses built by the original immigrants who brought the carrousel to Clarence.

The former Automobile Club of Buffalo clubhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

New York State Route 5, called Main Street locally, passes across the south part of the town.

The eastern terminus of NY Route 324, Sheridan Drive, is located in Clarence at the intersection of NY-5 and Thompson Road.

A portion is in Williamsville Central School District[13] Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church Elementary School in Harris Hill offers K-8 Catholic education, now with a 3-4 year old pre-school program.

St. Mary's School in Swormville offers K-8 Catholic education and a certified Montessori program starting at age 3.