[3] The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters.

Niagara County is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and across the Canada–US border is the province of Ontario.

[7] In the years prior to 1776, most of the Loyalists in Tryon County fled to Canada including the likes of local judge John Butler and militia commander Sir John Johnson.

[8] In 1784, following the peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War, the name of Tryon County was changed to honor the general, Richard Montgomery, who had captured several places in Canada and died attempting to capture the city of Quebec, replacing the name of the hated British governor.

It was, however, larger than the present Niagara County even though it consisted of only the Town of Cambria.

[13] The county has a number of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

[16] The county's primary geographic feature is Niagara Falls, the riverbed of which has eroded seven miles south over the past 12,000 years since the last ice age.

[17] The water flows north from Lake Erie, then through the Niagara River, goes over Niagara Falls, and then on to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, eventually emptying into the North Atlantic Ocean.

Both the American and Canadian side of the Niagara River have massive electrical power plants.

North of the Escarpment lies the Lake Plain, which is a fertile flatland used to grow grapes, apples, peaches and other fruits and vegetables.

The Legislature formerly consisted of 19 members, but was downsized to 15 seats effective January 1, 2012, based on the results of a public referendum.

Both bodies are subordinate to the County Legislature; the former has a direct relationship, while the latter is currently under limited oversight of the town supervisors within the district.

Niagara County Community College is located in Sanborn, New York.

In the Buffalo Metro area there are more than 20 public and private colleges and universities offering programs in technical and vocational training, graduate, and professional studies.