Shortsville encompasses the southwestern part of the Town of Manchester and is located north of the City of Canandaigua.

Originally called "Short Mill," Shortsville began its existence in 1804 when Theophilus Short built two mills along the shores of the Canandaigua Outlet; the village was then incorporated in 1889.

Companies that once inhabited Shortsville include Empire Drill Works, founded by Hiram and Calvin Brown in 1850 and operated until 1900, Shortsville Wheel Company, a manufacturer of carriage and automobile wheels, founded in 1889 and closed in the early 20th century, and Papec Machine Company, a manufacturer of farming implements, which ceased operation in the 1980s.

[3] According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km2), all land.

County Road 13, which is Main Street in Shortsville, intersects New York State Route 21 in the western side of the village.

21.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Milliken, Charles F. History of Ontario County NY and its People.