Orleans County is located in western New York, with Lake Ontario on its northern border and the Erie Canal passing right through the middle of the county. Orleans County has a total area of approximately 817 square miles of which 48% is land and 52% water. As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the Orleans County, New York. Out of the state's 58 counties, it only ranks as 50th most populous. The name is in honor of the French Royal House of Orleans.