Buffalo, city in western New York at the eastern tip of Lake Erie and seat of Erie County. Buffalo is located at the mouth of the Buffalo River and at the head of the short but important Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario. A commercial and industrial community, Buffalo is the second largest city in the state, after the city of New York. Transportation is one of the city's principal assets, as it has been throughout its history. Situated on the Great Lakes, it is a major inland port with access to raw materials, notably grains, from the Midwest; it also has a shipping outlet to the Atlantic Ocean through the Welland Ship Canal and St. Lawrence Seaway. The western terminus of the New York State Canal System is in Buffalo as well. <br>The Toronto metropolitan region, Canada's largest urban area, is a short distance to the north. A major portion of the trade between the United States and Canada passes through Buffalo, much of it crossing the Peace Bridge spanning the Niagara River. Commercial air service is through Greater Buffalo International Airport. Buffalo also is one of the country's largest rail junctions.