Tompkins County is often included in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State, but is sometimes included in the Southern Tier Region. The physical geography of Danby mirrors this duality as the drainage divide between the Susquehanna River and Lake Ontario runs across the town. Generally waters in the northern and western portions of the town flow north into Cayuga Lake, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. Waters in the southeastern portion of the town flow south into the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.