NY 426 begins where the southern segment of
PA 426 leaves off at the
Pennsylvania state line in
French Creek north of
Corry, Pennsylvania. The route heads north through rural southwestern
Chautauqua County to the small community known as Cutting, where it
overlaps
NY 474 for westward before resuming its trek northward. Roughly north of Cutting, NY 426 veers to the west to avoid a large ridge situated near Beaver Meadow Brook, a small stream leading to
French Creek. The route follows the brook to where it converges with the creek, then parallels French Creek northward toward the waterside hamlet of French Creek. The creek and NY 426 split south of the community, with the creek continuing along French Creek–Mina Road to the hamlet while NY 426 bypasses French Creek to the west. The route enters the town of
Mina upon intersecting Harrington Hill Road a mile (1.6 km) to the north. A half mile (0.8 km) into Mina, NY 426 comes within view of Findley Lake, a body of water long from south to north and as wide as at points. The route follows the eastern edge of the lake north to the hamlet of Findley Lake, situated at the northern tip of the lake. Here, NY 426 overlaps
NY 430 westward for three blocks through the community prior to connecting to the
Southern Tier Expressway (
I-86 and
NY 17) by way of an interchange north of Findley Lake. The exit is the westernmost exit on NY 17; however, the expressway itself continues west to
I-90 near
Erie, Pennsylvania, as I-86. Past the expressway, NY 426 continues northwest for another through nondescript terrain to the Pennsylvania state line, where it becomes the northern segment of PA 426. ==History==