<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001005477-03-003751
<TYPE>3
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20030902
<FILING-DATE>20030912
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>ROUGEAU GARY M
<CIK>0001262682
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>3
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-26481
<FILM-NUMBER>03894301
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>220 LIBERTY STREET
<CITY>WARSAW
<STATE>NY
<ZIP>14569
<PHONE>5857861100
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS INC
<CIK>0000862831
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6021
<IRS-NUMBER>160816610
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>NY
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>220 LIBERTY STREET
<CITY>WARSAW
<STATE>NY
<ZIP>14569
<PHONE>7167861100
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>220 LIBERTY STREET
<CITY>WARSAW
<STATE>NY
<ZIP>14569
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>3
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>edgar123.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 3
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>
    <periodOfReport>2003-09-02</periodOfReport>
    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000862831</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FISI</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>

        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001262682</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ROUGEAU GARY M</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>220 LIBERTY STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WARSAW</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>14569</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
        <isDirector>0</isDirector>
        <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
        <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
        <isOther>0</isOther>
        <officerTitle>Senior Vice President</officerTitle>
    </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>

        <securityTitle>
            <value>Common Stock</value>
        </securityTitle>
        <postTransactionAmounts>

            <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                <value>1000</value>
            </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
        </postTransactionAmounts>
        <ownershipNature>

            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>

    </nonDerivativeTable>
    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeHolding>

        <securityTitle>
            <value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>

        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>14.00</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>

        <exerciseDate>
            <footnoteId id="F1"/>
        </exerciseDate>

        <expirationDate>
            <value>2009-08-04</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>

            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>

            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>1275</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>

            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>

        <derivativeHolding>

        <securityTitle>
            <value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>

        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>12.688</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>

        <exerciseDate>
            <footnoteId id="F2"/>
        </exerciseDate>

        <expirationDate>
            <value>2010-04-24</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>

            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>

            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>973</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>

            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>

        <derivativeHolding>

        <securityTitle>
            <value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>

        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>14.125</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>

        <exerciseDate>
            <footnoteId id="F3"/>
        </exerciseDate>

        <expirationDate>
            <value>2011-01-30</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>

            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>

            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>850</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>

            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>

        <derivativeHolding>

        <securityTitle>
            <value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>

        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>25.33</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>

        <exerciseDate>
            <footnoteId id="F4"/>
        </exerciseDate>

        <expirationDate>
            <value>2012-01-30</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>

            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>

            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>850</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>

            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>

        <derivativeHolding>

        <securityTitle>
            <value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value>
        </securityTitle>

        <conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <value>22.51</value>
        </conversionOrExercisePrice>

        <exerciseDate>
            <footnoteId id="F5"/>
        </exerciseDate>

        <expirationDate>
            <value>2013-02-18</value>
        </expirationDate>
        <underlyingSecurity>

            <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </underlyingSecurityTitle>

            <underlyingSecurityShares>
                <value>1000</value>
            </underlyingSecurityShares>
        </underlyingSecurity>
        <ownershipNature>

            <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <value>D</value>
            </directOrIndirectOwnership>
        </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>

    </derivativeTable>
    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Options vest at a rate of 33 1/3% per year beginning 8/4/2000.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Options vest at a rate of 33 1/3% per year beginning 4/24/2001.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Options vest at a rate of 33 1/3% per year beginning 1/30/2002.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Options vest at a rate of 33 1/3% per year beginning 1/30/2003.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Options vest at a rate of 33 1/3% per year beginning 2/18/2004.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Sonia M. Dumbleton for Gary M. Rougeau</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2003-09-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
