For More Information:
Ronald A. Miller
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Phone: 585-786-1102

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Financial Institutions, Inc. Reports 2005 First Quarter Results

WARSAW, N.Y., April 28, 2005 — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:FISI), a holding company of community banks serving Central and Western New York, today reported net income of $2.3 million for the first quarter of 2005 down $0.3 million compared with $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2004. The lower net income is primarily a result of a $1.5 million increase in noninterest expense, offset by a $1.1 million decrease in the provision for loan losses. On a diluted per share basis, earnings for the first quarter of 2005 were $0.17, a decrease of 15% from $0.20 per share for the comparable quarter last year.

Peter G. Humphrey, Chairman, President & CEO of Financial Institutions, Inc (FII) stated, “Our financial results reflect our ongoing efforts to address the weaknesses in our loan portfolio. Increases in our noninterest expense largely represent additional legal, professional and personnel costs related to our credit and regulatory issues. The level of provision for loan losses primarily reflects our high level of problem loans. As previously indicated, we are evaluating the possibility of a sale of a substantial portion of our problem loans and have engaged an investment banking firm as an advisor to provide a review and assessment of those loans.”

Return on average common equity (annualized) for the first quarter of 2005 was 4.67% down 0.75% compared with the same quarter last year. Return on average assets (annualized) also declined for the 2005 first quarter to 0.43% compared with 0.49% for the same quarter in 2004.

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Revenue
For the first quarter 2005 net interest income totaled $18.4 million, down $0.1 million in comparison with the 2004 first quarter. Interest income from securities offset the decline in interest earned on a lower loan base. The net interest margin for the first quarter of 2005 was 3.90% compared with 3.89% in the prior year. Noninterest income for the first quarter of 2005 declined $0.2 million to $5.7 million from $5.9 million in the first quarter of 2004, largely the result of a $0.2 million decline in service charges on deposits.

Noninterest expense
Noninterest expense increased $1.5 million for the first quarter of 2005 to $17.4 million. Professional services fees increased $0.5 million due to higher costs associated with credit and regulatory issues. The $0.3 million increase in salaries and benefits expense reflects the addition of staff to the centralized credit administration function and the enhancement of the loan administration team, while $0.5 million of the increase in other expense relates to separation costs recorded during the most recent quarter. The higher noninterest expense, combined with flat revenue, resulted in an efficiency ratio of 67.62% for the 2005 first quarter compared to 61.15% for the first quarter of 2004.

Asset Quality
Nonperforming assets at March 31, 2005 were $63.6 million, up $8.4 million from December 31, 2004 and up $13.1 million from March 31, 2004. During the quarter, an $8.8 million substandard but accruing credit to one borrowing relationship was downgraded to nonaccrual status based on deterioration in the business. The ratio of nonperforming assets to total loans and other real estate was 5.18% at March 31, 2005 compared with 4.39% and 3.84% at December 31, 2004 and March 31, 2004, respectively. Net loan charge-offs in the first quarter of 2005 were $2.9 million, down $0.9 million from the prior year’s first quarter. Net loan charge-offs to average loans (annualized) for the first quarter 2005 was 0.93% compared with 1.15% in the same quarter last year.

Balance Sheet Trends
Total loans declined 7% to $1.23 billion as of March 31, 2005 compared with $1.31 billion at March 31, 2004. Loan origination has slowed as the Company has implemented more stringent underwriting requirements and focused resources on the existing loan portfolio. Offsetting the decline in loans was an 8% increase in investment securities to $768 million at March 31, 2005 compared with $712 million a year ago. Average deposits were relatively flat at $1.82 billion for the first quarters of 2005 and 2004. Total assets were $2.20 billion at March 31, 2005 down slightly in comparison to $2.22 billion at March 31, 2004.

About Financial Institutions, Inc.
FII is the bank holding company parent of Wyoming County Bank, The National Bank of Geneva, Bath National Bank, and First Tier Bank & Trust with $2.2 billion in assets. Its four banks provide a wide range of consumer and commercial banking services to individuals, municipalities, and businesses through a network of 50 offices and 72 ATMs in Western and Central New York State. FII’s Financial Services Group also provides diversified financial services to its customers and clients, including brokerage, trust, insurance and employee benefits and compensation consulting. More information on FII and its subsidiaries is available through the Company web site at www.fiiwarsaw.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by federal securities laws. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current beliefs or projections. There are a number of important factors that could affect the Company’s forward-looking statements which include the ability of the Company to implement the necessary changes to be in compliance with the formal agreements with the OCC, the effectiveness of the changes the Company is making, quality of collateral associated with nonperforming loans, the ability of customers to continue to make payments on criticized or substandard loans, the impact of rising interest rates on customer cash flows, the speed or cost of resolving bad loans, the ability to hire and train personnel, the economic conditions in the area the Company operates, customer preferences, the competition and other factors discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this press release.

TABLES FOLLOW.

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FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES    
Consolidated Statements of Income and Other Data    
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)    
(Unaudited)    
                    Three months ended        
                    March 31,        
                    2005   2004   $ Change   % Change
Interest income
  $ 26,420     $ 26,317     $ 103       - %
Interest expense
    8,052       7,860       192       (2 )%
 
                               
   Net interest income
    18,368       18,457       (89 )     - %
Provision for loan losses
    3,692       4,796       (1,104 )     (23 )%
 
                               
   Net interest income after provision for loan losses
    14,676       13,661       1,015       7 %
 
                                               
Noninterest income:
                               
   Service charges on deposits
    2,595       2,818       (223 )     (8 )%
   Financial services group fees and commissions
    1,537       1,420       117       8 %
   Mortgage banking activities
    477       523       (46 )     (9 )%
   Gain on sale and call of securities
    -       50       (50 )     (100 )%
   Other
    1,100       1,042       58       6 %
    
                               
      Total noninterest income
    5,709       5,853       (144 )     (2 )%
 
                                               
Noninterest expense:
                               
   Salaries and employee benefits
    9,434       9,152       282       3 %
   Other
    7,917       6,756       1,161       17 %
    
                               
      Total noninterest expense
    17,351       15,908       1,443       9 %
Income before income taxes
    3,034       3,606       (572 )     (16 )%
Income taxes
    745       959       (214 )     (22 )%
 
                               
Net income
    2,289       2,647       (358 )     (14 )%
Preferred stock dividends
    372       374       (2 )     (1 )%
 
                               
Net income available to common shareholders
  $ 1,917     $ 2,273     $ (356 )     (16 )%
 
                               
Taxable-equivalent net interest income
  $ 19,493     $ 19,582     $ (89 )     - %
 
                               
 
                                               
Per common share data:
                               
   Net income — basic
  $ 0.17     $ 0.20     $ (0.03 )     (15 )%
   Net income — diluted
  $ 0.17     $ 0.20     $ (0.03 )     (15 )%
   Cash dividends declared
  $ 0.16     $ 0.16     $ -       - %
   Book value
  $ 14.29     $ 15.10     $ (0.81 )     (5 )%
 
                                               
Common shares outstanding:
                               
   Weighted average shares — basic
    11,249,474       11,170,972                  
   Weighted average shares — diluted
    11,298,967       11,246,200                  
   Period end actual
    11,249,676       11,172,673                  

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    FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Additional Data
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
    (Unaudited)
            Three months ended
            March 31,
            2005   2004
Performance ratios, annualized
               
   Return on average assets
    0.43 %     0.49 %
   Return on average common equity
    4.67 %     5.42 %
   Common dividend payout ratio
    94.12 %     80.00 %
   Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)
    3.90 %     3.89 %
   Efficiency ratio
    67.62 %     61.15 %
Asset quality data:
                       
   Past due over 90 days and accruing
  $ 12     $ 2,199  
   Restructured loans
          3,081  
   Nonaccrual loans
    62,580       44,324  
   Other real estate owned (ORE)
    981       850  
 
                       
   Total nonperforming assets
  $ 63,573     $ 50,454  
 
                       
   Net loan charge-offs
  $ 2,870     $ 3,837  
Asset quality ratios:
                       
   Nonperforming loans to total loans
    5.11 %     3.78 %
   Nonperforming assets to total loans and ORE
    5.18 %     3.84 %
   Allowance for loan losses to total loans
    3.27 %     2.29 %
   Allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans
    64 %     61 %
   Net loan charge-offs to average loans (annualized)
    0.93 %     1.15 %
Capital ratios:
                       
   Average common equity to average total assets
    7.75 %     7.78 %
   Leverage ratio
    7.30 %     7.02 %
   Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio
    11.40 %     10.35 %
   Risk-based capital ratio
    12.67 %     11.61 %

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            FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES        
            Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition        
            (Dollars in thousands)        
            (Unaudited)        
                    March 31,        
                    2005   2004   $ Change   % Change
ASSETS
                                               
Cash, due from banks and interest-bearing deposits
          $ 49,231     $ 43,594     $ 5,637       13 %
Federal funds sold
                    62,359       67,810       (5,451 )     (8 )%
Investment securities
                    767,692       711,801       55,891       8 %
Loans
                    1,225,222       1,311,639       (86,417 )     (7 )%
Less: Allowance for loan losses
            40,008       30,023       9,985       33 %
 
                                               
   Loans, net
            1,185,214       1,281,616       (96,402 )     (8 )%
Goodwill
                    41,371       40,621       750       2 %
Other assets
                    90,409       77,919       12,490       16 %
 
                                               
      Total assets
  $ 2,196,276     $ 2,223,361     $ (27,085 )     (1 )%
 
                                               
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
                                       
Deposits:
                                               
   Demand
          $ 259,314     $ 251,035     $ 8,279       3 %
   Savings, money market, and interest-bearing checking
    846,617       831,557       15,060       2 %
   Certificates of deposit
            763,978       789,625       (25,647 )     (3 )%
 
                                               
      Total deposits
    1,869,909       1,872,217       (2,308 )     %
Short-term borrowings
                    34,985       46,436       (11,451 )     (25 )%
Long-term borrowings
                    77,344       85,485       (8,141 )     (10 )%
Junior subordinated debentures issued to unconsolidated subsidiary trust
    16,702       16,702       -       - %
Other liabilities
                    18,961       16,028       2,933       18 %
 
                                               
      Total liabilities
    2,017,901       2,036,868       (18,967 )     (1 )%
Shareholders’ equity:
                                               
   Preferred equity
            17,661       17,734       (73 )     %
   Common equity and accumulated other
                               
   comprehensive income (loss)
            160,714       168,759       (8,045 )     (5 )%
 
                                               
      Total shareholders' equity
    178,375       186,493       (8,118 )     (4 )%
 
                                               
      Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
  $ 2,196,276     $ 2,223,361     $ (27,085 )     (1 )%
 
                                               

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7

                                                 
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES    
Consolidated Average Statements of Financial Condition    
(Dollars in thousands)    
(Unaudited)    
                    Three months ended        
                    March 31,        
                    2005   2004   $ Change   % Change
ASSETS
                               
Cash, due from banks and interest-bearing deposits
  $ 43,241     $ 42,702     $ 539       1 %
Federal funds sold
    16,657       52,146       (35,489 )     (68 )%
Investment securities
    761,729       655,366       106,363       16 %
Loans
            1,239,324       1,329,130       (89,806 )     (7 )%
Less: Allowance for loan losses
    39,674       29,081       10,593       36 %
 
                               
   Loans, net
    1,199,650       1,300,049       (100,399 )     (8 )%
Goodwill
    41,371       40,621       750       2 %
Other assets
    86,591       78,158       8,433       11 %
 
                               
      Total assets
  $ 2,149,239     $ 2,169,042     $ (19,803 )     (1 )%
 
                                               
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
                               
 
                                               
Deposits:
                               
   Demand
  $ 271,322     $ 250,345     $ 20,977       8 %
   Savings, money market, and interest-bearing checking
    797,109       797,117       (8 )     - %
   Certificates of deposit
    750,503       773,675       (23,172 )     (3 )%
    
                               
      Total deposits
    1,818,934       1,821,137       (2,203 )     %
Short-term borrowings
    32,051       44,400       (12,349 )     (28 )%
Long-term borrowings
    79,477       86,068       (6,591 )     (8 )%
Junior subordinated debentures issued to unconsolidated subsidiary trust
    16,702       16,702       -       - %
Other liabilities
    17,826       14,298       3,528       25 %
 
                               
      Total liabilities
    1,964,990       1,982,605       (17,615 )     (1 )%
 
                                               
Shareholders’ equity:
                               
Preferred equity
    17,703       17,734       (31 )     - %
Common equity and accumulated other
                               
comprehensive income (loss)
    166,546       168,703       (2,157 )     (1 )%
 
                               
      Total shareholders' equity
    184,249       186,437       (2,188 )     (1 )%
 
                                               
      Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
  $ 2,149,239     $ 2,169,042     $ (19,803 )     (1 )%
 
                                               

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