Get to Know Westport, CT

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Get to Know Westport, CT

Just 45 miles Northeast of New York City, Westport is a coastal town located along Long Island Sound in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Westport is known for its vibrant, educated, wealthy and artistic community.

It is accessible from the Merritt Parkway (Exits 41 &  42) and from I-95 (Exits 17, 18 & 19).

2016 Best Places to Live - NicheIn 2016, Westport was ranked #1 in Niche’s Report on the Healthiest Places to Live in Connecticut.

In 2015, Connecticut Magazine named Westport as #1 in their Rating the Towns Report in towns with a median home value $325,000 and up. The rating considers education, economy, crime, civic engagement and leisure.

Westport CT

According to Money Magazine’s 2016 Best Places to Live Report, Westport, CT has the following stats:

WESTPORT, CT
POPULATION 26,863
PERCENT OF RESIDENTS WITH AT LEAST A BACHELOR’S DEGREE 76.2%
AVERAGE COMMUTE TIME IN MINUTES 35
MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME $179,581
PROJECTED 5-YEAR JOB GROWTH 8%
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE 5.5%
MEDIAN HOME PRICE $1,195,000
AVERAGE PROPERTY TAX $14,905

 

Click Here to View More Stats

Train Stations

Schools

Westport has five elementary schools (Kindergarten to Grade 5), two middle schools (Grades 6 to 8), and one high school.

There are a number of preschools in Westport.  Click here to view the list.

Private schools

  • Greens Farms Academy:  a K-12 private preparatory school located in the Greens Farms section of town located in the 1920s Vanderbilt estate overlooking Long Island Sound.
  • Pierrepont School: a private K-12 school for gifted students.
US News & World Report Best High Schools
Westport Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods

Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores, and offices.

Saugatuck Shores – A curved peninsula surrounded by the Long Island Sound, this area was once part of the town of Norwalk. Today several hundred residents live on the peninsula, which became part of Westport in the 1960s.

Saugatuck Island – Founded in the 1890s as Greater Marsh Shores, the island was renamed to its current name in 1920 and became a special taxing district on November 5, 1984.

Downtown Westport – The area around Post Road and Main Street on and near the Saugatuck River that serves as the center of Westport, with many shops and restaurants.

Greens Farms – Westport’s oldest neighborhood starting around Hillspoint Road and ending at Westport’s boundary on the east side.

Cockenoe Island – Just off the southeastern coast of the town. Cockenoe Island is an uninhabited island that was purchased by Westport for $212,740 from the United Illuminating Company in 1969 so that the company could not use the land to build a nuclear plant.

Old Hill – West of the Saugatuck River and north of the Post Road, a historic section of town with many homes from the Revolutionary and Victorian eras. Prior to the road being called the Boston Post Road, it was called the Connecticut Turnpike.

Coleytown – Located at the northern edge of town, near the Weston town line. Home to Coleytown fire station, Middle and Elementary school.

Compo – Located around the main beach in the town, Compo Beach. Compo (Compaug), can be traced back to the early Paugussett tribe and means the bear’s fishing ground.

Photos of Westport

RSS Westport News

Beaches

  • Burying Hill Beach – A 2.39-acre park with sand and rock beach along the shore of Long Island Sound. It has restroom and changing area facilities, picnic tables, grills and is adjacent to a wildlife area along the canal that borders the park.
  • Compo Beach – A 29-acre park with an extensive sand beach along the shore of Long Island Sound and borders the Saugatuck River.  It is handicapped accessible with a boardwalk, pavilion, concession stand, two sand volleyball courts, large wooden playscape, bathroom facilities and lockers, and is adjacent to the Ned Dimes Marina. Home to Compo Beach In-Line / Skateboard Skate Park and Roller Hockey Center.
  • Old Mill Beach – A 1.8-acre park with a sandy beach along the shore of Long Island Sound. It does not have a restroom or changing area facilities and has limited parking available.
  • Sherwood Island State Park – Nature Center and State Beach comprised of 236 acres.

Country Clubs

  • Fairfield County Hunt Club: A private year-round country club with dining, social and sports activities for the entire family.
  • Longshore Country Club – Town-owned club offering many recreational activities including golf, tennis, boating, swimming, and skating.  There is also a playground, picnic areas and softball fields.
    • GOLF: A short 18-hole course with beautiful, well-manicured fairways,
    • TENNIS: nine Har-Tru tennis courts with lights for evening play,
    • SWIMMING POOLS – Two swimming pools and a wading pool
    • HOTEL – The Inn at Longshore
    • RESTAURANT – Pearl at Longshore
    • SKATING RINK – Westport Pal Rink at Longshore
    • SAILING SCHOOL  – Open to the public for instruction and hourly boat rentals.

Museums

  • Earthplace: The Nature Discovery Center is a natural history museum, nature center and wildlife sanctuary located at 10 Woodside Lane in Westport, Connecticut
  • Rolnick Observatory: Houses a 12.5″ Newtonian telescope with a portable 25″ Obsession telescope, the largest in Connecticut available to the public.

Theaters

Winslow Dog Park

Parks

There are a variety of beautiful parks throughout the town of Westport including a great a dog-friendly park, Winslow Park, with an off-leash area, a gentle flowing brook, a ground-level water fountain and plastic bag dispensers.