Westport

Westport

Westport is set along the Long Island Sound within Connecticut’s Gold Coast—a mere 52 miles northeast of New York City. The town had a population of 27,141 in 2020 and is ranked 19th among America’s 100 Richest Places as well as third in Connecticut, with populations between 20,000 and 65,000.

Westport Highlights:

• 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.
  • 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 in 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. The downtown stores include many well-known brands including J. Crew, Eileen Fisher, Theory, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Lulu Lemon and more. There has been recent growth in the downtown area, including Levitt Pavilion, National Hall (The area where Post and Riverside intersect), and Bedford square (opening in 2017), a mixed-use development on Church St, Elm St, Main St and Post Rd that will have apartments, public spaces, including a courtyard, underground parking, stores, and restaurants, as well as the incorporation of the historic Bedford Mansion.
• Green Farms – Westport’s oldest neighborhood, starting around Hillspoint Road and ending at Westport’s boundary on the east side. Greens Farms has its own post office and train station.
• 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. Named for Farmer Coley, who owned lots of land in this area.
• Compo – Located around the main beach in the town, Compo Beach.