Westchester County, New York

Westchester County is a place in the southeastern part of New York. It touches the Long Island Sound and the Byram River on one side and the Hudson River on the other. This county is the seventh most crowded place in New York State and the most crowded area north of New York City. In 2020, more than one million people lived there, which was the most people ever counted in the county.

Westchester County covers about 450 square miles and includes six cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages. It was created in 1683 and named after a city called Chester, England. The main city in the county is White Plains, but the biggest city is Yonkers, with over 200,000 people living there. The county is part of the beautiful Hudson Valley area.

People in Westchester County often have good jobs and earn good money. Many big companies, like IBM, Mastercard, PepsiCo, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, have their main offices there. Students from Westchester County schools also do very well in science and engineering competitions around the world. The county is well-connected to New York City by many roads and mass transit options.

History

Main article: History of Westchester County

Long ago, the land that is now Westchester County was home to the Lenape people. Early explorers from Europe, like Giovanni da Verrazzano and Henry Hudson, visited the area in the 1500s and 1600s. Dutch and English settlers arrived in the 1600s, and Westchester became one of the first twelve counties of New York in 1683.

Over time, big changes came to Westchester. Important projects like the Croton Dam and new railroads helped towns grow. After the American Civil War, many wealthy people built grand homes, and factories began to appear. In the 1900s, new roads and bridges encouraged even more people to live there, changing Westchester from a quiet rural area into a busy suburban place.

Geography

Westchester County is found in the New York metropolitan area, just north of New York City. It is bordered by Putnam County to the north, the Hudson River to the west, and the Long Island Sound and Fairfield County, Connecticut to the east. The county covers 500 square miles (1,300 km²), with 430 square miles (1,100 km²) of land and 69 square miles (180 km²) of water.

The Long Island Sound shore has rocky areas mixed with tidal mud flats, marshes, and wetlands. It also features several harbors and islands, some of which are used for parks and recreation.

The Hudson River is widest in Westchester, spanning 3.6 miles (6 km). Two major bridges cross it: the Bear Mountain Bridge and the Tappan Zee Bridge. The river’s shoreline is changing from industrial to more residential and recreational use. A long walkway called the Westchester RiverWalk is being built along the river.

The county has six main watersheds and many smaller streams. It also contains important reservoirs that help supply water to New York City.

Demographics

Westchester County is home to a diverse group of people. In 2020, the county had over 1 million residents, making it the most populous county north of New York City. The population has grown a lot over the years, especially with more people from different countries moving in.

In 2010, about half of the county’s residents identified as non-Hispanic White, with many also identifying as African American, Asian, or Hispanic. Many families lived there, and the average household had about 2.7 people. Most people spoke English at home, but many also spoke Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or French.

By 2018, many people owned their homes, and the county had a high median income. Still, some families lived below the poverty line. The county also had communities of people from other countries, like French and Japanese families, living in places such as Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and Scarsdale.

2020 census

Health

In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government created a one square mile "containment zone" in the northern part of the city of New Rochelle. Part of New Rochelle is next to the Bronx, where many COVID-19 cases were found. By April 22, there were 25,276 cases, 838 deaths, and 9,371 recoveries. By May 22, 2020, there were between 30 and 35,000 cases, which was the highest number of infections per person in the world at that time. On May 26, 2020, the area began to reopen after being closed for two months.

Communities

Westchester County has six cities, 19 towns, and 23 villages. Cities in Westchester have many well-established areas within their borders. Some of these areas, like Cooper's Corners in New Rochelle, go back to the late 1600s. These include some of the first planned communities in the country, such as New Rochelle's Residence Park, Rochelle Park and Heights, and Sutton Manor.

The six cities in the county are:

The largest city in the county by population is Yonkers with over 211,000 residents. The city with the highest population density is Mount Vernon. Some towns are the same as their villages, like Harrison, Mount Kisco, and Scarsdale. Other villages are split between towns, such as Briarcliff Manor, which is in both Ossining and Mount Pleasant towns.

Besides cities and towns, there are areas called hamlets and census-designated places (CDPs). Hamlets are communities without their own government and rely on the town for services. CDPs are areas defined by the U.S. Census Bureau for counting people, but they may or may not match a hamlet. ZIP Codes in Westchester do not always match town borders, so mailing addresses can differ from the actual town location.

Economy

Because Westchester County is close to New York City, many big companies have their main offices there. Some of these companies are MasterCard, PepsiCo, IBM, ITT Corporation, Jarden, Universal American, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

High technology

Main article: Tech Valley

Tech Valley is a name used for part of New York State, including the Hudson Valley and the Capital District. The name started in 1998 to help promote the area around Albany as a place for technology companies, like Silicon Valley and Boston. Now, it includes many counties in New York, from IBM’s plants in Westchester County to near the Canada–U.S. border.

Biotechnology

Westchester County has grown to include many biotechnology companies. By 2016, over $1 billion was planned for these companies. In April 2017, plans were shown for a big biotechnology center near Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. This center, supported by both the government and private companies, is expected to create many new jobs and have lots of space for research.

Education

Main article: Education in Westchester County

Westchester County has 48 public school districts, nearly 120 private schools, and 14 colleges and universities. Many of its public and private high schools are considered some of the best in New York State and the United States. Public schools in the county are mostly paid for by local property taxes.

Culture and recreation

Westchester County has many special places to visit and enjoy. Some of the oldest buildings in the county include the Timothy Knapp House, built around 1670, and Philips Manor Hall, built around 1682. There are also many important historic sites, such as the Aaron Copland House, Lyndhurst, and Sunnyside.

The county has many libraries that help people find books and information. It also offers many fun places to visit, like the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, the Hudson River Museum, and the Jacob Burns Film Center.

Westchester County also has a special trail that honors African American history, with new sites added each year.

Historic sites

Main article: Historic sites in Westchester County

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Westchester County, New York

Libraries

Main article: Westchester Library System

Other attractions

African American history

Main article: African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County

Government

Main articles: Westchester County Executive and Westchester County Clerk

Westchester County is led by County Executive Ken Jenkins, who won a special election to finish the term of George Latimer, who left to become a U.S. representative for New York's 16th Congressional District. The district attorney is Miriam E. Rocah, and the County Clerk is Timothy C. Idoni. All three leaders are Democrats.

The Westchester County Board of Legislators is the group that makes laws for the county. It includes fifteen Democrats, one Republican, and one Conservative who works with the Republicans. The current chair of the board is Vedat Gashi.

Westchester County usually supports Democratic political candidates. The last time a Republican won a majority of votes for president was in 1988. In recent years, Westchester voters have strongly supported Democratic candidates, especially in national elections. The county is represented in the U.S. House by Republican Mike Lawler and Democrat George Latimer. Lawler represents most of the northern part of the county, while Latimer represents the southern part, including cities like Yonkers and White Plains.

Westchester County has been home to many important people, including U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, who lived in the Kykuit mansion near Pocantico Hills. The county is also where former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton live in Chappaqua. U.S. President Donald Trump owns a large home in Bedford called the Seven Springs estate.

Law enforcement and emergency services

Main article: Law enforcement in Westchester County

Westchester County has many police groups that work together to keep the area safe. They also have many emergency services, including fire departments, ambulance services, and special teams for dangerous situations. These teams are ready to help with big problems, like accidents with dangerous materials or rescues. Over 700 firefighters, police officers, and emergency helpers are trained to support the people living in Westchester County.

Media

Westchester County has many places to get news and entertainment.

Print

Some newspapers and magazines serve the whole county, such as The Daily Voice, El Sol, The Hudson Independent, and The Journal News. There are also local papers like The Westchester County Press, The Westchester Guardian, The Rivertowns Enterprise, the Scarsdale Inquirer, El Sentir Hispano Kaffury Latin Magazine, and Westchester Magazine. Black Westchester is an important newspaper for the African-American community.

Television and radio

Television news can be found on FiOS1 Lower Hudson Valley and News 12 Westchester. Radio stations include WHUD, WVBN, WVIP, WVOX, and WXPK. There is also WRNN-TV for television news.

Transportation

Westchester County has many roads and bridges, which help people travel. The county is close to New York City, so there is a lot of traffic. The roads and trains have shaped how towns and cities grew in the area.

There are several major highways and roads that go through Westchester. Some important ones include I-87, I-95, I-287, and I-684, as well as US routes like US 1, US 6, and US 9. There are also many state roads and parkways, such as the Bronx River Parkway, Cross County Parkway, Hutchinson River Parkway, Saw Mill River Parkway, Sprain Brook Parkway, and Taconic State Parkway.

The Tappan Zee Bridge, also known as the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, crosses the Hudson River between Tarrytown in Westchester and South Nyack in Rockland County. It replaced an older bridge and cost $4 billion to build. Another important bridge is the Bear Mountain Bridge, which also crosses the Hudson River.

Public transportation in Westchester includes Westchester County Airport, bus services like the Bee-Line Bus System and MTA Bus Company, and express buses operated by Hudson Link. There are also water ferry services run by NY Waterway.

The county has commuter rail service provided by Metro-North Railroad, which operates three lines: the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines. These trains stop in the Bronx before reaching Manhattan. Amtrak also serves some stations in Westchester.

In popular culture

Westchester County has been a popular setting for many stories and shows. Famous writer Washington Irving lived there and wrote "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", a well-known story set in Sleepy Hollow, New York. The story has inspired many other works, including a television series called Sleepy Hollow.

In the X-Men series, there is a school called the Xavier "School for Gifted Youngsters" located near Salem Center. The school is run by Professor Charles Xavier for special children known as mutant kids.

The movie Big from 1988 was partly filmed at Rye Playland in Westchester, even though most of the movie happens in New York City.

Many books and TV shows use Westchester County as a setting. The detective stories by Rex Stout featuring Nero Wolfe often take place there. The sitcoms The Dick Van Dyke Show and Maude are set in towns like New Rochelle and Tuckahoe. Characters from Friends and How I Met Your Mother also live in Westchester. The TV show Mad Men features families living in Ossining and Rye.