About the town » Westport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States

Westport is a coastal town of colonial origin located on Long Island Sound in Fairfield County, Connecticut, 47 miles northeast of New York City in the United States. The town had a population of 26,391 according to the 2010 U.S. Census and in 2008 ranked the tenth wealthiest town in the U.S. with populations between 20,000 and 65,000, and second in the state. The Westport area had been inhabited by Native Americans for at least 7,500 years before the first permanent white settlers. Five farmers and their families, subsequently known as the Bankside Farmers, arrived at Machamux on 1693 having followed cattle to the isolated area known to the Pequot as the "beautiful land". As the settlement expanded its name changed: briefly known as "Bankside" in 1693, officially named Green's Farm in 1732 in honor of Bankside Farmer John Green and in 1835 incorporated as the Town of Westport. Agriculture was Westport’s first major industry; by the 19th century Westport had become a shipping center in part to transport onion to market. In the 20th century a combination of industrialization, and demand by New Yorkers attracted to fashionable Westport—which had attracted many artists and writers—saw farmers selling off their land. The Town of Westport's transition from a community of farmers to a suburban. Westport experienced a rapid population growth from the 1950s to 1970s that was reported to be driven by the town's proximity to New York City, school system reputation, “chic New York-type fashion shopping” and the "natural beauty of the town". By the 21st century Westport had developed into a center for finance & insurance (23%) and professional, scientific & technical services (21%) Westport is home to the Westport Country Playhouse.