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Westchester County Area Guide

Westchester County is a primarily suburban county located in New York. Westchester covers an area of 450 square miles and has a diverse population of approximately 950,000. It was named after Chester, in England, and the county seat is White Plains.

Its geographical setting is favorable, with the Long Island Sound and Connecticut on the east, and the Hudson River on the west. It has retained much of its rural character while adopting the urban and suburban lifestyles as a result of its proximity to New York City.

History

European exploration of the region began with the voyages of Verrazano in 1524 and of Hudson in 1609. The beauty and rich resources found by the early explorers soon brought other Europeans to settle in the area. The abundance of wildlife drew many settlers to Westchester.

The first permanent white settlers of Westchester County were Dutch, who, in the middle decades of the seventeenth century, began to occupy the Hudson Valley between their earlier settlements in New Amsterdam (now New York) and Fort Orange (now Albany).

Settlement was sponsored by the Dutch West India Company. It became especially attractive after 1638, when William Kieft was appointed director-general of the Dutch colony, and the company liberalized the conditions of colonization, giving anyone the right to hold land. Kieft began acquiring land in what is now Westchester and the Bronx in 1639, and the area soon began to be settled and developed.

In the 1640s the English began to move west from their New England settlements to occupy land in what is now Westchester and the Bronx. For two decades the English and Dutch struggled for control over the area, but by 1664 the Dutch were forced to surrender the whole New Netherlands colony.

On November 1, 1683, the county of Westchester was created by an act of the New York General Assembly. The county at this time was still largely wilderness, and the life of its settlers was primitive. Nearly everything they consumed was raised or made on their farms. Grains, vegetables, fruits, and livestock were the chief products.

By 1775 Westchester was the richest and most populous county in the colony of New York. It was still almost entirely farmland, dotted with small villages at crossroads and on the waterways. Westchester farmers did not riot over taxes as their neighbors in the New England colonies did.

Parks and Recreation

The Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation is one department with three different but related jobs: to provide beautiful parks to play in, to host events and activities that give you lots of good reasons to visit our parks often, and to protect the lands that you have entrusted to our stewardship.

The Westchester County Parks system spans nearly 18,000 acres and offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the northeast. The system offers nearly 50 parks and recreational areas where you can hike, swim, bicycle, fish, skate and picnic, or just spend quiet time in the outdoors.

Each weekend a wide range of educational, recreational, entertainment and sporting events is offered for people of all ages and interests.

For a complete list of parks in Westchester County click here

Events

The area offers many exceptional events for residents and visitors of Westchester County. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the many memories you’ll be making! Please view the link below for events in the area.

For a complete list of events visit the events calendar by clicking here

Attractions

Westchester County features a wealth of appealing attractions from historic mansions, castles and estates to museums, art galleries and so much more! Westchester has something for the whole family.

For a complete list of attractions in Westchester County click here

For more information on Westchester County visit the official website by clicking here

For the Westchester County Office of Tourism website click here