Why you'd want to live in Westport

Westport's unique character can be traced to the town's roots in the Native American tribes who frequented the area, the five original "Bankside Farmers" who settled what is now known as Green's Farms in 1648, and another group of settlers who followed -- the Coleys, the Wheelers, the Bennetts, the Jennings, the Burrs, the enslaved and free African Americans who labored on the farms, in various trades and on the harbor front, and many more who came after them to shape this nationally-known town. Westport's image continues to be special because of the people who live and work here. All of the town's agencies – from the Office of the First Selectman to the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Recreation and Conservation Commissions, to the Representative Town Meeting (the town's grass roots democratic representatives) – collectively work together in the town's best interests. People are often outspoken and they publicly differ, but when a decision is made they come together as a whole for the good of the community. It is also the people who take the time to make sure senior residents can afford to stay in the town, ensuring that Westport retains a key segment of its population. Through the years, Westport has become one of the most affluent suburbs in America, culturally rich, filled with a blend of old Yankee farmers, academics, and professionals from all fields, reflecting its international flavor. Yet, it still retains the old New England small-town charm on many of its streets. via westportct.gov