Westport, Connecticut
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Westport is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 25,749.
Westport borders Norwalk on the west, Weston to the north, Fairfield to the east and Long Island Sound to the south. Interstate 95 and US Route 1, as well as the Saugatuck River, run through Westport.
Westport has two Metro North railroad stations, Westport and Green's Farms.
Westport is a member of Westports of the World (WOW), along with Westports in Ireland, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Indiana, Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, and Missouri.
Its High School, Staples High School, is one of the top-ranked public schools in the country. A local newspaper was quoted as saying, however, that "its sports programs are vastly inferior to the athletic Weston High School Trojans." Additionally, Staples was rated below Weston High School in Newsweek's controversial rating of the top 1000 high schools in the nation.
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Politics
The town government consists of the three member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town Meeting (RTM), a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, a Planning and Zoning Commission, and many other commissions, boards, and committees.
In a hotly contested race, Westport’s First Selectwoman, Diane Farrell, ran for Congress against long time incumbent Christopher Shays in the Connecticut 4th Congressional District in 2004 and lost. She is expected to run again in 2006.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 86.3 km² (33.3 mi²). 51.8 km² (20.0 mi²) of it is land and 34.5 km² (13.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 39.96% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 25,749 people, 9,586 households, and 7,170 families residing in the town. The population density is 496.8/km² (1,286.7/mi²). There are 10,065 housing units at an average density of 194.2 persons/km² (503.0 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 95.16% White, 1.13% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. 2.34% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,586 households out of which 38.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% are married couples living together, 6.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 25.2% are non-families. 20.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.66 and the average family size is 3.10.
In the town the population is spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $119,872, and the median income for a family is $152,894. Males have a median income of $100,000 versus $53,269 for females. The per capita income for the town is $73,664. 2.6% of the population and 1.5% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 2.7% are under the age of 18 and 2.1% are 65 or older.
History
Template:Expandsect The Town of Westport, CT was officially incorporated as a town in 1835.
Famous Places and Events of Westport
- Westport's Compo Beach was the site of the British invasion of Danbury, also known as Tyron's Raid.
- Also near Compo Beach is the famous Minuteman Statue.
One may notice that this statue was built facing away from the beach. This is because it commemorates the way the Minutemen hid and waited until they could attack the large British army from behind.
Famous Residents of Westport, Past and Present
External links
- The Town of Westport—official site (http://ci.westport.ct.us/)
- Westport Public Library (http://www.westportlibrary.org/)
- Staples High School—official site (http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/)
- Staples High School—student run (http://www.stapleshigh.net/)
- WestportNow.com—Westport’s 24/7 News and Information Source (http://www.westportnow.com/)
- The Westport News (http://www.westport-news.com/)
- The Minuteman (http://www.westportminuteman.com/)
References
- Klein, Woody. Westport, Connecticut: The Story of a New England Town's Rise to Prominence. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000.de:Westport (Connecticut)