{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name            = Westport, Connecticut
|image_map                = US-CT-Westport.png
|mapsize                  = 250x200px
|map_caption              = Location in Connecticut
|settlement_type          = Town
|image_skyline            = 
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = 
|image_seal               = 
|image_map1               = 
|mapsize1                 = 
|map_caption1             = 
|subdivision_type         = NECTA
|subdivision_name         = Bridgeport-Stamford
|subdivision_type1        = Region
|subdivision_name1        = South Western Region
|subdivision_type2        = 
|subdivision_name2        = 
|government_type          = Representative town meeting
|leader_title             = First selectman
|leader_name              = Gordon F. Joseloff
|leader_title1            = Town meeting moderator
|leader_name1             = Alice H. Shelton
|established_title        = Incorporated
|established_date         = 1835
|area_water_km2           = 34.5
|area_total_sq_mi         = 33.3
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 86.2
|area_land_sq_mi          = 20.0
|area_land_km2            = 51.8
|population_as_of         = 2005
|population_total         = 26615
|population_footnotes     = <ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2005_9.csv U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates]</ref>
|population_density_sq_mi = 1,331
|population_density_km2   = 514
|timezone                 = Eastern
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = Eastern
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|area_water_sq_mi         = 13.3
|elevation_m              = 8
|elevation_ft             = 26
|latd = 41 |latm = 07 |lats = 24 |latNS = N
|longd = 73 |longm = 20 |longs = 49 |longEW = W
|postal_code_type         = ZIP code
|postal_code              = 06880
|region = 
|website                  = http://www.westportct.gov/
|area_code                = 203
|blank_name               = FIPS code
|blank_info               = 09-83500
|blank1_name              = GNIS feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0213532
|footnotes                = 
}}
'''Westport''' is a coastal town located on Long Island Sound in Fairfield County, Connecticut, 47 miles north of New York City in the United States. The 2004 population estimate was 26,644.

Westport is one of the most affluent communities in the United States and is home to significant cultural attractions, including the Westport Country Playhouse a longtime regional theater, the unique [http://www.levittpavilion.com/ Levitt Pavilion] providing free concerts, a strong arts council, the Westport Public Library, and a heritage as a former artists' colony. 

==Politics==
thumb|right|250px|Town Hall on Myrtle Avenue
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.

==Geography and Transportation==
According to the United States Census Bureau, Westport has a total area of 33.3&nbsp;square miles (86.3&nbsp;km²).20.0&nbsp;square miles (51.8&nbsp;km²) or 60.02% of it is land and 13.3&nbsp;square miles (34.5&nbsp;km²) or 39.98% is water.

Much of the eastern side of town is considered unusually flat in comparison to the rest of Connecticut.

Westport is bordered by Norwalk on the west, Weston to the north, Wilton to the northwest, Fairfield to the east and Interstate 95, the Merritt Parkway and U.S. Route 1, as well as the Saugatuck River, run through Westport.

Westport has two train stations, Green's Farms and Westport on the Metro-North Railroad's Stamford and New Haven-Union Station. This line is shared with Bridgeport (10 miles) and Stamford (12 miles).

Westport station is the more widely used of the two, even among people living geographically closer to Green's Farms mainly because more trains stop there. The wait for a parking sticker at the Westport station is now nearly four years long.

==Demographics==
As of the 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,586 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples living together, 6.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 25.2% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $119,872, and the median income for a family was $152,894. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $53,269 for females. The per capita income for the town was $73,664. 2.6% of the population and 1.5% of families were 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.

Westport was named [fith top-earning city] http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0807/gallery.bplive_topearners.moneymag/5.html in US with a Median family income of $193,540 and Median home price of $1,200,000 in July 2008

===Sections of town===
*'''Saugatuck''' -- around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town -- a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices.
*'''Greens Farms''' -- around the Greens Farms railroad station near the southeastern corner of town.
*'''Cockenoe Island''' (pronounced "KawKEEnee") -- just off the southeastern coast of the town.
*'''Old Hill''' -- west of the Saugatuck River and north of the Boston Post Road, a historic section of town with many homes from the Revolutionary and Victorian eras.

thumb|right|Christ Church and rectory, from a postcard sent in 1907

==Flooding==

A total of 26 percent of town residents live within the 100-year-flood plain, and homes and businesses located near the water can become flooded in extremely intense storms. Many other communities along the Connecticut shoreline have flood-prone areas, but Westport has been cited as an example of a town that has taken more action than others in mitigating the problem. 

In one storm on December 11, 1992, when a Nor'easter struck the state, many cars parked at the Westport railroad station were immersed in water. "Very strong easterly gales of  created by the storm caused severe coastal flooding in Westport and several other communities," according to the Association of State Floodplain Managers. "The Compo Beach and Saugatuck Shores areas of Westport were especially hard hit with virtually every building in both areas being inundated."<ref name=WestportFlood>[http://www.floods.org/Publications/mit%20succ%20stories/mssiiict.htm]
a page on the Web site of the Association of State Floodplain Managers accessed on July 4, 2006.</ref> 

A total of 22 homes were raised higher starting in the mid-1990s with some help from state grants, and the town has taken other flood protection measures, including the installation of 16 combination staff gauges and evacuation signs,as well as the publication of a disaster preparedness brochure. These made Westport "the first community in Connecticut to have an approved Hazard Mitigation Plan" for flooding.<ref name=WestportFlood/> 

The town also has enacted tough regulations on home renovation and construction in flood-prone areas. Homeowners or businesses that build additions or renovations to their buildings in flood-prone areas must elevate the structure to one foot above the Base Flood Elevation if their renovations or additions exceed 50 percent of the fair market value of the property in any five-year period.<ref name=WestportFlood/>

Another flood which hit the town on October 20, 1996, resulted in no damage to the original seven elevated homes, although several dozen others, not elevated, were flooded again. Ideas for preventing more flooding, such as construction of a berm near Compo Beach, were shelved in the mid-1990s, as they were considered too expensive.

==History==
thumb|Postcard showing Main Street in 1913
thumb|Postcard showing Post Road in 1937
thumb|Postcard from 1920 showing trolley which ran between Compo Beach and the downtown
thumb|Postcard from 1912 showing swimmers at Compo Beach
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
| align="center" colspan="2" | '''Historical<br> population<br> of Westport'''[http://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/SecVIITOC.htm]
|-
|1840 || 1,803   
|-
|1850 || 2,651
|-
|1860 || 3,293
|-
|1870 || 3,361 
|-
|1880 || 3,477
|-
|1890 || 3,715
|-
|1900 || 4,017       
|-
|1910 || 4,259
|-
|1920 || 5,114
|-
|1930 || 6,073
|-
|1940 || 8,258
|-
|1950 || 11,667
|-
|1960 || 20,955
|-
|1970 || 27,318    
|-
|1980 || 25,290
|-
|1990 || 24,410
|-
|2000 || 25,749
|}
Although colonists settled along the Saugatuck River in 1639, Westport was officially incorporated as a town in 1835 with land taken from Fairfield, Weston and Norwalk.  For several decades after that, Westport was a prosperous agricultural community, which distinguished itself as the nation's leading onion-growing center.  Westport's Compo Beach was the site of a British expeditionary force's landing, in which about 2,000 British soldiers marched to Danbury and razed it, resulting in the Battle of Ridgefield. They were attacked on the way and attacked upon landing by Minutemen from Westport and the surrounding areas.  A statue of a Minuteman, rifle in hand, is located near Compo Beach.  The statue has its back towards the beach to symbolize the Minutemen's strategy of waiting for the British to land and then attacking them from behind.

It wasn't until after the turn of the century that Westport gained the reputation as  artist's colony and cultural center. While Westport still retains its cultural roots, the town is no longer an artist's colony.  Despite the small-town charm, Westport is a thriving business center and home to approximately 15 corporate headquarters and more than 660 retailers.

===Timeline===

1637: John Mason, Roger Ludlow and group of soldiers enter area for first time to battle Pequot Indians in Great Swamp.

1639: Several families led by Roger Ludlow return to area, purchase land in Fairfield and Norwalk from Indians, build church and log cabins.

1640: Several other families move to area from New Amsterdam, a large city  away.

1648: Five settlers from Fairfield request Colonial Assembly's permission to settle in Machamux, today's Green's Farms. They call themselves the "Bankside Farmers."

1703: First schoolhouse built at Green's Farms commons area.
 
1777: British troops land at Compo Point; proceed north to burn supplies and ammunition at Danbury, Connecticut; engaged by American forces at the Battle of Ridgefield.  
 
1789: George Washington visits Marvin Tavern.

1807: Newly laid out Post Road passes through growing port area of Saugatuck River.
 
1835: Weston.
 
1842: Railroad arrives.
 
1861-65: Westport becomes biggest onion supplier to U.S. Army during Civil War.

1882: Staples High School founded, on Riverside Avenue.
 
1903: First automobile seen in Westport.

1908: Westport Public Library opens.
 
1920: F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald spend summer in Westport.
 
1935: Local artist paints mural on speakeasy wall, commemorating friends "we'll never forget." 

1938: Merritt Parkway opens. 

1949: First Representative Town Meeting (RTM) formed. Over 125 candidates vie for 26 slots.

1955: Parker-Harding Plaza created, behind Main Street stores.

1958: Connecticut Turnpike opens. 

1959: New Staples High School, on North Avenue, opens. 

1960: Town purchases Longshore Club Park.

{{Infobox Ort in den Vereinigten Staaten
 |Name=Westport 
 |Stadtspitzname=
 |Bundesstaat=Connecticut
 |County=Fairfield County
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 |lat_deg=41
 |lat_min=07
 |lat_sec=24
 |lon_deg=73
 |lon_min=20
 |lon_sec=49
 |Gründung=
 |Zeitzone=UTC-5
 |Einwohner=26615 
 |Stand=2005
 |Metropolregion=
 |Stand Metropolregion=
 |Fläche=86.2
 |Landfläche=51.8
 |Höhe=8
 |Gliederung=
 |Postleitzahl=06880
 |Vorwahl=203
 |Typ=Town
 |Fips=09-83500
 |Gnis=0213532
 |Website=http://www.westportct.gov/
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'''Westport''' ist eine Stadt im Fairfield County im US-Bundesstaat Connecticut, Vereinigte Staaten, mit 26.615 Einwohnern (Stand: 2005). Die geographischen Koordinaten sind: 41,12° Nord, 73,35° West. Das Stadtgebiet hat eine Größe von 86,3 km².

== Lage ==

Westport grenzt im Westen und Norden an die Städte Norwalk und Weston, im Osten an Fairfield und im Süden an den Long Island Sound. 

== Verkehr ==
Die Interstate 95 verläuft durch die Stadt. Westport hat zwei Bahnhöfe (''Westport'' und ''Greens Farms''), die von der Eisenbahngesellschaft Metro-North Railroad bedient werden.

== Partnerstädte ==
Westport pflegt partnerschaftliche Beziehungen zu
* Marigny in der Normandie, Frankreich
* St. Petersburg, Russland
* Yangzhou, China