Bedford is an incorporated
town
A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city.
The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, United States. The population was 17,309 at the 2020 census.
[US Census Bureau, 2020 Census Results, Bedford town, Westchester County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Bedford%20town,%20Westchester%20County,%20New%20York]
Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County and contains the three hamlets of
Bedford Hills,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
, and
Katonah.
History
The town of Bedford was founded on December 23, 1680, when 22
Puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...
s from
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...
, purchased a tract of land three miles square known as the "Hopp Ground" from
Chief Katonah and several other
Native Americans for coats, blankets,
wampum and cloth.
Bedford was made a part of
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in 1697 when a patent fixed the boundaries as a six-mile square. Only when King
William III of England
William III (William Henry; ; 4 November 1650 – 8 March 1702), also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of County of Holland, Holland, County of Zeeland, Zeeland, Lordship of Utrecht, Utrec ...
issued a royal decree in 1700 settling a boundary dispute did Bedford become part of
New York.
The town served as the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of
Westchester County during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
after the
Battle of White Plains, until Bedford was burned by the British in July 1779. British forces led by Lieutenant Colonel
Banastre Tarleton burned the town leaving only one structure standing in the town. After the Revolution, Bedford was made one of two seats of county government, alternating with
White Plains, until 1870. Westchester County's oldest government building is the Court House in Bedford village, which was built in 1787 and renovated in the 1960s.
Stepping Stones - Historic Home of Bill & Lois Wilson (respective cofounders of
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global, peer-led Mutual aid, mutual-aid fellowship focused on an abstinence-based recovery model from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. AA's Twelve Traditions, besides emphasizing anon ...
and Al-Anon Family Groups),
Bedford Village Historic District,
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts,
Palmer-Lewis Estate and
The Woodpile are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 5.70%, is water.
The town is bordered to the west by
Mount Kisco and the town of
New Castle, to the south by
Armonk in the town of
North Castle, to the north by
Lewisboro and to the east by
Pound Ridge.
The
Cross River Reservoir is situated on the northern portion of the town. The town is part of the
Croton River watershed. The northern portion of the Byram Lake Reservoir is situated on the southern limits of the town.
The
Mianus River runs throughout the town of Bedford. The northernmost point of the river is also located in the town. The river originates in a series of small ponds in
Armonk and flows north into the town of Bedford. The river flows north along Greenwich Road and begins to turn just south of the Bedford Village Town Park before crossing Greenwich Road. The river reaches its northernmost point at the entrance of Middle Patent Road. The river then runs south and enters the
Mianus River Gorge Preserve which is located in the town of Bedford. The river flows south through the entirety of the Mianus River Gorge Preserve and eventually leaves the town and enters
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford () is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, outside of New York City. It is the sixth-most populous city in New England. Stamford is also the largest city in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Weste ...
.
Landmarks
In the hamlet of Katonah are two national historic landmarks, which are "Stepping Stones - Historic Home of Bill & Lois Wilson" (home of the Alcoholics Anonymous co-founders; "Bill W.", who died in 1971 and "Lois W.", who died in 1988) and "John Jay Homestead", home of one of the United States Founding Fathers and first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Some minor landmarks are centered on Bedford Green in the Town of Bedford's Hamlet of "Bedford", a small patch of green space at the center of the
Bedford Village Historic District (along
Route 22), including the former court house, the oldest government building in Westchester County and now a museum. There is a small graveyard dating back to the founding of the town; the old one-room stone schoolhouse; and a few colonial-era houses, still lived in, which are kept painted white with black or green shutters.
The Bedford Free Library is located in Bedford on the village green. Along with the branches in Bedford Hills and Katonah, the Bedford Free Library is part of the
Westchester Library System.
Along Route 22, at Hook Road, there is a large 500-plus-year-old
white oak known as the Bedford Oak.
The
Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women is located in the town.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census,
there were 18,133 people, 5,731 households and 4,395 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 6,020 housing units at an average density of . The racial/ethnic makeup of the town was 87.5%
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.12%
black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
, 1.98%
Asian and 1.36% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 7.57% of the population. 0.09% ethnic
Native American. .08%
ethnic Pacific Islander and 1.88% from
other ethnicities.
There were 5,731 households, out of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.3% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64 and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $100,053 and the median income for a family was $118,820. Males had a median income of $88,561 versus $47,468 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $53,046. About 2.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those of age 65 or over.
Local media
The ''Recorder'' is a weekly newspaper founded in 2024 that reports on local issues in Bedford and other Northern Westchester communities, including Lewisboro, Pound Ridge, and Mount Kisco. The ''Recorder'' launched following the closure of the ''Record-Review'', a weekly newspaper that began publishing in 1995. The ''Recorder'' received a two-year grant starting in 2025 from The New York Community Trust to increase access to credible news coverage on environmental and affordable housing issues in Northern Westchester.
Communities and locations in Bedford
*
Bedford Corners – A neighborhood bordering the village of Mount Kisco in the southern part of town.
*
Bedford Hills – A hamlet in the western part of the town, just south of Katonah. The historic
Richard H. Mandel House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.
*
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
– A hamlet in the southeastern part of the town, commonly known as Bedford Village. The
Bedford Village Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
*
Katonah – A hamlet at the northern town line.
Notable people who were born or resided in Bedford
*
Joseph Abboud, fashion designer
*
Paul André Albert, scientist and pioneering metallurgist with
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
*
Bea Arthur, actress, comedian and singer
*
Billy Baldwin, actor
*
Carter Bays, television producer, writer and showrunner
*
Roger Bennett, Men in Blazers
*
Gertrude Berg, actress and writer
*
Chris Burdick, politician
*
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...
, singer
*
Chevy Chase
Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...
, comedian, writer, and television and film actor; owns a home in Bedford
*
Glenn Close, actress
*
Henry Davis (baseball), baseball player
*
Brendan Fraser, actor
*
J. B. Gunn, physicist, lived on Guard Hill Road in Bedford, but with a Mt. Kisco mailing address
*
Lasse Hallström
Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop music, pop group ABBA, but came to international attention with his 1985 feature film ''My L ...
, director
*
Florence Jaffray Harriman, socialite, suffragist, and diplomat. The Harriman family estate in Bedford Corners has traditionally had a Mt. Kisco mailing address
*
Robert A. Harris, film preservationist and producer
*
Jim Henson, puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, composer, and screenwriter
*
Felicity Huffman, actress
*
Carl Icahn, American
business magnate
*
Connor Ives, fashion designer
*
John Jay
John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...
, diplomat,
Founding Father of the United States
The Founding Fathers of the United States, often simply referred to as the Founding Fathers or the Founders, were a group of late-18th-century American Revolution, American revolutionary leaders who United Colonies, united the Thirteen Colon ...
*
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., activist
*
Michael J. Knowles, political commentator, podcaster and author
*
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren (brand), Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He stepped do ...
, fashion designer
*
Blake Lively
Blake Ellender Brown (born August 25, 1987), known professionally as Blake Lively, is an American actress. A daughter of actor Ernie Lively, she made her professional debut in his directorial project ''Sandman'' (1998). She had her breakthrou ...
, actress
*
Joseph L. Mankiewicz, director, screenwriter, producer
*
Kate Mara, actress
*
Rooney Mara, actress
*
E. G. Marshall
E. G. Marshall (born Everett Eugene Grunz;Everett Eugene Grunz in Minnesota, U.S., Birth Index, 1900-1934, Ancestry.comEverett Eugene Grunz in the U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, accessed via Ancestry.com June 18, ...
, actor
*
Collin McLoughlin, singer and music producer
*
Lena Olin, actress
*
Jennifer O'Neill
Jennifer O'Neill (born February 20, 1948) is a Brazilian-born American author, model, and former actress. Born in Brazil, and moving to the United States as an infant, she first came to prominence as a teenaged model (person), model, and for he ...
, actress and author
*
Chazz Palminteri
Calogero Lorenzo "Chazz" Palminteri (born May 15, 1952)
. Chazzpalminteri.net. Retrieved on November 19, 2013. is an America ...
, actor and writer
*
Nelson Peltz
Nelson Peltz (born June 24, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman and investor. He is a founding partner, together with Peter W. May and Edward P. Garden, of Trian Partners, an alternative investment management fund based in New York. He i ...
, billionaire financier
*
Nicola Peltz, actress
*
Lily Rabe, actress
*
Phil Ramone, music producer
*
Christopher Reeve
Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, activist, director, and author. He amassed Christopher Reeve on stage and screen, several stage and screen credits in his 34-year career, including playin ...
, actor
*
Dana Reeve, actress, singer, activist
*
Claudio Reyna
Claudio Alejandro Reyna (born July 20, 1973) is an American former professional soccer player and former executive. He most recently served as sporting director of Austin FC.
A former midfielder, he spent most of his professional career in Eur ...
, former professional soccer player
*
Giovanni Reyna, professional soccer player
*
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian and American actor, producer and businessman. Known for starring in comedic and superhero films, he was the List of highest-paid film actors, world's second-highest-paid actor in 202 ...
, actor
*
Paul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian musician, actor, and comedian who served as David Letterman's musical director, bandleader, and sidekick on ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (1982–1993) and ''Late Show with D ...
, musician
*
Alex Shoumatoff, writer who profiled Bedford in 1999 for Vanity Fair,
and in his 1978 book, ''Westchester.''
*
Ted Sorel, actor who resided in the hamlet of Katonah
*
George Soros
George Soros (born György Schwartz; August 12, 1930) is an American investor and philanthropist. , he has a net worth of US$7.2 billion, Note that this site is updated daily. having donated more than $32 billion to the Open Society Foundat ...
, billionaire investor, philanthropist and hedge fund manager
*
Michael Steinhardt
Michael H. Steinhardt (born December 7, 1940) is an American billionaire Hedge fund, hedge fund manager, philanthropist, and former antiquities collector. In 1967, he founded a hedge fund, Steinhardt Partners which he ran until he closed it in 19 ...
, billionaire investor, founder of Taglit Birthright
*
Martha Stewart
Martha Helen Stewart (, ; born August 3, 1941) is an American retail business woman, writer, and television personality. As the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, focusing on home and hospitality, she gained success through a variety ...
, television show host
*
Rob Thomas, lead singer of
Matchbox Twenty
Matchbox Twenty (stylized as Matchbox 20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, rhythm guit ...
*
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
, current President of the United States
*
Melania Trump
Melania Knauss Trump (born Melanija Knavs, April26, 1970) is a Slovenian and American former model who is married to U.S. President Donald Trump. Since 2025, Melania Trump has served as the first lady of the United States, a role she previous ...
, current First Lady of the United States
*
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III (born September 5, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actor. He has released twenty-six studio albums, four live albums, and six compilations. Some of his best-known songs include "The Swimmin ...
, singer, songwriter, actor
*
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
, actor
*
Yasmeen Ghauri, former supermodel
*
Trevor Zegras, professional hockey player
See also
*
Bedford, England
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford on the ...
Notes
External links
Town of Bedford official websiteBedford Historical SocietyBedford Town: Census 2000 Profile from Westchester County website
''All About Bedford''(''Archived''): Connecting Our Community - ''the most local of news sites on the Town of Bedford, its people and its schools''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bedford (Town), New York
1680 establishments in the Province of New York
Populated places established in 1680
Towns in the New York metropolitan area
Towns in Westchester County, New York
Towns in New York (state)