The Croton Dam and Aqueduct was started in 1837 and finished in 1842; now a National Historic Landmark, the Croton Aqueduct is considered among the terrific engineering accomplishments of the 19th century. In the 1840s, the first railways were built in Westchester, and consisted of the New York and Harlem Railway, the Hudson River Railroad, and the New York and New Sanctuary Railroad.
By 1860, the overall county population was 99,000, with the most inhabited city being Yonkers. The duration following the American Civil War allowed entrepreneurs in the New York location to create fortunes, and lots of constructed large estates, such as Lyndhurst, in Westchester. Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, Westchester's transportation system and workforce attracted a production base, especially along the Hudson River and Nepperhan Creek.
These would later on split from Manhattan to form a county. Throughout the 20th century, the rural character of Westchester would change into the rural county understood today. The Bronx River Parkway, completed in 1925, was the first modern-day, multi-lane limited-access road in The United States and Canada. The development of Westchester's parks and parkway systems supported existing neighborhoods and encouraged the establishment of brand-new ones, changing the development pattern for Westchester.
By 1950, the overall county population was 625,816. Significant interstate highways were built in Westchester during the 1950s and 1960s. The facility of these roadways, in addition to the construction of the Tappan Zee Bridge, led to more development in the county. Geography [modify] Harbors, islands and coastline of New Rochelle, Westchester County lies in the New York cosmopolitan area and Downstate New York City, north of New York City and south of Upstate New York City.
It is surrounded on the west side by the Hudson River and on the east side by the Long Island Noise and Fairfield County, Connecticut. According to the U.S. Another Point of View , the county has a total location of 500 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 430 square miles (1,100 km2) is land and 69 square miles (180 km2) (14%) is water.