Bedford, New York

Bedford is a town in northern Westchester County, New York, about 45 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. When people search for "Bedford, NY," they are most often looking for the Town of Bedford as a whole, not just Bedford Village, which is one of three distinct communities within the town.

The Town of Bedford comprises three areas: Bedford Hills (the actual seat of town government, where Town Hall is located, along with Metro-North access and most everyday retail), Bedford Village (the historic core, with the 1787 courthouse, the Bedford Oak, and the Village Green), and Katonah (a walkable hamlet with a downtown relocated in the 1890s to make way for the New Croton Reservoir, now home to the Katonah Museum of Art and Caramoor). This page explains how Bedford is organized, who governs it, and what makes this corner of Westchester distinct. For official municipal information, visit BedfordNY.gov.

About Bedford, NY

Bedford is a town in northern Westchester County, New York — about 45 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. It covers roughly 43 square miles of rolling hills, stone walls, horse farms, and forested preserves, and is composed of three distinct communities: the hamlet of Katonah, the hamlet of Bedford Hills, and the incorporated Village of Bedford (commonly called Bedford Village).

The town is one of the oldest in New York State, settled in 1680 and formally incorporated in 1788. Town Hall and government offices are located in Bedford Hills, while Bedford Village preserves one of the few original courthouse buildings still standing in the state — its historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Bedford sits at the intersection of old money and new arrivals, weekend estates and full-time families, pastoral quiet and surprisingly active civic engagement. It is served by two Metro-North stations, governed by a five-member Town Board, and covered — with varying degrees of admiration and exasperation — by The Bedford Bee.

History of Bedford, New York

Bedford was first settled in 1680 by a group of families from Greenwich, Connecticut, who purchased land from the Wappinger Confederacy. The settlement was originally named after Bedford, Bedfordshire, in England — a tradition of transplanted English place names common across colonial New York.

The town played a notable role in the American Revolution. In 1779, British forces raided Bedford Village and burned much of the settlement, including the original courthouse. The rebuilt courthouse, constructed in 1787, still stands and is believed to be the oldest courthouse building in continuous public use in New York State.

In the late 19th century, Bedford's geography was dramatically altered by the construction of the New Croton Reservoir system. The original hamlet of Katonah — located at the intersection of several local roads — was flooded to make way for the reservoir. The entire community was physically relocated, building by building, to higher ground between 1895 and 1897, creating what is now known as "New Katonah." The original settlement is sometimes called "Old Katonah" and remains submerged beneath the reservoir.

Throughout the 20th century, Bedford retained its rural character through aggressive open space preservation and large-lot zoning requirements — a legacy that continues to shape the town's density, demographics, and Town Board agendas to this day.

The Hamlets of Bedford, NY

Bedford is not one place — it's three, each with its own personality, ZIP code, train station access, and opinions about the others.

Katonah, NY

Katonah is often cited as the most vibrant of Bedford's three communities in terms of street life and walkable retail. The town's famous relocation in the 1890s gave Katonah its distinctive grid-like street layout — unusual for a Westchester hamlet — because it was literally planned and rebuilt on a new site. The Katonah Village Library, founded in 1880, predates the move and relocated along with everything else.

Key landmarks in Katonah include the Katonah Museum of Art, a nationally recognized contemporary art museum; Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, a performing arts venue set on a 90-acre estate; and the historic John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, the home of the first Chief Justice of the United States, located just outside the hamlet.

Bedford Village, NY

Bedford Village is the historic center of town and home to the iconic Village Green. The Bedford Oak — a white oak tree estimated to be between 500 and 600 years old — stands near the Village Green and is one of the oldest living organisms in New York State. It predates the arrival of European settlers by roughly a century and still has more consistent governance than the Town Board.

The Bedford Historical Society maintains a complex of historic buildings including the 1787 Courthouse, the Old Bedford Jail (now a museum), and the one-room schoolhouse. The entire Village Green area is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cell service is another matter entirely — visiting Bedford Village means briefly stepping back to 1987, when calls dropped because the technology didn't exist, not because there are simply no towers within range. Residents have reportedly adapted.

Bedford Hills, NY

Bedford Hills is the most commercially active of the three communities, the actual seat of town government (Town Hall and the Bedford Police Department are here, not in Bedford Village), and the primary transit hub, with a Metro-North Harlem Line station offering regular service to Grand Central Terminal (approximately 60 minutes). The hamlet does all the heavy lifting — supermarket, gas stations, post office, government services — and receives the kind of Town Board attention you'd expect for a hamlet that actually keeps the town running: essentially none.

The Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, opened in 1933, is a maximum-security women's prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections. It is one of the largest employers in the town and one of the more distinctive features of the local real estate listings, which tend to describe its location in the most optimistic terms available.

Who Governs and Represents Bedford, NY

Bedford is governed locally by a five-member Town Board, led by Town Supervisor Ellen Calves. The Supervisor chairs Town Board meetings and represents Bedford in dealings with county and state agencies. A 2026 supervisor race between incumbent Ellen Z. Calves and challenger Don Scott is the first contested race for the office in recent cycles.

Beyond local government, Bedford is covered by three additional tiers of elected representation that directly shape what residents experience:

• Mike Lawler represents Bedford in the U.S. House of Representatives for New York's 17th Congressional District. Federal representation is relevant to Bedford residents for issues involving federal transportation and infrastructure funding, constituent services with federal agencies, and legislation affecting local communities.
• Pete Harckham represents Bedford in the New York State Senate. Harckham has been active on environmental and climate legislation in Albany, including state programs that Bedford participates in — making his office relevant to energy costs, infrastructure funding, and state mandates.
• Chris Burdick represents Bedford in the New York State Assembly. His office covers state road maintenance (Route 22 and Route 172 are NYSDOT highways, not town roads), state capital funding, and legislation affecting local governance.
• Erika Pierce represents Bedford on the Westchester County Board of Legislators. County government maintains county roads in Bedford, administers programs like Sustainable Westchester, and allocates county funding to municipalities.

Understanding which level of government is responsible for which issue is a recurring challenge for Bedford residents. Town roads, county roads, and state highways each have separate maintenance chains and accountability paths — and the same split applies to county programs, state mandates, and local policy decisions made by the Town Board.

Notable Residents of Bedford, NY

Bedford has long attracted prominent figures drawn to its combination of privacy, land, and convenient distance from New York City. The town's large-lot zoning and equestrian character make it particularly appealing to those who want a horse farm, a hedge fund, or both.

What People Mean When They Say "Bedford"

Bedford can mean different things depending on context, and the confusion is legitimate. Technically, "Bedford" refers to the Town of Bedford, a municipal government encompassing three distinct communities. But people routinely use "Bedford" to mean only Bedford Village, only Katonah, or the general area. Here is what each actually is:

• Town of Bedford: The municipal government. Population ~18,136. It governs all three communities and holds official jurisdiction over town roads, zoning, police (the Bedford Police Department is in Bedford Hills), and local services. When someone says "the town," this is the entity they mean.
• Bedford Hills (ZIP 10507): A hamlet, not an incorporated village. Where Town Hall actually is. Where the Metro-North Harlem Line stops. The civic and commercial workhorse of the town. Bedford Hills guide.
• Bedford Village (ZIP 10506): An incorporated village within the town, with its own village board. The historic heart of Bedford, home to the 1787 courthouse and the Bedford Oak. No Metro-North station. Bedford Village guide.
• Katonah (ZIP 10536): A hamlet with a walkable downtown, a Metro-North station, the Katonah Museum of Art, and Caramoor. Its original downtown was relocated wholesale in the 1890s when the New Croton Reservoir flooded the original site. Katonah guide.

The common mistake is assuming Bedford Village is the center of town government. It is not. Town Hall is in Bedford Hills. Bedford Village is the historic center and is incorporated as a separate village within the larger town. The Bedford Police Department, the main post office, and the grocery store are all in Bedford Hills.

Frequently Asked Questions About Bedford, NY