Westchester County is a 450-square-mile area with a population of nearly 1 million people, located just outside of New York City. The county enjoys the Long Island Sound to the southeast and the Hudson River to the west. Westchester County was founded in 1683 and became the first suburban area of its scale in the world to develop. What makes the area unique is its marriage of rural features — including its 20,000 acres of parkland — with more urban characteristics due to its close proximity to the Big Apple.