Buyers tend to price the schools and the train. The public amenities are part of the same address, and in Westport several of them come with a resident’s discount large enough to notice.
The beaches
A parking emblem is required at Compo Beach, Old Mill and Burying Hill from May 1 to Sept. 30, and Old Mill is reserved for residents. Residents have historically paid little for an emblem. In 2023 the resident fee was $60, and $30 for seniors 62 and older and for disabled residents, the Westport Journal reported. Weston residents paid $415.
Non-residents pay far more, when they can get an emblem at all. For 2026 the non-resident emblem cost $545 plus tax, and sales were capped at 450, according to 06880. Emblem sales opened March 18 for non-residents and March 19 for residents. Visitors without an emblem have paid daily fees of $45 on weekdays and $70 on weekends.
Confirm this year’s resident price with Parks and Recreation when sales open. The town is also weighing a $14.1 million to $54.5 million restoration of Compo Main, Compo South, Old Mill, Burying Hill and Canal beaches.
Longshore Club Park
The town bought the Longshore property in 1960. It is now Longshore Club Park, at 260 Compo Road South, with an 18-hole golf course and the Inn at Longshore. Its history reaches back to a Gilded Age estate, as our story on the Fitzgeralds’ Westport summer describes.
The Westport Library
Founded in 1886, the library at 20 Jesup Road was transformed in 2019. Its Trefz Forum can hold up to 650 people, and it runs recording and media facilities called Verso Studios. The Jesup Road bridge nearby was badly damaged in the Sept. 13 storm.
Westport Country Playhouse
Lawrence Langner founded the playhouse in 1931. It seats 578 and sits at 25 Powers Court. Joanne Woodward led a $30.6 million renovation from 2003 to 2005.
Sherwood Island State Park
Connecticut’s first state park covers 238 acres with about 6,000 feet of beach, reached from Interstate 95’s Exit 18. Connecticut-registered cars park free under the state’s Passport to the Parks program, funded by an $8-a-year charge on vehicle registrations, while out-of-state cars pay parking fees that range from $7 to $22 across state parks, depending on the park and the time of day, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
For buyers
None of this shows up in a listing price, but all of it is part of the case for a Westport address. Our guides to what ownership costs and to the schools cover the rest.
Sources
- Westport Journal, Resident vs. out-of-towner, at what cost a day at the beach, Feb. 16, 2023
- 06880, Roundup, beach stickers, March 17, 2026
- Westport Journal, ‘Tis the season, beach parking emblems required May 1, May 1, 2025
- Inn at Longshore, About, accessed Oct. 2026
- Westport Library, About, accessed Oct. 2026
- Wikipedia, Westport Country Playhouse, accessed Oct. 2026
- Wikipedia, Sherwood Island State Park, accessed Oct. 2026
- Connecticut DEEP, Passport to the Parks, accessed Oct. 2026
