Cortlandt Town of Cortlandt Distance to NYC: 33 miles Area: 40.9 square miles Hugging the Hudson River for 15 miles, Cortlandt is located in the northwest corner of Westchester County. The Town is comprised of two villages: Croton-on-Hudson and Buchanan, plus several hamlets including Montrose, Crugers and Verplanck. The area was originally Kitchawan Indian Territory. Hendrick Hudson discovered the Hudson River in 1609, sailing his ship, the Half Moon, north anchoring at Verplanck's Point. Cortlandt derived its name from the Van Cortlandt family who began purchasing land in 1677. Cortlandt's population density is slightly higher than the average for the North County communities. A range of affordable housing can be found bordering open spaces, wooded areas, lakes or ponds in a rural setting. Accessible from major highways, it is also serviced by Metro-North from the Croton-Harmon and Cortlandt Stations. The Cortlandt Town Center features an impressive array of shopping including Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Home Depot, Old Navy and an 11-theater Cinemax. Conveniently located on Route 6, it has become a focal point for economic development. Educational Facilities The town is served by 4 school districts. Lakeland School District has 8 schools with 6,033 students enrolled in the 5 elementary, 1 middle and 2 high schools. Computers are an integral part of the curriculum and the debate team is nationally recognized. The Hendrick Hudson School District includes Buchanan, Verplanck, Crugers, Montrose, and parts of Cortlandt Manor, Croton and the City of Peekskill. It has an enrollment of 2,900. Its schools are Buchanan-Verplanck, Frank G. Lindsey, Furnace Woods (grades K-5), Blue Mountain Middle School (grades 6-8) and Hendrick Hudson High School (grades 9-12). Croton Harmon & Peekskill School Districts also serve the town of Cortlandt. In addition to the core curriculum, computers, art and music compliment the instruction. Special education, a gifted student program, and BOCES vocational education are also available. Recreational Facilities Built in 1928, New Croton Dam in Croton Gorge Park is the world's second largest hand-hewn structure. The 185-acre George's Island Park is popular year-round for picnicking, fishing and hiking, there is also a boat-launching ramp. Several other large parks in the area offer excellent recreation including Pine Lake and Oscawana. Houses of Worship Church of Divine Love, Trinity Boscobel United Methodist Church, Reformed Church of Cortlandtown, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, and First Hebrew Congregation are just a few of the churches and temples.