1720Government
It was not, however, until 1720 that the settlers became numerous enough to constitute a distinct community."
The old village area, now the downtown district, was settled in 172...
1857Civil Rights
It became part of the newly formed Union County on March 19, 1857.
1873Government
=== Library ===
The Westfield Memorial Library was founded in 1873 as the "Every Saturday Book Club" and has evolved over the past century into the Westfield Memorial Library of...
1875Disaster
===== Fire =====
The Westfield Fire Department was formed in 1875 following a fire that destroyed a city block on East Broad Street.
1903Civil Rights
The Town of Westfield was incorporated on March 4, 1903, replacing Westfield Township.
1931Education
Mindowaskin Park
Tamaques Park
Gary Kehler Stadium is named in honor of Gary Kehler (1931–2007), the former Westfield High School football coach and long-time town resident.
1971Crime
The Broaddus family's experience, along with the 1971 John List family murders that also occurred in Westfield, were later adapted into the 2022 Netflix series The Watcher.
2000History
=== 2000 census ===
As of the 2000 United States census there were 29,644 people, 10,622 households, and 8,178 families residing in the town.
2004Military
In 2004, Westfield won the Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust.
2006History
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $127,799 (with a margin of error of +/− $10,...
2008Government
In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 9,345 votes (54.5% vs.
2009Disaster
The Fire Safety Inspector position in the Fire Prevention Bureau was eliminated in January 2009 due to budget cuts.
2010History
In 2010, Westfield was the winner of the America in Bloom contest for communities with a population of 25,001–50,000 against the other two towns entered in their category.
2011Civil Rights
=== Politics ===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 20,684 registered voters in Westfield, of which 6,485 (31.4% vs.
2012Government
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 8,080 votes (50.9% vs.
2014History
According to a 2014 nationwide survey, Westfield was ranked as the 30th-safest city to live in the United States.
2017Government
In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Democrat Phil Murphy received 6,491 votes (55.8% vs.
2018Civil Rights
In March 2018, Bloomberg ranked Westfield as the 99th highest-income place in the United States, and the 18th highest-income location in New Jersey.
2020Culture
In August 2020, Le Tote announced that Lord & Taylor, the town's only department store and the chain's only freestanding location in New Jersey, would close as part of a plan to...
2023Education
As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 5,979 students and 498.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher r...
2025History
As of 2025, Union County's County Commissioners are:
Rebecca Williams (D, Plainfield, 2025),
Joesph Bodek (D, Linden, 2026),
James E.
2026Government
As of 2026, the mayor of Westfield is Democrat Jeremy Berman, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2029.
2027Military
Saunders (Ward 1; R, 2027), Michael Armento (Ward 2; R, 2027), Vik Venkataraman (Ward 2; D, 2029), Michal D.
2029Military
Members of the Westfield Town Council are Reshma Adwar (Ward 1; D, 2029), Todd B.