Croton-on-Hudson was formally incorporated as a village in the Town of Cortlandt in 1898, but its history begins much earlier. Croton-on-Hudson’s colonial-era history dates back to the 17th century and archaeological evidence indicates that it was populated by Native American Indians as early as 4950 BC. The Kitchawanc tribe, part of the Wappinger Confederacy of the Algonquin Nation, was native to the area and was responsible for several of the place names known in Croton-on-Hudson today.

By the 19th century, farming, shipping, ship-building and flour and brick manufacturing had become the predominant industries, along with work on the railroad and construction of the Croton and New Croton Dams and the New Croton Aqueduct. These major public works projects in the 19th century – the railroad, the dams and the aqueduct - played a pivotal role in shaping Croton-on-Hudson’s demographic development and cemented its importance in the region. The construction of these projects brought an influx of German, Irish and Italian immigrants, who came to work and then settled with their families in the area. The influx of immigrants significantly increased the population of the Village and the surrounding areas so that by the time of its incorporation in 1898, the Village’s population had grown to 1,000 and to over 1,700 in the early 1900s.

In 1976 the recorded population was 7,500 residents. Although by 1990 its population had declined slightly to 7,018, the Village has grown to 7,606 residents as of the 2000 Census. Croton-on-Hudson has continued to evolve as a suburban village with a thriving artistic community and has retained the rich cultural diversity that dates back to its early settlement.