Originally the farming community of Mamaroneck was located on two sides of the Mamaroneck River. In the 1890s the two areas surrounding the river were joined into one commercial village, Mamaroneck, and it was incorporated in 1895. One side of the village lies in the town of Rye and is known as Rye Neck. Some controversy surrounded the incorporation of the village, but the State Appellate Court approved the village's election status. The population of Mamaroneck village in 1895 was 1,500.

Along with the other shore communities of Westchester, Mamaroneck was at one time the location of summer residences for wealthy families from New York City. Summer residence neighborhoods included Greenhaven, Orienta and Shore Acres. The local railroad from New York City (now Metro North) began to service the village in 1848. Currently the village of Mamaroneck is a commuter town for individuals working in Manhattan. A harbor on the Long Island Sound supports facilities for pleasure boating. The harbor also contains a large park with sporting facilities.

The main commercial streets in Mamaroneck are the Boston Post Road (Route 1) and Mamaroneck Avenue. Local industry is centered around Fenimore Road.

Other areas of the town include Heathcote Hill overlooking the harbor, Harbor Heights to the northeast, Old Rye Neck (settled in the 1880s), Rye Neck (settled in the 1920s and 1930s) and Washingtonville, also known as "The Flats" due to the flat, low lying geographic nature of the area.

The town of Mamaroneck was purchased from Native American Chief Wappaquewam and his brother Manhatahan by an Englishman named John Richbell in 1660. During the American Revolutionary War in 1776, the British loyalist William Lounsbury was attacked and killed by a group of revolutionaries led by John Flood.