The Village of Mount Kisco was incorporated in 1875 and was partly in the towns of Bedford and New Castle. In 1978 the village chose to become a town in its own right and joins several villages in the state that have made a like choice. Mount Kisco is part of the Bedford school system although many homes with a Mt. Kisco address are actually parts of other school systems such as New Castle.

Situated in the center of northern Westchester County, Mount Kisco is a commercial hub of northern Westchester. The shopping corridors are on South Moger Avenue, Main Street/Route 117, and the site of the former Manufacturer's Outlet Center, which today houses a Target, an A&P grocery store and several small businesses that were temporarily displaced by the construction of Target and A&P. One side effect of the village's commercial viability has been its steady increase in car traffic since the mid-1990s. This is in addition to an increase in development in the surrounding towns.

Mt. Kisco is widely known for its diversity of economic classes and residences,ranging from newly constructed upper-class duplexs,condominiums,townhouses,and mansions, to large-scale apartment complexes and Co-ops,in addition to traditional free standing suburban homes. Mt. Kisco Chase, Glassbury Court, and Guard Hill are examples of such diversity.

The Village/Town of Mount Kisco Police Department has been responsible for law enforcement and investigations within Mount Kisco since 1875. The Mount Kisco Police Department has a bicycle unit, motorcycle unit, and a detective division.

• The well known American Girl "Samantha" possesses a house in the American Girl book series which is based upon a home on Route 133 in Mount Kisco.
• The movie Ragtime was filmed in Mount Kisco, featuring the very same house on Route 133.
• The movie Fatal Attraction had scenes filmed inside the old Mount Kisco Police Department headquarters when it was housed within the Village Hall at 104 East Main St.
• Hillary Clinton's campaign video, a spoof of The Sopranos ending, was filmed at the Mount Kisco Diner
• Michael Eisner was born in Mount Kisco.
• Dar Williams, singer-songwriter and folk-pop musician, was born in Mount Kisco.
• John Schneider, TV actor, was born in Mount Kisco.
• Gavin McLeod, actor, was born in Mount Kisco
• Bruce Jenner, Olympic athlete, was born in Mount Kisco
• Rick Carey, Olympic athlete, who won three gold medals in the 1984 Olympics, was born and raised in Mount Kisco
• John Vanbiesbrouck, former All-Star NHL goaltender
• Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr., publisher of The New York Times, was born in Mount Kisco.
• Carl Icahn lives in Mount Kisco (his TWA had been based there)
• Mick Guzauski, music mix engineer, lives and works in Mount Kisco.
• Other notable former residents of Mount Kisco include, actress Jill Clayburgh, actress Lily Rabe, playwright David Rabe and singer Mariah Carey
• Martha Wainwright singer-songwriter, sister of Rufus Wainwright and daughter of Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III was born in Mount Kisco.
• Alex Shoumatoff the author and Vanity Fair magazine journalist and his father and two oldest sons were born in Mount Kisco, and Shoumatoff has widely documented and written about the town, including in his 1979 book Westchester, Portrait of a County."
• Actress Susan Dey best known for her roles in The Partridge Family and L.A. Law grew up in Mount Kisco. 
• Composers Samuel Barber and Gian-Carlo Menotti lived together in a house in Mount Kisco called "Capricorn" for over 40 years.
• Doane Perry current Jethro Tull drummer, was born in Mount Kisco. .