Connecticut (/kəˈnɛtɪkət/ kə-NET-ih-kət) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford, and its most populous city is Bridgeport. Connecticut lies between the major hubs of New York City and Boston along the Northeast Corridor, where the New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area, which includes four of Connecticut's seven largest cities, extends into the southwestern part of the state. Connecticut is the third-smallest state by area after Rhode Island and Delaware, and the 29th most populous with more than 3.6 million residents as of 2024, ranking it fourth among the most densely populated U.S. states.
Connecticut | |
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Nicknames:
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Mottoes:
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Anthem: "Yankee Doodle" | |
Country | United States |
Before statehood | Connecticut Colony |
Admitted to the Union | January 9, 1788 (5th) |
Capital | Hartford |
Largest city | Bridgeport |
Largest county or equivalent | Capitol |
Largest metro and urban areas | New York (combined) Greater Hartford (metro and urban) |
Government | |
• Governor | Ned Lamont (D) |
• Lieutenant Governor | Susan Bysiewicz (D) |
Legislature | General Assembly |
• Upper house | Senate |
• Lower house | House of Representatives |
Judiciary | Connecticut Supreme Court |
U.S. senators | Richard Blumenthal (D) Chris Murphy (D) |
U.S. House delegation | 5 Democrats (list) |
Area | |
• Total | 5,543 sq mi (14,356 km2) |
• Land | 4,849 sq mi (12,559 km2) |
• Water | 698 sq mi (1,809 km2) 12.6% |
• Rank | 48th |
Dimensions | |
• Length | 70 mi (113 km) |
• Width | 110 mi (177 km) |
Elevation | 500 ft (150 m) |
Highest elevation (Massachusetts border on south slope of Mount Frissell) | 2,379 ft (725 m) |
Lowest elevation (Long Island Sound) | 0 ft (0 m) |
Population (2024) | |
• Total | 3,675,069 |
• Rank | 29th |
• Density | 745/sq mi (288/km2) |
• Rank | 4th |
• Median household income | $91,700 (2023) |
• Income rank | 6th |
Demonyms |
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Language | |
• Official language | None |
Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
USPS abbreviation | CT |
ISO 3166 code | US-CT |
Traditional abbreviation | Conn. |
Latitude | 40°58′ N to 42°03′ N |
Longitude | 71°47′ W to 73°44′ W |
Website | ct |
The state is named after the Connecticut River, the longest in New England, which roughly bisects the state and drains into the Long Island Sound between the towns of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme. The name of the river is in turn derived from anglicized spellings of Quinnetuket, a Mohegan-Pequot word for "long tidal river". Before the arrival of the first European settlers, the region was inhabited by various Algonquian tribes. In 1633, the Dutch West India Company established a small, short-lived settlement called House of Hope in Hartford. Half of Connecticut was initially claimed by the Dutch colony New Netherland, which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers, although the first major settlements were established by the English around the same time. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to form the Connecticut Colony, while other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony; both merged into the former by 1664.
Connecticut's official nickname, the "Constitution State", refers to the Fundamental Orders adopted by the Connecticut Colony in 1639, which is considered by some to be the first written constitution in Western history. As one of the Thirteen Colonies that rejected British rule during the American Revolution, Connecticut was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States. In 1787, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, state delegates to the Constitutional Convention, proposed a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans; its bicameral structure for Congress, with a respectively proportional and equal representation of the states in the House of Representatives and Senate, was adopted and remains to this day. In January 1788, Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution.
Connecticut is a developed and affluent state, performing well on the Human Development Index and on different metrics of income except for equality. It is home to a number of prestigious educational institutions, including Yale University in New Haven, as well as other liberal arts colleges and private boarding schools in and around the "Knowledge Corridor". Due to its geography, Connecticut has maintained a strong maritime tradition; the United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London by the Thames River. The state is also associated with the aerospace industry through major companies Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky Aircraft headquartered in East Hartford and Stratford, respectively. Historically a manufacturing center for arms, hardware, and timepieces, Connecticut, as with the rest of the region, had transitioned into an economy based on the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors; many multinational firms providing such services can be found concentrated in the state capital of Hartford and along the Gold Coast in Fairfield County.
History
First people
The name Connecticut is derived from the Mohegan-Pequot word that has been translated as "long tidal river" and "upon the long river", both referring to the Connecticut River. Evidence of human presence in the Connecticut region dates to as far back as 10,000 years ago. Stone tools were used for hunting, fishing, and woodworking. Semi-nomadic in lifestyle, these peoples moved seasonally to take advantage of various resources in the area. They shared languages based on Algonquian. The Connecticut region was inhabited by multiple Native American tribes which can be grouped into the Nipmuc, the Sequin or "River Indians" (which included the Tunxis, Schaghticoke, Podunk, Wangunk, Hammonasset, and Quinnipiac), the Mattabesec or "Wappinger Confederacy" and the Pequot-Mohegan. Some of these groups still reside in Connecticut, including the Mohegans, the Pequots, and the Paugusetts.
Colonial period
Dutchman Adriaen Block was the first European explorer in Connecticut. He explored the region in 1614. Dutch fur traders then sailed up the Connecticut River, calling it Versche Rivier ("Fresh River") and building a fort at Dutch Point in Hartford, which they named "House of Hope" (Dutch: Huis van Hoop).
The Connecticut Colony originally consisted of several smaller settlements in Windsor, Wethersfield, Saybrook, Hartford, and New Haven. The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor, then at Wethersfield the following year.John Winthrop the Younger of Massachusetts received a commission to create Saybrook Colony at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635.
A large group of Puritans arrived in 1636 from Massachusetts Bay Colony, led by Thomas Hooker, who established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were adopted in January 1639, and have been described as the first constitutional document in America.
The Quinnipiack Colony was established by John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton, and others at New Haven in March 1638. The New Haven Colony had its own constitution called "The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony", signed on June 4, 1639.
Each settlement was an independent political entity, established without official sanction of the English Crown. In 1662, Winthrop traveled to England and obtained a charter from Charles II which united the settlements of Connecticut. Historically significant colonial settlements included Windsor (1633), Wethersfield (1634), Saybrook (1635), Hartford (1636), New Haven (1638), Fairfield (1639), Guilford (1639), Milford (1639), Stratford (1639), Farmington (1640), Stamford (1641), and New London (1646).
The Pequot War marked the first significant clash between colonists and Native Americans in New England. The Pequot had been aggressively extending their area of control at the expense of the Wampanoag to the north, Narragansett (east), Connecticut River Valley Algonquian tribes and the Mohegan (west), and Lenape Algonquian people (south). Meanwhile, the Pequot had been reacting with increasing aggression to colonial territorial expansion. In response to the 1636 murder of an English privateer and his crew, followed by the murder of a trader, colonists raided a Pequot village on Block Island. The Pequots laid siege to Saybrook Colony's garrison that autumn, then raided Wethersfield in the spring of 1637. Organizing a band of militia and allies from the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes, colonists declared war and attacked a Pequot village on the Mystic River. Death toll estimates range between 300-700 Pequots. After suffering another major loss at a battle in Fairfield, the Pequots sued for peace.
Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea"—that is, to the Pacific Ocean. The Hartford Treaty with the Dutch was signed on September 19, 1650, but never ratified by the British, stated the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from Greenwich Bay for a distance of 20 miles (32 km), "provided the said line come not within 10 miles [16 km] of Hudson River". This agreement was observed by both sides until war erupted between England and The Netherlands in 1652. Conflict continued concerning colonial limits until the Duke of York captured New Netherland in 1664.
Most Colonial royal grants were for long east-west strips. Connecticut took its grant seriously and established a ninth county between the Susquehanna River and Delaware River named Westmoreland County. This resulted in the brief Pennamite-Yankee Wars with Pennsylvania.
Yale College was established in 1701, providing Connecticut with an important institution to educate clergy and civil leaders. The Congregational church dominated religious life in the colony and, by extension, town affairs in many parts.
With more than 600 miles (970 km) of coastline including along its navigable rivers, Connecticut developed during its colonial years the antecedents of a maritime tradition that would later produce booms in shipbuilding, marine transport, naval support, seafood production, and leisure boating.
Historical records list the Tryall as the first vessel built in Connecticut Colony, in 1649 at a site on the Connecticut River in present-day Wethersfield. In the two decades leading up to 1776 and the American Revolution, Connecticut boatyards launched about 100 sloops, schooners and brigs according to a database of U.S. customs records maintained online by the Mystic Seaport Museum, the largest being the 180-ton Patient Mary launched in New Haven in 1763. Connecticut's first lighthouse was constructed in 1760 at the mouth of the Thames River with the New London Harbor Lighthouse.
American Revolution
Connecticut designated four delegates to the Second Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Huntington, Roger Sherman, William Williams, and Oliver Wolcott. Connecticut's legislature authorized the outfitting of six new regiments in 1775, in the wake of the clashes between British regulars and Massachusetts militia at Lexington and Concord. There were some 1,200 Connecticut troops on hand at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. In 1775, David Bushnell invented the Turtle which the following year launched the first submarine attack in history, unsuccessfully against a British warship at anchor in New York Harbor.
In 1777, the British got word of Continental Army supplies in Danbury, and they landed an expeditionary force of some 2,000 troops in Westport. This force then marched to Danbury and destroyed homes and much of the depot. Continental Army troops and militia led by General David Wooster and General Benedict Arnold engaged them on their return march at Ridgefield in 1777. For the winter of 1778–79, General George Washington decided to split the Continental Army into three divisions encircling New York City, where British General Sir Henry Clinton had taken up winter quarters. Major General Israel Putnam chose Redding as the winter encampment quarters for some 3,000 regulars and militia under his command. The Redding encampment allowed Putnam's soldiers to guard the replenished supply depot in Danbury and to support any operations along Long Island Sound and the Hudson River Valley. Some of the men were veterans of the winter encampment at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the previous winter. Soldiers at the Redding camp endured supply shortages, cold temperatures, and significant snow, with some historians dubbing the encampment "Connecticut's Valley Forge".
The state was also the launching site for a number of raids against Long Island orchestrated by Samuel Holden Parsons and Benjamin Tallmadge, and provided soldiers and material for the war effort, especially to Washington's army outside New York City. General William Tryon raided the Connecticut coast in July 1779, focusing on New Haven, Norwalk, and Fairfield. New London and Groton Heights were raided in September 1781 by Benedict Arnold, who had turned traitor to the British.
At the outset of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress assigned Nathaniel Shaw Jr. of New London as its naval agent in charge of recruiting privateers to seize British vessels as opportunities presented, with nearly 50 operating out of the Thames River which eventually drew the reprisal from the British force led by Arnold.
Early statehood
Early national period and industrial revolution
Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788, becoming the fifth state.
The state prospered during the era following the American Revolution, as mills and textile factories were built and seaports flourished from trade and fisheries. After Congress established in 1790 the predecessor to the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service that would evolve into the U.S. Coast Guard, President Washington assigned Jonathan Maltbie as one of seven masters to enforce customs regulations, with Maltbie monitoring the southern New England coast with a 48-foot cutter sloop named Argus.
In 1786, Connecticut ceded territory to the U.S. government that became part of the Northwest Territory. The state retained land extending across the northern part of present-day Ohio called the Connecticut Western Reserve. The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut, and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio.
Connecticut made agreements with Pennsylvania and New York which extinguished the land claims within those states' boundaries and created the Connecticut Panhandle. The state then ceded the Western Reserve in 1800 to the federal government, which brought it to its present boundaries (other than minor adjustments with Massachusetts).
19th century
For the first time in 1800, Connecticut shipwrights launched more than 100 vessels in a single year. Over the following decade to the doorstep of renewed hostilities with Britain that sparked the War of 1812, Connecticut boatyards constructed close to 1,000 vessels, the most productive stretch of any decade in the 19th century.
During the war, the British launched raids in Stonington and Essex and blockaded vessels in the Thames River. Derby native Isaac Hull became Connecticut's best-known naval figure to win renown during the conflict, as captain of the USS Constitution.
The British blockade during the War of 1812 hurt exports and bolstered the influence of Federalists who opposed the war. The cessation of imports from Britain stimulated the construction of factories to manufacture textiles and machinery. Connecticut came to be recognized as a major center for manufacturing, due in part to the inventions of Eli Whitney and other early innovators of the Industrial Revolution.
The war led to the development of fast clippers that helped extend the reach of New England merchants to the Pacific and Indian oceans. The first half of the 19th century saw as well a rapid rise in whaling, with New London emerging as one of the New England industry's three biggest home ports after Nantucket and New Bedford.
The state was known for its political conservatism, typified by its Federalist party and the Yale College of Timothy Dwight. The foremost intellectuals were Dwight and Noah Webster, who compiled his great dictionary in New Haven. Religious tensions polarized the state, as the Congregational Church struggled to maintain traditional viewpoints, in alliance with the Federalists. The failure of the Hartford Convention in 1814 hurt the Federalist cause, with the Democratic-Republican Party gaining control in 1817.
Connecticut had been governed under the "Fundamental Orders" since 1639, but the state adopted a new constitution in 1818.
Civil War era
Connecticut manufacturers played a major role in supplying the Union forces with weapons and supplies during the Civil War. The state furnished 55,000 men, formed into thirty full regiments of infantry, including two in the U.S. Colored Troops, with several Connecticut men becoming generals. The Navy attracted 250 officers and 2,100 men, and Glastonbury native Gideon Welles was Secretary of the Navy. James H. Ward of Hartford was the first U.S. Naval Officer killed in the Civil War. Connecticut casualties included 2,088 killed in combat, 2,801 dying from disease, and 689 dying in Confederate prison camps.
A surge of national unity in 1861 brought thousands flocking to the colors from every town and city. However, as the war became a crusade to end slavery, many Democrats (especially Irish Catholics) pulled back. The Democrats took a pro-slavery position and included many Copperheads willing to let the South secede. The intensely fought 1863 election for governor was narrowly won by the Republicans.
Second industrial revolution
Connecticut's extensive industry, dense population, flat terrain, and wealth encouraged the construction of railroads starting in 1839. By 1840, 102 miles (164 km) of line were in operation, growing to 402 miles (647 km) in 1850 and 601 miles (967 km) in 1860.
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, called the New Haven or "The Consolidated", became the dominant Connecticut railroad company after 1872. J. P. Morgan began financing the major New England railroads in the 1890s, dividing territory so that they would not compete. The New Haven purchased 50 smaller companies, including steamship lines, and built a network of light rails (electrified trolleys) that provided inter-urban transportation for all of southern New England. By 1912, the New Haven operated over 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of track with 120,000 employees.
As steam-powered passenger ships proliferated after the Civil War, Noank would produce the two largest built in Connecticut during the 19th century, with the 332-foot wooden steam paddle wheeler Rhode Island launched in 1882, and the 345-foot paddle wheeler Connecticut seven years later. Connecticut shipyards would launch more than 165 steam-powered vessels in the 19th century.
In 1875, the first telephone exchange in the world was established in New Haven.
20th century
World War I
When World War I broke out in 1914, Connecticut became a major supplier of weaponry to the U.S. military; by 1918, 80% of the state's industries were producing goods for the war effort.Remington Arms in Bridgeport produced half the small-arms cartridges used by the U.S. Army, with other major suppliers including Winchester in New Haven and Colt in Hartford.
Connecticut was also an important U.S. Navy supplier, with Electric Boat receiving orders for 85 submarines,Lake Torpedo Boat building more than 20 subs, and the Groton Iron Works building freighters. On June 21, 1916, the Navy made Groton the site for its East Coast submarine base and school.
The state enthusiastically supported the American war effort in 1917 and 1918 with large purchases of war bonds, a further expansion of industry, and an emphasis on increasing food production on the farms. Thousands of state, local, and volunteer groups mobilized for the war effort and were coordinated by the Connecticut State Council of Defense. Manufacturers wrestled with manpower shortages; Waterbury's American Brass and Manufacturing Company was running at half capacity, so the federal government agreed to furlough soldiers to work there.
Interwar period
In 1919, J. Henry Roraback started the Connecticut Light & Power Co. which became the state's dominant electric utility. In 1925, Frederick Rentschler spurred the creation of Pratt & Whitney in Hartford to develop engines for aircraft; the company became an important military supplier in World War II and one of the three major manufacturers of jet engines in the world.
On September 21, 1938, the most destructive storm in New England history struck eastern Connecticut, killing hundreds of people. The eye of the "Long Island Express" passed just west of New Haven and devastated the Connecticut shoreline between Old Saybrook and Stonington from the full force of wind and waves, even though they had partial protection by Long Island. The hurricane caused extensive damage to infrastructure, homes, and businesses. In New London, a 500-foot (150 m) sailing ship was driven into a warehouse complex, causing a major fire. Heavy rainfall caused the Connecticut River to flood downtown Hartford and East Hartford. An estimated 50,000 trees fell onto roadways.
World War II
The advent of lend-lease in support of Britain helped lift Connecticut from the Great Depression, with the state a major production center for weaponry and supplies used in World War II. Connecticut manufactured 4.1% of total U.S. military armaments produced during the war, ranking ninth among the 48 states, with major factories including Colt for firearms, Pratt & Whitney for aircraft engines, Chance Vought for fighter planes, Hamilton Standard for propellers, and Electric Boat for submarines and PT boats. In Bridgeport, General Electric produced a significant new weapon to combat tanks: the bazooka.
On May 13, 1940, Igor Sikorsky made an untethered flight of the first practical helicopter. The helicopter saw limited use in World War II, but future military production made Sikorsky Aircraft's Stratford plant Connecticut's largest single manufacturing site by the start of the 21st century.
Post-World War II economic expansion
Connecticut lost some wartime factories following the end of hostilities, but the state shared in a general post-war expansion that included the construction of highways and resulting in middle-class growth in suburban areas.
Prescott Bush represented Connecticut in the U.S. Senate from 1952 to 1963; his son George H. W. Bush and grandson George W. Bush both became presidents of the United States. In 1965, Connecticut ratified its current constitution, replacing the document that had served since 1818.
In 1968, commercial operation began for the Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Haddam; in 1970, the Millstone Nuclear Power Station began operations in Waterford. In 1974, Connecticut elected Democratic Governor Ella T. Grasso, who became the first woman in any state to be elected governor without being the wife or widow of a previous governor.
Late 20th century
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Connecticut's dependence on the defense industry posed an economic challenge at the end of the Cold War. The resulting budget crisis helped elect Lowell Weicker as governor on a third-party ticket in 1990. Weicker's remedy was a state income tax which proved effective in balancing the budget, but only for the short-term. He did not run for a second term, in part because of this politically unpopular move.
In 1992, initial construction was completed on Foxwoods Casino at the Mashantucket Pequots reservation in eastern Connecticut, which became the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere. Mohegan Sun followed four years later.
Early 21st century
In 2000, presidential candidate Al Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate, marking the first time that a major party presidential ticket included someone of the Jewish faith. Gore and Lieberman fell five votes short of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney in the Electoral College. In the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 65 state residents were killed, mostly Fairfield County residents who were working in the World Trade Center. In 2004, Republican Governor John G. Rowland resigned during a corruption investigation, later pleading guilty to federal charges.
Connecticut was hit by three major storms in just over 14 months in 2011 and 2012, with all three causing extensive property damage and electric outages. Hurricane Irene struck Connecticut August 28, and damage totaled $235 million. Two months later, the "Halloween nor'easter" dropped extensive snow onto trees, resulting in snapped branches and trunks that damaged power lines; some areas were without electricity for 11 days.Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and passed over Connecticut with hurricane-force winds and tides up to 12 feet above normal. Many coastal buildings were damaged or destroyed. Sandy's winds drove storm surges into streets and cut power to 98% of homes and businesses, with more than $360 million in damage.
On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, and then killed himself. The massacre spurred renewed efforts by activists for tighter laws on gun ownership nationally.
In the summer and fall of 2016, Connecticut experienced a drought in many parts of the state, causing some water-use bans. As of November 15, 2016
, 45% of the state was listed at Severe Drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor, including almost all of Hartford and Litchfield counties. All the rest of the state was in Moderate Drought or Severe Drought, including Middlesex, Fairfield, New London, New Haven, Windham, and Tolland counties. This affected the agricultural economy in the state.Geography
Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital and fourth largest city is Hartford, and other major cities and towns (by population) include Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Norwalk, Danbury, New Britain, Greenwich, and Bristol. There are 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut, with cities and villages included within some towns.
The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state. The highest point is just east of where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet (42°3′ N, 73°29′ W), on the southern slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts. At the opposite extreme, many of the coastal towns have areas that are less than 20 feet (6.1 m) above sea level.
Connecticut has a long maritime history and a reputation based on that history—yet the state has no direct oceanfront (technically speaking). The coast of Connecticut sits on Long Island Sound, which is an estuary. The state's access to the open Atlantic Ocean is both to the west (toward New York City) and to the east (toward the "race" near Rhode Island). Due to this unique geography, Long Island Sound and the Connecticut shoreline are relatively protected from high waves from storms.
The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound. The most populous metropolitan region centered within the state lies in the Connecticut River Valley. Despite Connecticut's relatively small size, it features wide regional variations in its landscape; for example, in the northwestern Litchfield Hills, it features rolling mountains and horse farms, whereas in areas to the east of New Haven along the coast, the landscape features coastal marshes, beaches, and large scale maritime activities.
Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities such as Stamford, Bridgeport, and New Haven, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New London, then northward up the Connecticut River to Hartford. Many towns in northeastern and northwestern Connecticut center around a green. Near the green typically stand historical visual symbols of New England towns, such as a white church, a colonial meeting house, a colonial tavern or inn, several colonial houses, and so on, establishing a scenic historical appearance maintained for both historic preservation and tourism. Many of the areas in southern and coastal Connecticut have been built up and rebuilt over the years, and look less visually like traditional New England.
The northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked by the Southwick Jog or Granby Notch, an approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) square detour into Connecticut. The origin of this anomaly is clearly established in a long line of disputes and temporary agreements which were finally concluded in 1804, when southern Southwick's residents sought to leave Massachusetts, and the town was split in half.
The southwestern border of Connecticut where it abuts New York State is marked by a panhandle in Fairfield County and the Western Connecticut Planning Region, containing the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, and parts of Norwalk and Wilton. This irregularity in the boundary is the result of territorial disputes in the late 17th century, culminating with New York giving up its claim to the area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield to the Massachusetts border, as well as undisputed claim to Rye, New York.
Areas maintained by the National Park Service include Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, and Weir Farm National Historic Site.
Climate
Connecticut lies at the rough transition zone between the southern end of the humid continental climate, and the northern portion of the humid subtropical climate. Northern Connecticut generally experiences a climate with hot, humid summers and moderataely cold winters with periodic snowfall. Far southern and coastal Connecticut has a climate with cool winters with a mix of rain and infrequent snow, and the long hot and humid summers typical of the middle and lower East Coast.
Precipitation
Connecticut sees a fairly even precipitation pattern with rainfall/snowfall spread throughout the 12 months. Connecticut averages 56% of possible sunshine (higher than the U.S. national average), averaging 2,400 hours of sunshine annually. Occasionally, some months may see extremes in precipitation, either much higher or lower than normal, though long term droughts and floods are rare.
Early spring can range from slightly cool (40s to low 50s F) to warm (65 to 70 F), while mid and late spring (late April/May) is warm. By late May, the building Bermuda High creates a southerly flow of warm and humid tropical air, bringing hot weather conditions throughout the state. Average highs are 81 °F (27 °C) in New London and 85 °F (29 °C) in Windsor Locks at the peak of summer in late July. On occasion, heat waves with highs from 90 to 100 °F (38 °C) occur across Connecticut. Connecticut's record high temperature is 106 °F (41 °C) which occurred in Danbury on July 15, 1995. Although summers are sunny in Connecticut, quick moving summer thunderstorms can bring brief downpours with thunder and lightning. Occasionally these thunderstorms can be severe, and the state usually averages one tornado per year. During hurricane season, the remains of tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region, though a direct hit is rare. Some notable hurricanes to impact the state include the 1938 New England hurricane, Hurricane Carol in 1954, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and Hurricane Isaias in 2020.
Weather commonly associated with the fall season typically begins in October and lasts to the first days of December. Daily high temperatures in October and November range from the 50s to 60s F. Winters (December through mid-March) are moderately generally cold from south to north in Connecticut. The coldest month (January) has average high temperatures ranging from 38 °F (3 °C) in the coastal lowlands to 33 °F (1 °C) in the inland and northern portions on the state. The lowest temperature recorded in Connecticut is −32 °F (−36 °C) which has been observed twice: in Falls Village on February 16, 1943, and in Coventry on January 22, 1961. The average yearly snowfall ranges from about 60 inches (1,500 mm) in the higher elevations of the northern portion of the state to only 20–25 inches (510–640 mm) along the southeast coast of Connecticut (Branford to Groton). Most of Connecticut has less than 60 days of snow cover, while coastal areas often only see 30 days or so of snowcover. Annually, 95% of seasonal snowfall in Connecticut falls from early December to late March. On occasion in winter, Connecticut can occasionally get heavy snowstorms, called nor'easters, which may produce as much as two feet of snow on rare occasions. Although rare, Ice storms also occur on occasion, such as the Southern New England ice storm of 1973.
Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Connecticut cities (°F) | ||||||||||||
City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Bridgeport | 38/24 | 40/25 | 47/32 | 58/41 | 68/51 | 77/61 | 83/67 | 81/67 | 75/59 | 64/48 | 53/38 | 43/30 |
Hartford | 35/18 | 38/20 | 47/28 | 60/38 | 71/48 | 79/57 | 85/63 | 83/61 | 75/53 | 63/42 | 51/33 | 40/24 |
Flora
Forests consist of a mix of Northeastern coastal forests of oak in southern areas of the state, to the upland New England-Acadian forests in the northwestern parts of the state. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is the state flower and is native to low ridges in several parts of Connecticut. Rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) is also native to eastern uplands of Connecticut and Pachaug State Forest is home to the Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail. Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), is found in wetlands in the southern parts of the state. Connecticut has one native cactus (Opuntia humifusa), found in sandy coastal areas and low hillsides. Several types of beach grasses and wildflowers are also native to Connecticut. Connecticut spans USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b to 7a. Coastal Connecticut is the broad transition zone where more southern and subtropical plants are cultivated. In some coastal communities, Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia), crape myrtles, scrub palms (Sabal minor), needle palms (Rhapidophyllum hystrix), and other broadleaved evergreens are cultivated in small numbers.[citation needed]
Fauna
Largest cities and towns
Largest cities or towns in Connecticut | |||||||||
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Rank | Name | Region | Pop. | ||||||
Bridgeport Stamford | 1 | Bridgeport | Greater Bridgeport | 148,654 | New Haven Hartford | ||||
2 | Stamford | Western | 135,470 | ||||||
3 | New Haven | South Central | 134,023 | ||||||
4 | Hartford | Capitol | 121,054 | ||||||
5 | Waterbury | Naugatuck Valley | 114,403 | ||||||
6 | Norwalk | Western | 91,184 | ||||||
7 | Danbury | Western | 86,518 | ||||||
8 | New Britain | Capitol | 74,135 | ||||||
9 | West Hartford | Capitol | 64,083 | ||||||
10 | Greenwich | Western | 63,518 |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 237,946 | — | |
1800 | 251,002 | 5.5% | |
1810 | 261,942 | 4.4% | |
1820 | 275,248 | 5.1% | |
1830 | 297,675 | 8.1% | |
1840 | 309,978 | 4.1% | |
1850 | 370,792 | 19.6% | |
1860 | 460,147 | 24.1% | |
1870 | 537,454 | 16.8% | |
1880 | 622,700 | 15.9% | |
1890 | 746,258 | 19.8% | |
1900 | 908,420 | 21.7% | |
1910 | 1,114,756 | 22.7% | |
1920 | 1,380,631 | 23.9% | |
1930 | 1,606,903 | 16.4% | |
1940 | 1,709,242 | 6.4% | |
1950 | 2,007,280 | 17.4% | |
1960 | 2,535,234 | 26.3% | |
1970 | 3,031,709 | 19.6% | |
1980 | 3,107,576 | 2.5% | |
1990 | 3,287,116 | 5.8% | |
2000 | 3,405,565 | 3.6% | |
2010 | 3,574,097 | 4.9% | |
2020 | 3,605,944 | 0.9% | |
2024 (est.) | 3,675,069 | 1.9% | |
Sources: |
As of the 2020 United States census, Connecticut has a population of 3,605,944, an increase of 31,847 people (0.9%) from the 2010 United States census. Among the census records, 20.4% of the population was under 18.
In 1790, 97% of the population in Connecticut was classified as "rural". The first census in which less than half the population was classified as rural was 1890. In the 2000 census, only 12.3% was considered rural. Most of western and southern Connecticut (particularly the Gold Coast) is strongly associated with New York City; this area is the most affluent and populous region of the state and has high property costs and high incomes. The center of population of Connecticut is located in the town of Cheshire.
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 2,930 homeless people in Connecticut.
Race and ethnicity | Alone | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
White (non-Hispanic) | 63.2% | 66.6% | ||
Hispanic or Latino | — | 17.3% | ||
African American (non-Hispanic) | 10.0% | 11.4% | ||
Asian | 4.7% | 5.5% | ||
Native American | 0.2% | 1.1% | ||
Pacific Islander | 0.03% | 0.1% | ||
Other | 0.8% | 2.1% |
Racial composition | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|
White | 87.0% | 81.6% | 77.6% | 66.4% |
Black | 8.3% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 10.8% |
Asian | 1.5% | 2.4% | 3.8% | 4.8% |
Native | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander | – | – | – | - |
Other race | 2.9% | 4.3% | 5.6% | 8.3% |
Two or more races | – | 2.2% | 2.6% | 9.2% |
In common with the majority of the United States, non-Hispanic whites have remained the dominant racial and ethnic group in Connecticut. From being 98% of the population in 1940, however, they have declined to 63% of the population as of the 2020 census. These statistics have represented fewer Americans identifying as non-Hispanic white, which has given rise to the Hispanic and Latino American population and Asian American population overall. As of 2011[update], 46.1% of Connecticut's population younger than age 1 were minorities. As of 2004, 11.4% of the population (400,000) was foreign-born. In 1870, native-born Americans had accounted for 75% of the state's population, but that had dropped to 35% by 1918. Also as of 2000, 81.69% of Connecticut residents age 5 and older spoke English at home and 8.42% spoke Spanish, followed by Italian at 1.59%, French at 1.31%, and Polish at 1.20%.
The largest ancestry groups since 2010 were: 19.3% Italian, 17.9% Irish, 10.7% English, 10.4% German, 8.6% Polish, 6.6% French, 3.0% French Canadian, 2.7% American, 2.0% Scottish, and 1.4% Scotch Irish.
The top countries of origin for Connecticut's immigrants in 2018 were India, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Poland and Ecuador.
Birth data
Note: Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.
Race | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White: | 28,454 (78.8%) | 28,543 (78.7%) | 28,164 (78.8%) | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
> Non-Hispanic White | 20,704 (57.4%) | 20,933 (57.7%) | 20,395 (57.0%) | 19,551 (54.3%) | 18,842 (53.5%) | 18,488 (53.2%) | 18,366 (53.6%) | 17,785 (53.2%) | 19,136 (53.6%) | 18,681 (52.9%) |
Black | 5,103 (14.1%) | 5,154 (14.2%) | 4,988 (14.0%) | 4,453 (12.4%) | 4,301 (12.2%) | 4,423 (12.7%) | 4,221 (12.3%) | 4,056 (12.1%) | 4,357 (12.2%) | 4,298 (12.2%) |
Asian | 2,221 (6.1%) | 2,280 (6.3%) | 2,497 (7.0%) | 2,583 (7.2%) | 2,475 (7.0%) | 2,232 (6.4%) | 2,199 (6.4%) | 1,992 (6.0%) | 1,921 (5.4%) | 1,878 (5.3%) |
American Indian | 307 (0.9%) | 308 (0.8%) | 97 (0.3%) | 26 (0.1%) | 28 (0.1%) | 38 (0.1%) | 24 (0.1%) | 35 (0.1%) | 33 (0.1%) | 33 (0.1%) |
Hispanic (of any race) | 8,208 (22.7%) | 8,129 (22.4%) | 8,275 (23.1%) | 8,622 (23.9%) | 8,833 (25.1%) | 8,762 (25.2%) | 8,728 (25.5%) | 8,861 (26.5%) | 9,482 (26.6%) | 9,597 (27.2%) |
Total Connecticut | 36,085 (100%) | 36,285 (100%) | 35,746 (100%) | 36,015 (100%) | 35,221 (100%) | 34,725 (100%) | 34,258 (100%) | 33,460 (100%) | 35,670 (100%) | 35,332 (100%) |
- Since 2016, data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected, but included in one Hispanic group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Religion
A 2014 Pew survey of Connecticut residents' religious self-identification showed the following distribution of affiliations Protestant 35%, Roman Catholic 33%, non-religious 28%, Jewish 3%, Mormonism 1%, Orthodox 1%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Hinduism 1%, Buddhism 1% and Islam 1%.Jewish congregations had 108,280 (3.2%) members in 2000.
The Jewish population is concentrated in the towns near Long Island Sound between Greenwich and New Haven, in Greater New Haven and in Greater Hartford, especially the suburb of West Hartford. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, the largest Christian denominations, by number of adherents, in 2010 were: the Catholic Church, with 1,252,936; the United Church of Christ, with 96,506; and non-denominational Evangelical Protestants, with 72,863.
Recent immigration has brought other non-Christian religions to the state, but the numbers of adherents of other religions are still low. Connecticut is also home to New England's largest Protestant church: The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Hartford is seat to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, which is sovereign over the Diocese of Bridgeport and the Diocese of Norwich.
By a 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 71% of the population identified as some form of Christian. It found the state to be 21% non-religious and specifically 19% white mainline Protestant, 19% white Catholic, 9% white evangelical Protestant, 7% black Protestant, and 7% Hispanic Catholic. In contrast to the 2014 Pew survey, the 2020 PRRI survey found Connecticut to be 40% Protestant and 28% Catholic (with the remainder of Christians being Mormon at 2%, and Orthodox at 1%). The PRRI survey found Jewish citizens to be 2% of the population and, like the Pew survey: Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims to be 1% each.
Economy
The total 2023 gross state product for Connecticut was $345.9 billion, up from $321.7 billion in 2022.
Connecticut's adjusted per capita personal income in 2022 was estimated at $77,940, third-highest among states. There is a large disparity in incomes throughout the state; Connecticut was tied with California and Massachusetts for the second highest (after New York's 0.52) Gini coefficient, at 0.50, as of 2020. According to a 2018 study by Phoenix Marketing International, Connecticut had the third-largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States, with a ratio of 7.75%.New Canaan is the wealthiest town in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $105,846. Hartford is the poorest municipality in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $16,798 in 2020.At the county level, per capita income ranged from $48,295 in Fairfield County to $26,585 in Windham County, which is close to the United States average.
As of December 2019, Connecticut's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8%, with U.S. unemployment at 3.5% that month. Dating back to 1982, Connecticut recorded its lowest unemployment in 2000 between August and October, at 2.2%. The highest unemployment rate during that period occurred in November and December 2010 at 9.3%, but economists expected record new levels of layoffs as a result of business closures in the spring of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Taxation
Tax is collected by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and by local municipalities.
As of 2012, Connecticut residents had the second highest rate in the nation of combined state and local taxes after New York, at 12.6% of income compared to the national average of 9.9% as reported by the Tax Foundation.
Before 1991, Connecticut had an investment-only income tax system. Income from employment was untaxed, but income from investments was taxed at 13%, the highest rate in the U.S., with no deductions allowed for costs of producing the investment income, such as interest on borrowing.
In 1991, under Governor Lowell P. Weicker Jr., an independent, the system was changed to one in which the taxes on employment income and investment income were equalized at a maximum rate of 4%. The new tax policy drew investment firms to Connecticut; as of 2019[update], Fairfield County was home to the headquarters for 16 of the 200 largest hedge funds in the world.
As of 2019[update], the income tax rates on Connecticut individuals were divided into seven tax brackets of 3% (on income up to $10,000); 5% ($10,000–$50,000); 5.5% ($50,000–$100,000); 6% ($100,000–$200,000); 6.5% ($200,000–$250,000); 6.9% ($250,000–$500,000); and 6.99% above $500,000, with additional amounts owed depending on the bracket.
All wages of Connecticut residents are subject to the state's income tax, even if earned outside the state. However, in those cases, Connecticut income tax must be withheld only to the extent the Connecticut tax exceeds the amount withheld by the other jurisdiction. Since New York has higher income tax rates than Connecticut, this effectively means that Connecticut residents who work in New York have no Connecticut income tax withheld. Connecticut permits a credit for taxes paid to other jurisdictions, but since residents who work in other states are still subject to Connecticut income taxation, they may owe taxes if the jurisdictional credit does not fully offset the Connecticut tax amount.
Connecticut levies a 6.35% state sales tax on the retail sale, lease, or rental of most goods. Some items and services in general are not subject to sales and use taxes unless specifically enumerated as taxable by statute. A provision excluding clothing under $50 from sales tax was repealed as of July 1, 2011[update]. There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions. In 2001, Connecticut instituted what became an annual sales tax "holiday" each August lasting one week, when retailers do not have to remit sales tax on certain items and quantities of clothing that has varied from year to year.
State law authorizes municipalities to tax property, including real estate, vehicles and other personal property, with state statute providing varying exemptions, credits and abatements. All assessments are at 70% of fair market value. The maximum property tax credit is $200 per return and any excess may not be refunded or carried forward. According to the Tax Foundation, on a per capita basis in the 2017 fiscal year Connecticut residents paid the 3rd highest average property taxes in the nation after New Hampshire and New Jersey.
As of January 1, 2020[update], gasoline taxes and fees in Connecticut were 40.13 cents per gallon, 11th highest in the United States which had a nationwide average of 36.13 cents a gallon excluding federal taxes. Diesel taxes and fees as of January 2020 in Connecticut were 46.50 cents per gallon, ninth highest nationally with the U.S. average at 37.91 cents.
Real estate
In 2019, sales of single-family homes in Connecticut totaled 33,146 units, a 2.1 percent decline from the 2018 transaction total. The median home sold in 2019 recorded a transaction amount of $260,000, up 0.4 percent from 2018.
Connecticut had the seventh highest rate of home foreclosure activity in the country in 2019 at 0.53 percent of the total housing stock.
Industries
Finance, insurance and real estate was Connecticut's largest industry in 2018 as ranked by gross domestic product, generating $75.7 billion in GDP that year. Major employers include The Hartford, Travelers, Harman International, Cigna, the Aetna subsidiary of CVS Health, Mass Mutual, People's United Financial, Bank of America, Realogy,Bridgewater Associates,GE Capital, William Raveis Real Estate, and Berkshire Hathaway through reinsurance and residential real estate subsidiaries.
The combined educational, health and social services sector was the largest single industry as ranked by employment, with a combined workforce of 342,600 people at the end of 2019, ranking fourth the year before in GDP at $28.3 billion.
The broad business and professional services sector had the second highest GDP total in Connecticut in 2018 at an estimated $33.7 billion.
Manufacturing was the third biggest industry in 2018 with GDP of $30.8 billion, dominated by Raytheon Technologies formed in the March 2020 merger of Hartford-based United Technologies and Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon Co. As of the merger, Raytheon Technologies employed about 19,000 people in Connecticut through subsidiaries Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace.Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft operates Connecticut's single largest manufacturing plant in Stratford, where it makes helicopters.
The world's largest audio equipment manufacturing company Harman International is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.[citation needed] It owns many brands like JBL, Akg and Harman kardon.
Other major manufacturers include the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics, which makes submarines in Groton,Boehringer Ingelheim, a pharmaceuticals manufacturer with its U.S. headquarters in Ridgefield, and ASML, which in Wilton makes precision lithography machines used to create circuitry on semiconductors and flat-screen displays.
Connecticut historically was a center of gun manufacturing, and four gun-manufacturing firms continued to operate in the state as of December 2012[update], employing 2,000 people: Colt, Stag, Ruger, and Mossberg.Marlin, owned by Remington, closed in April 2011.
Other large components of the Connecticut economy in 2018 included wholesale trade ($18.1 billion in GDP); information services ($13.8 billion); retail ($13.7 billion); arts, entertainment and food services ($9.1 billion); and construction ($8.3 billion).
Tourists spent $9.3 billion in Connecticut in 2017 according to estimates as part of a series of studies commissioned by the state of Connecticut.Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun are the two biggest tourist draws and number among the state's largest employers; both are located on Native American reservations in the southeastern Connecticut.
Connecticut's agricultural production totaled $580 million in 2017, with just over half of that revenue the result of nursery stock production. Milk production totaled $81 million that year, with other major product categories including eggs, vegetables and fruit, tobacco and shellfish.
Energy
Connecticut's economy uses less energy to produce each dollar of GDP than all other states except California, Massachusetts, and New York. It uses less energy on a per-capita basis than all but six other states. It has no fossil-fuel resources, but does have renewable resources. Average retail electricity prices are the highest among the 48 contiguous states. While most of the state's energy consumption is generated using fossil fuels, nuclear power delivered over 40% of state's electricity generation in 2019. Refuse-derived fuels and other biomass provided the largest share of renewable electricity at about a 3% share. Solar and wind generation have grown in recent years. More than three-quarters of solar generation came from distributed small-scale installations such as rooftop solar in 2019, and there is planning underway to significantly increase renewable generation with the state's offshore wind resource.
Transport
Roads
The Interstate highways in the state are Interstate 95 (I-95) traveling southwest to northeast along the coast, I-84 traveling southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 traveling north to south in the center of the state, and I-395 traveling north to south near the eastern border of the state. The other major highways in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form Connecticut Route 15 (Route 15), traveling from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and traveling parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin. I-95 and Route 15 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic stopped and paid fixed tolls. A series of major crashes at these plazas eventually contributed to the decision to remove the tolls in 1988. Other major arteries in the state include U.S. Route 7 (US 7) in the west traveling parallel to the New York state line, Route 8 farther east near the industrial city of Waterbury and traveling north–south along the Naugatuck River Valley nearly parallel with US 7, and Route 9 in the east.
Between New Haven and New York City, I-95 is one of the most congested highways in the United States. Although I-95 has been widened in several spots, some areas are only three lanes and this strains traffic capacity, resulting in frequent and lengthy rush hour delays. Frequently, the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway and even US 1. The state has encouraged traffic reduction schemes, including rail use and ride-sharing.
Connecticut also has a very active bicycling community, with one of the highest rates of bicycle ownership and use in the United States, particularly in New Haven. According to the U.S. Census 2006 American Community Survey, New Haven has the highest percentage of commuters who bicycle to work of any major metropolitan center on the East Coast.
Rail
Rail is a popular travel mode between New Haven and New York City's Grand Central Terminal. Southwestern Connecticut is served by the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Metro-North provides commuter service between New York City and New Haven, with branches to New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury. Connecticut lies along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which features frequent Northeast Regional and Acela Express service from New Haven south to New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Norfolk, VA, as well as north to New London, Providence and Boston. Since 1990, coastal cities and towns between New Haven and New London are also served by the Shore Line East commuter line.
In June 2018, a commuter rail service called the Hartford Line began operating between New Haven and Springfield on Amtrak's New Haven-Springfield Line. Hartford Line service is provided by both Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's CT Rail, and in addition to its termini serves New Haven State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. Several infill stations are planned to be added in the near future as of 2021. Amtrak's Vermonter runs from Washington to St. Albans, Vermont via the same line. In July 2019, Amtrak launched the Valley Flyer, which runs between New Haven and Greenfield, Massachusetts.
A proposed commuter rail service, the Central Corridor Rail Line, would connect New London with Norwich, Willimantic, Storrs via the main campus of the University of Connecticut, and Stafford Springs, with service continuing into Massachusetts and Brattleboro, Vermont. The proposal also adds stops to service popular tourist destinations Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun.
Bus
Statewide bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, with smaller municipal authorities providing local service. Bus networks are an important part of the transportation system in Connecticut, especially in urban areas like Hartford, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and New Haven. Connecticut Transit also operates CTfastrak, a bus rapid transit service between New Britain and Hartford, which opened to the public on March 28, 2015.
Air
Connecticut's largest airport is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, 15 miles (24 km) north of Hartford.[citation needed] Many residents of central and southern Connecticut also make heavy use of JFK International Airport and Newark International Airports, especially for international travel. Smaller regional air service is provided at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport. Larger civil airports include Danbury Municipal Airport and Waterbury-Oxford Airport in western Connecticut, Hartford–Brainard Airport in central Connecticut, and Groton-New London Airport in eastern Connecticut. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is located in Stratford and mostly services cargo, helicopter and private aviation.
Ferry
Several ferry services cross Long Island Sound and connect the state to Long Island. The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry travels between Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Jefferson, New York. Ferry service also operates out of New London to Orient, New York; Fishers Island, New York; and Block Island, Rhode Island, which are popular tourist destinations. Two ferries cross the Connecticut River: the Rocky Hill–Glastonbury ferry and the Chester–Hadlyme ferry, the former of which is the oldest continuously operating ferry in the United States, operating since 1655.
Law and government
Hartford has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Before then, New Haven and Hartford alternated as dual capitals.
Constitutional history
Connecticut is known as the "Constitution State". The origin of this nickname is uncertain, but it likely comes from Connecticut's pivotal role in the federal constitutional convention of 1787, during which Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth helped to orchestrate what became known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise. This plan combined the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to form a bicameral legislature, a form copied by almost every state constitution since the adoption of the federal constitution. Variations of the bicameral legislature had been proposed by Virginia and New Jersey, but Connecticut's plan was the one that was in effect until the early 20th century, when Senators ceased to be selected by their state legislatures and were instead directly elected. Otherwise, it is still the design of Congress.
The nickname also might refer to the Fundamental Orders of 1638–39. These Fundamental Orders represent the framework for the first formal Connecticut state government written by a representative body in Connecticut. The State of Connecticut government has operated under the direction of four separate documents in the course of the state's constitutional history. After the Fundamental Orders, Connecticut was granted governmental authority by King Charles II of England through the Connecticut Charter of 1662.
Separate branches of government did not exist during this period, and the General Assembly acted as the supreme authority. A constitution similar to the modern U.S. Constitution was not adopted in Connecticut until 1818. Finally, the current state constitution was implemented in 1965. The 1965 constitution absorbed a majority of its 1818 predecessor, but incorporated a handful of important modifications.
Executive
The governor heads the executive branch. As of 2020[update], Ned Lamont is the Governor and Susan Bysiewicz is the Lieutenant Governor; both are Democrats. From 1639 until the adoption of the 1818 constitution, the governor presided over the General Assembly. In 1974, Ella Grasso was elected as the governor of Connecticut. This was the first time in United States history when a woman was a governor without her husband being governor first.
There are several executive departments: Administrative Services, Agriculture, Banking, Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Correction, Economic and Community Development, Developmental Services, Construction Services, Education, Emergency Management and Public Protection, Energy & Environmental Protection, Higher Education, Insurance, Labor, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Military, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Public Utility Regulatory Authority, Public Works, Revenue Services, Social Services, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. In addition to these departments, there are other independent bureaus, offices and commissions.
In addition to the governor and lieutenant governor, there are four other executive officers named in the state constitution that are elected directly by voters: secretary of the state, treasurer, comptroller, and attorney general. All executive officers are elected to four-year terms.
Legislative
Connecticut's legislative branch is known as the General Assembly. It is a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper body, the State Senate (36 senators); and a lower body, the House of Representatives (151 representatives). Bills must pass each house in order to become law. The governor can veto bills, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in both houses. Per Article XV of the state constitution, Senators and Representatives must be at least 18 years of age and are elected to two-year terms in November on even-numbered years. There also must always be between 30 and 50 senators and 125 to 225 representatives. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate, except when absent from the chamber, when the President pro tempore presides. The Speaker of the House presides over the House. As of 2021[update], Matthew Ritter is the Speaker of the House of Connecticut.
As of 2021[update], Connecticut's United States Senators are Richard Blumenthal (Democrat) and Chris Murphy (Democrat). Connecticut has five representatives in the U.S. House, all of whom are Democrats.
Locally elected representatives also develop local ordinances to govern cities and towns. The town ordinances often include noise control and zoning guidelines. However, the State of Connecticut also provides statewide ordinances for noise control as well.
Judicial
The highest court of Connecticut's judicial branch is the Connecticut Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Connecticut. The Supreme Court is responsible for deciding on the constitutionality of laws, or cases as they relate to the law. Its proceedings are similar to those of the United States Supreme Court: no testimony is given by witnesses, and the lawyers of the two sides each present oral arguments no longer than thirty minutes. Following a court proceeding, the court may take several months to arrive at a judgment. As of 2020[update], the Chief Justice is Richard A. Robinson.
In 1818, the court became a separate entity, independent of the legislative and executive branches. The Connecticut Appellate Court is a lesser statewide court, and the Superior Courts are lower courts that resemble county courts of other states.
Local government
Connecticut does not have county government, unlike all other states except Rhode Island. Connecticut county governments were mostly eliminated in 1960, with the exception of sheriffs elected in each county. In 2000, the county sheriff was abolished and replaced with the state marshal system, which has districts that follow the old county territories. The judicial system is divided into judicial districts at the trial-court level which largely follow the old county lines. The eight counties are still widely used for purely geographical and statistical purposes, such as weather reports and census reporting, although the latter will cease using the counties in 2024.
The state is divided into nine regional councils of government defined by the state Office of Planning and Management, which facilitate regional planning and coordination of services between member towns. The Intragovernmental Policy Division of this Office coordinates regional planning with the administrative bodies of these regions. Each region has an administrative body made up chief executive officers of the member towns. The regions are established for the purpose of planning "coordination of regional and state planning activities; redesignation of logical planning regions and promotion of the continuation of regional planning organizations within the state; and provision for technical aid and the administration of financial assistance to regional planning organizations". By 2015, the State of Connecticut recognized COGs as county equivalents, allowing them to apply for funding and grants made available to county governments in other states. In 2019 the state recommended to the United States Census Bureau that the nine Councils of Governments replace its counties for statistical purposes. This proposal was approved by the Census Bureau in 2022, and will be fully implemented by 2024.
Connecticut shares with the rest of New England a governmental institution called the New England town. The state is divided into 169 towns which serve as the fundamental political jurisdictions. There are also 21 cities, most of which simply follow the boundaries of their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. There are two exceptions: the City of Groton, which is a subsection of the Town of Groton, and the City of Winsted in the Town of Winchester. There are also nine incorporated boroughs which may provide additional services to a section of town.Naugatuck is a consolidated town and borough.
Politics
Connecticut is a blue state. As of 2024, both of its U.S. Senators, all five of its U.S. House representatives, as well as its Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State, are members of the Democratic Party. The last Republican presidential candidate to win Connecticut's votes in the Electoral College was George H. W. Bush in 1988.
Registered voters
Connecticut residents who register to vote may declare an affiliation to a political party, may become unaffiliated at will, and may change affiliations subject to certain waiting periods. As of 2022[update], around 58% of registered voters are enrolled in a political party. The Democratic Party of Connecticut is the largest party in the state by voter registration, with 36% of voters, followed by the Connecticut Republican Party with approximately 21%. An additional 1.6% are registered to third parties. As of 2022, 4 third parties have statewide enrollment privileges (meaning any state resident may register as a member), including the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, the Independent Party of Connecticut, the Connecticut Green Party, and the Connecticut Working Families Party. Connecticut allows electoral fusion, where the same candidate can run on the ballot of more than one political party; this is often used by the Connecticut Working Families Party to cross-endorse Democratic candidates.
Party registration as of October 31, 2024 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Total voters | Percentage | |||
Unaffiliated | 1,066,435 | 42.1% | |||
Democratic | 900,721 | 35.6% | |||
Republican | 524,977 | 20.7% | |||
Minor parties | 39,466 | 1.6% | |||
Total | 2,531,599 | 100% |
Voting
In July 2009, the Connecticut legislature overrode a veto by Governor M. Jodi Rell to pass SustiNet, the first significant public-option health care reform legislation in the nation.
In April 2012, both houses of the Connecticut state legislature passed a bill (20 to 16 and 86 to 62) that abolished capital punishment for all future crimes, while 11 inmates who were waiting on the death row at the time could still be executed.
Education
Connecticut ranked third in the nation for educational performance, according to Education Week's Quality Counts 2018 report. It earned an overall score of 83.5 out of 100 points. On average, the country received a score of 75.2. Connecticut posted a B-plus in the Chance-for-Success category, ranking fourth on factors that contribute to a person's success both within and outside the K-12 education system. Connecticut received a mark of B-plus and finished fourth for School Finance. It ranked 12th with a grade of C on the K-12 Achievement Index.
K–12
Public schools
Hartford Public High School (1638) is the third-oldest secondary school in the nation after the Collegiate School (1628) in Manhattan and the Boston Latin School (1635). Today, the Connecticut State Board of Education manages the public school system for children in grades K–12. Board of Education members are appointed by the Governor of Connecticut.
Private schools
Connecticut has a number of private schools. Private schools may file for approval by the state Department of Education, but are not required to. Per state law, private schools must file yearly attendance reports with the state.
Notable private schools include Choate Rosemary Hall, The Hotchkiss School, Loomis Chaffee School, and Taft School.
Colleges and universities
Connecticut was home to the nation's first law school, Litchfield Law School, which operated from 1773 to 1833 in Litchfield. Well known universities in the state include Yale University, Wesleyan University, Trinity College, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University, Quinnipiac University, and the University of Connecticut. The Connecticut State University System includes 4 state universities, and the state also has 12 community colleges. The United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London.
Sports
There are two Connecticut teams in the American Hockey League. The Bridgeport Islanders is a farm team for the New York Islanders which competes at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport. The Hartford Wolf Pack is an affiliate of the New York Rangers; they play in the XL Center in Hartford.
The Hartford Yard Goats of the Double-A Northeast are a AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Also, the Norwich Sea Unicorns play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. The New Britain Bees play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Connecticut Sun of the WNBA currently play at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. In soccer, Hartford Athletic began play in the USL Championship in 2019.
The state hosts several major sporting events. Since 1952, a PGA Tour golf tournament has been played in the Hartford area. It was originally called the "Insurance City Open" and later the "Greater Hartford Open" and is now known as the Travelers Championship.
Lime Rock Park in Salisbury is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) road racing course, home to the International Motor Sports Association, SCCA, United States Auto Club, and K&N Pro Series East races. Thompson International Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, and Waterford Speedbowl are oval tracks holding weekly races for NASCAR Modifieds and other classes, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The state also hosts several major mixed martial arts events for Bellator MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Professional sports teams
The Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League played in Hartford from 1975 to 1997 at the Hartford Civic Center. They departed to Raleigh, North Carolina, after disputes with the state over the construction of a new arena, and they are now known as the Carolina Hurricanes. A baseball team known as the Hartfords (or Hartford Dark Blues) played in the National Association from 1874 to 1875, before becoming charter members of the National League in 1876. The team moved to Brooklyn, New York, and then disbanded one season later. In 1926, Hartford also had a franchise in the National Football League known as the Hartford Blues. From 2000 until 2006 the city was home to the Hartford FoxForce of World TeamTennis.
Team | Sport | League |
---|---|---|
Bridgeport Islanders | Ice hockey | American Hockey League |
Hartford Wolf Pack | Ice hockey | American Hockey League |
Hartford Yard Goats | Baseball | Double-A Northeast |
Norwich Sea Unicorns | Baseball | Futures Collegiate Baseball League |
New Britain Bees | Baseball | Futures Collegiate Baseball League |
Connecticut Sun | Basketball | Women's National Basketball Association |
Hartford Athletic | Soccer | USL Championship |
AC Connecticut | Soccer | USL League Two |
College sports
The Connecticut Huskies are the team of the University of Connecticut (UConn); they play NCAA Division I sports. Both the men's basketball and women's basketball teams have won multiple national championships. In 2004, UConn became the first school in NCAA Division I history to have its men's and women's basketball programs win the national title in the same year; they repeated the feat in 2014 and are still the only Division I school to win both titles in the same year. The UConn women's basketball team holds the record for the longest consecutive winning streak in NCAA college basketball at 111 games, a streak that ended in 2017. Both teams play in the historic Harry A. Gampel Pavilion and XL Center in Hartford. The UConn Huskies football team has played in the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2002, and has played in four bowl games.
New Haven biennially hosts "The Game" between the Yale Bulldogs and the Harvard Crimson, the country's second-oldest college football rivalry. Yale alumnus Walter Camp is deemed the "Father of American Football", and he helped develop modern football while living in New Haven. Other Connecticut universities which feature Division I sports teams are Quinnipiac University, Fairfield University, Central Connecticut State University and Sacred Heart University.
Etymology and symbols
List of state symbols | |
---|---|
Flag of Connecticut | |
Seal of Connecticut | |
Coat of arms of Connecticut | |
Motto |
|
Slogan | Full of Surprises |
Song |
|
Living insignia | |
Bird | American robin |
Fish | American shad |
Flower | Mountain laurel |
Insect | European mantis |
Mammal | Sperm whale |
Tree | Charter Oak, a white oak |
Inanimate insignia | |
Dance | Square dance |
Fossil | Dinosaur tracks |
Mineral | Garnet |
Shell | Eastern oyster |
Ship | USS Nautilus (SSN-571), Freedom Schooner Amistad |
Tartan | Connecticut State Tartan |
State route marker | |
State quarter | |
Released in 1999 | |
Lists of United States state symbols |
The name "Connecticut" originated with the Mohegan word quonehtacut, meaning "place of long tidal river". Connecticut's official nickname is "The Constitution State", adopted in 1959 and based on its colonial constitution of 1638–1639 which was the first in America and, arguably, the world. Connecticut is also unofficially known as "The Nutmeg State", whose origin is unknown. It may have come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg, which was a very valuable spice in the 18th and 19th centuries. It may have originated in the early machined sheet tin nutmeg grinders sold by early Connecticut peddlers. It is also facetiously said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved knobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers.George Washington gave Connecticut the title of "The Provisions State" because of the material aid that the state rendered to the American Revolutionary War effort. Connecticut is also known as "The Land of Steady Habits".
According to Webster's New International Dictionary (1993), a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter". There are numerous other terms coined in print but not in use, such as "Connecticotian" (Cotton Mather in 1702) and "Connecticutensian" (Samuel Peters in 1781). Linguist Allen Walker Read suggests the more playful term "Connecticutie". "Nutmegger" is sometimes used, as is "Yankee".
The official state song is "Yankee Doodle". The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn."; the official postal abbreviation is CT.
Commemorative stamps issued by the United States Postal Service with Connecticut themes include Nathan Hale, Eugene O'Neill, Josiah Willard Gibbs, Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, the whaling ship the Charles W. Morgan, which is docked at Mystic Seaport, and a decoy of a broadbill duck.
- The Charter Oak
- The USS Nautilus (SSN-571)
State aircraft | Vought F4U Corsair |
State hero | Nathan Hale |
State heroine | Prudence Crandall |
State composer | Charles Edward Ives |
State statues in Statuary Hall | Roger Sherman and Jonathan Trumbull |
State poet laureate | Margaret Gibson |
Connecticut State Troubadour | |
State composer laureate | Jacob Druckman |
Notable people
See also
- Index of Connecticut-related articles
- Outline of Connecticut
- List of states and territories of the United States
- USS Connecticut, 7 ships
Notes
- Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988
- Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry.
- which found Protestants to be only 2% more numerous than Catholics in Connecticut
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Connecticut k e ˈ n ɛ t ɪ k e t ke NET ih ket is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States It borders Rhode Island to the east Massachusetts to the north New York to the west and Long Island Sound to the south Its capital is Hartford and its most populous city is Bridgeport Connecticut lies between the major hubs of New York City and Boston along the Northeast Corridor where the New York Newark Combined Statistical Area which includes four of Connecticut s seven largest cities extends into the southwestern part of the state Connecticut is the third smallest state by area after Rhode Island and Delaware and the 29th most populous with more than 3 6 million residents as of 2024 ranking it fourth among the most densely populated U S states ConnecticutStateFlagSealNicknames The Constitution State official The Nutmeg State The Provisions State The Land of Steady HabitsMottoes Qui transtulit sustinet Latin He who transplanted still sustainsAnthem Yankee Doodle source source track track Location of Connecticut within the United StatesCountryUnited StatesBefore statehoodConnecticut ColonyAdmitted to the UnionJanuary 9 1788 5th CapitalHartfordLargest cityBridgeportLargest county or equivalentCapitolLargest metro and urban areasNew York combined Greater Hartford metro and urban Government GovernorNed Lamont D Lieutenant GovernorSusan Bysiewicz D LegislatureGeneral Assembly Upper houseSenate Lower houseHouse of RepresentativesJudiciaryConnecticut Supreme CourtU S senatorsRichard Blumenthal D Chris Murphy D U S House delegation5 Democrats list Area Total5 543 sq mi 14 356 km2 Land4 849 sq mi 12 559 km2 Water698 sq mi 1 809 km2 12 6 Rank48thDimensions Length70 mi 113 km Width110 mi 177 km Elevation500 ft 150 m Highest elevation Massachusetts border on south slope of Mount Frissell 2 379 ft 725 m Lowest elevation Long Island Sound 0 ft 0 m Population 2024 Total3 675 069 Rank29th Density745 sq mi 288 km2 Rank4th Median household income 91 700 20 23 Income rank6thDemonymsNutmegger colloquial Connecticuter ConnecticutianLanguage Official languageNoneTime zoneUTC 05 00 Eastern Summer DST UTC 04 00 EDT USPS abbreviationCTISO 3166 codeUS CTTraditional abbreviationConn Latitude40 58 N to 42 03 NLongitude71 47 W to 73 44 WWebsitect wbr gov The state is named after the Connecticut River the longest in New England which roughly bisects the state and drains into the Long Island Sound between the towns of Old Saybrook and Old Lyme The name of the river is in turn derived from anglicized spellings of Quinnetuket a Mohegan Pequot word for long tidal river Before the arrival of the first European settlers the region was inhabited by various Algonquian tribes In 1633 the Dutch West India Company established a small short lived settlement called House of Hope in Hartford Half of Connecticut was initially claimed by the Dutch colony New Netherland which included much of the land between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers although the first major settlements were established by the English around the same time Thomas Hooker led a band of followers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to form the Connecticut Colony while other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony both merged into the former by 1664 Connecticut s official nickname the Constitution State refers to the Fundamental Orders adopted by the Connecticut Colony in 1639 which is considered by some to be the first written constitution in Western history As one of the Thirteen Colonies that rejected British rule during the American Revolution Connecticut was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States In 1787 Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth state delegates to the Constitutional Convention proposed a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans its bicameral structure for Congress with a respectively proportional and equal representation of the states in the House of Representatives and Senate was adopted and remains to this day In January 1788 Connecticut became the fifth state to ratify the Constitution Connecticut is a developed and affluent state performing well on the Human Development Index and on different metrics of income except for equality It is home to a number of prestigious educational institutions including Yale University in New Haven as well as other liberal arts colleges and private boarding schools in and around the Knowledge Corridor Due to its geography Connecticut has maintained a strong maritime tradition the United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London by the Thames River The state is also associated with the aerospace industry through major companies Pratt amp Whitney and Sikorsky Aircraft headquartered in East Hartford and Stratford respectively Historically a manufacturing center for arms hardware and timepieces Connecticut as with the rest of the region had transitioned into an economy based on the financial insurance and real estate sectors many multinational firms providing such services can be found concentrated in the state capital of Hartford and along the Gold Coast in Fairfield County HistoryA map of the Connecticut New Haven and Saybrook coloniesFirst people The name Connecticut is derived from the Mohegan Pequot word that has been translated as long tidal river and upon the long river both referring to the Connecticut River Evidence of human presence in the Connecticut region dates to as far back as 10 000 years ago Stone tools were used for hunting fishing and woodworking Semi nomadic in lifestyle these peoples moved seasonally to take advantage of various resources in the area They shared languages based on Algonquian The Connecticut region was inhabited by multiple Native American tribes which can be grouped into the Nipmuc the Sequin or River Indians which included the Tunxis Schaghticoke Podunk Wangunk Hammonasset and Quinnipiac the Mattabesec or Wappinger Confederacy and the Pequot Mohegan Some of these groups still reside in Connecticut including the Mohegans the Pequots and the Paugusetts Colonial period Dutchman Adriaen Block was the first European explorer in Connecticut He explored the region in 1614 Dutch fur traders then sailed up the Connecticut River calling it Versche Rivier Fresh River and building a fort at Dutch Point in Hartford which they named House of Hope Dutch Huis van Hoop On April 26 1935 the U S Post Office issued a postage stamp commemorating the 300th anniversary of the initial settlement of the Connecticut colony The Connecticut Colony originally consisted of several smaller settlements in Windsor Wethersfield Saybrook Hartford and New Haven The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor then at Wethersfield the following year John Winthrop the Younger of Massachusetts received a commission to create Saybrook Colony at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635 A large group of Puritans arrived in 1636 from Massachusetts Bay Colony led by Thomas Hooker who established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were adopted in January 1639 and have been described as the first constitutional document in America The Quinnipiack Colony was established by John Davenport Theophilus Eaton and others at New Haven in March 1638 The New Haven Colony had its own constitution called The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony signed on June 4 1639 Each settlement was an independent political entity established without official sanction of the English Crown In 1662 Winthrop traveled to England and obtained a charter from Charles II which united the settlements of Connecticut Historically significant colonial settlements included Windsor 1633 Wethersfield 1634 Saybrook 1635 Hartford 1636 New Haven 1638 Fairfield 1639 Guilford 1639 Milford 1639 Stratford 1639 Farmington 1640 Stamford 1641 and New London 1646 The Pequot War marked the first significant clash between colonists and Native Americans in New England The Pequot had been aggressively extending their area of control at the expense of the Wampanoag to the north Narragansett east Connecticut River Valley Algonquian tribes and the Mohegan west and Lenape Algonquian people south Meanwhile the Pequot had been reacting with increasing aggression to colonial territorial expansion In response to the 1636 murder of an English privateer and his crew followed by the murder of a trader colonists raided a Pequot village on Block Island The Pequots laid siege to Saybrook Colony s garrison that autumn then raided Wethersfield in the spring of 1637 Organizing a band of militia and allies from the Mohegan and Narragansett tribes colonists declared war and attacked a Pequot village on the Mystic River Death toll estimates range between 300 700 Pequots After suffering another major loss at a battle in Fairfield the Pequots sued for peace Connecticut s original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the South Sea that is to the Pacific Ocean The Hartford Treaty with the Dutch was signed on September 19 1650 but never ratified by the British stated the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from Greenwich Bay for a distance of 20 miles 32 km provided the said line come not within 10 miles 16 km of Hudson River This agreement was observed by both sides until war erupted between England and The Netherlands in 1652 Conflict continued concerning colonial limits until the Duke of York captured New Netherland in 1664 Most Colonial royal grants were for long east west strips Connecticut took its grant seriously and established a ninth county between the Susquehanna River and Delaware River named Westmoreland County This resulted in the brief Pennamite Yankee Wars with Pennsylvania Yale College was established in 1701 providing Connecticut with an important institution to educate clergy and civil leaders The Congregational church dominated religious life in the colony and by extension town affairs in many parts With more than 600 miles 970 km of coastline including along its navigable rivers Connecticut developed during its colonial years the antecedents of a maritime tradition that would later produce booms in shipbuilding marine transport naval support seafood production and leisure boating Historical records list the Tryall as the first vessel built in Connecticut Colony in 1649 at a site on the Connecticut River in present day Wethersfield In the two decades leading up to 1776 and the American Revolution Connecticut boatyards launched about 100 sloops schooners and brigs according to a database of U S customs records maintained online by the Mystic Seaport Museum the largest being the 180 ton Patient Mary launched in New Haven in 1763 Connecticut s first lighthouse was constructed in 1760 at the mouth of the Thames River with the New London Harbor Lighthouse American Revolution A 1799 map of Connecticut which shows The Oblong from Low s Encyclopaedia Connecticut designated four delegates to the Second Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence Samuel Huntington Roger Sherman William Williams and Oliver Wolcott Connecticut s legislature authorized the outfitting of six new regiments in 1775 in the wake of the clashes between British regulars and Massachusetts militia at Lexington and Concord There were some 1 200 Connecticut troops on hand at the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775 In 1775 David Bushnell invented the Turtle which the following year launched the first submarine attack in history unsuccessfully against a British warship at anchor in New York Harbor In 1777 the British got word of Continental Army supplies in Danbury and they landed an expeditionary force of some 2 000 troops in Westport This force then marched to Danbury and destroyed homes and much of the depot Continental Army troops and militia led by General David Wooster and General Benedict Arnold engaged them on their return march at Ridgefield in 1777 For the winter of 1778 79 General George Washington decided to split the Continental Army into three divisions encircling New York City where British General Sir Henry Clinton had taken up winter quarters Major General Israel Putnam chose Redding as the winter encampment quarters for some 3 000 regulars and militia under his command The Redding encampment allowed Putnam s soldiers to guard the replenished supply depot in Danbury and to support any operations along Long Island Sound and the Hudson River Valley Some of the men were veterans of the winter encampment at Valley Forge Pennsylvania the previous winter Soldiers at the Redding camp endured supply shortages cold temperatures and significant snow with some historians dubbing the encampment Connecticut s Valley Forge The state was also the launching site for a number of raids against Long Island orchestrated by Samuel Holden Parsons and Benjamin Tallmadge and provided soldiers and material for the war effort especially to Washington s army outside New York City General William Tryon raided the Connecticut coast in July 1779 focusing on New Haven Norwalk and Fairfield New London and Groton Heights were raided in September 1781 by Benedict Arnold who had turned traitor to the British At the outset of the American Revolution the Continental Congress assigned Nathaniel Shaw Jr of New London as its naval agent in charge of recruiting privateers to seize British vessels as opportunities presented with nearly 50 operating out of the Thames River which eventually drew the reprisal from the British force led by Arnold Early statehood Early national period and industrial revolution Connecticut ratified the U S Constitution on January 9 1788 becoming the fifth state The state prospered during the era following the American Revolution as mills and textile factories were built and seaports flourished from trade and fisheries After Congress established in 1790 the predecessor to the U S Revenue Cutter Service that would evolve into the U S Coast Guard President Washington assigned Jonathan Maltbie as one of seven masters to enforce customs regulations with Maltbie monitoring the southern New England coast with a 48 foot cutter sloop named Argus In 1786 Connecticut ceded territory to the U S government that became part of the Northwest Territory The state retained land extending across the northern part of present day Ohio called the Connecticut Western Reserve The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio Connecticut made agreements with Pennsylvania and New York which extinguished the land claims within those states boundaries and created the Connecticut Panhandle The state then ceded the Western Reserve in 1800 to the federal government which brought it to its present boundaries other than minor adjustments with Massachusetts 19th century For the first time in 1800 Connecticut shipwrights launched more than 100 vessels in a single year Over the following decade to the doorstep of renewed hostilities with Britain that sparked the War of 1812 Connecticut boatyards constructed close to 1 000 vessels the most productive stretch of any decade in the 19th century During the war the British launched raids in Stonington and Essex and blockaded vessels in the Thames River Derby native Isaac Hull became Connecticut s best known naval figure to win renown during the conflict as captain of the USS Constitution The British blockade during the War of 1812 hurt exports and bolstered the influence of Federalists who opposed the war The cessation of imports from Britain stimulated the construction of factories to manufacture textiles and machinery Connecticut came to be recognized as a major center for manufacturing due in part to the inventions of Eli Whitney and other early innovators of the Industrial Revolution The war led to the development of fast clippers that helped extend the reach of New England merchants to the Pacific and Indian oceans The first half of the 19th century saw as well a rapid rise in whaling with New London emerging as one of the New England industry s three biggest home ports after Nantucket and New Bedford The state was known for its political conservatism typified by its Federalist party and the Yale College of Timothy Dwight The foremost intellectuals were Dwight and Noah Webster who compiled his great dictionary in New Haven Religious tensions polarized the state as the Congregational Church struggled to maintain traditional viewpoints in alliance with the Federalists The failure of the Hartford Convention in 1814 hurt the Federalist cause with the Democratic Republican Party gaining control in 1817 Connecticut had been governed under the Fundamental Orders since 1639 but the state adopted a new constitution in 1818 Civil War era View of New London in 1854 Connecticut manufacturers played a major role in supplying the Union forces with weapons and supplies during the Civil War The state furnished 55 000 men formed into thirty full regiments of infantry including two in the U S Colored Troops with several Connecticut men becoming generals The Navy attracted 250 officers and 2 100 men and Glastonbury native Gideon Welles was Secretary of the Navy James H Ward of Hartford was the first U S Naval Officer killed in the Civil War Connecticut casualties included 2 088 killed in combat 2 801 dying from disease and 689 dying in Confederate prison camps A surge of national unity in 1861 brought thousands flocking to the colors from every town and city However as the war became a crusade to end slavery many Democrats especially Irish Catholics pulled back The Democrats took a pro slavery position and included many Copperheads willing to let the South secede The intensely fought 1863 election for governor was narrowly won by the Republicans Second industrial revolution 1895 map from Rand McNally Connecticut s extensive industry dense population flat terrain and wealth encouraged the construction of railroads starting in 1839 By 1840 102 miles 164 km of line were in operation growing to 402 miles 647 km in 1850 and 601 miles 967 km in 1860 The New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad called the New Haven or The Consolidated became the dominant Connecticut railroad company after 1872 J P Morgan began financing the major New England railroads in the 1890s dividing territory so that they would not compete The New Haven purchased 50 smaller companies including steamship lines and built a network of light rails electrified trolleys that provided inter urban transportation for all of southern New England By 1912 the New Haven operated over 2 000 miles 3 200 km of track with 120 000 employees As steam powered passenger ships proliferated after the Civil War Noank would produce the two largest built in Connecticut during the 19th century with the 332 foot wooden steam paddle wheeler Rhode Island launched in 1882 and the 345 foot paddle wheeler Connecticut seven years later Connecticut shipyards would launch more than 165 steam powered vessels in the 19th century In 1875 the first telephone exchange in the world was established in New Haven 20th century World War I When World War I broke out in 1914 Connecticut became a major supplier of weaponry to the U S military by 1918 80 of the state s industries were producing goods for the war effort Remington Arms in Bridgeport produced half the small arms cartridges used by the U S Army with other major suppliers including Winchester in New Haven and Colt in Hartford Connecticut was also an important U S Navy supplier with Electric Boat receiving orders for 85 submarines Lake Torpedo Boat building more than 20 subs and the Groton Iron Works building freighters On June 21 1916 the Navy made Groton the site for its East Coast submarine base and school The state enthusiastically supported the American war effort in 1917 and 1918 with large purchases of war bonds a further expansion of industry and an emphasis on increasing food production on the farms Thousands of state local and volunteer groups mobilized for the war effort and were coordinated by the Connecticut State Council of Defense Manufacturers wrestled with manpower shortages Waterbury s American Brass and Manufacturing Company was running at half capacity so the federal government agreed to furlough soldiers to work there Interwar period In 1919 J Henry Roraback started the Connecticut Light amp Power Co which became the state s dominant electric utility In 1925 Frederick Rentschler spurred the creation of Pratt amp Whitney in Hartford to develop engines for aircraft the company became an important military supplier in World War II and one of the three major manufacturers of jet engines in the world On September 21 1938 the most destructive storm in New England history struck eastern Connecticut killing hundreds of people The eye of the Long Island Express passed just west of New Haven and devastated the Connecticut shoreline between Old Saybrook and Stonington from the full force of wind and waves even though they had partial protection by Long Island The hurricane caused extensive damage to infrastructure homes and businesses In New London a 500 foot 150 m sailing ship was driven into a warehouse complex causing a major fire Heavy rainfall caused the Connecticut River to flood downtown Hartford and East Hartford An estimated 50 000 trees fell onto roadways World War II The advent of lend lease in support of Britain helped lift Connecticut from the Great Depression with the state a major production center for weaponry and supplies used in World War II Connecticut manufactured 4 1 of total U S military armaments produced during the war ranking ninth among the 48 states with major factories including Colt for firearms Pratt amp Whitney for aircraft engines Chance Vought for fighter planes Hamilton Standard for propellers and Electric Boat for submarines and PT boats In Bridgeport General Electric produced a significant new weapon to combat tanks the bazooka On May 13 1940 Igor Sikorsky made an untethered flight of the first practical helicopter The helicopter saw limited use in World War II but future military production made Sikorsky Aircraft s Stratford plant Connecticut s largest single manufacturing site by the start of the 21st century Post World War II economic expansion Connecticut lost some wartime factories following the end of hostilities but the state shared in a general post war expansion that included the construction of highways and resulting in middle class growth in suburban areas Prescott Bush represented Connecticut in the U S Senate from 1952 to 1963 his son George H W Bush and grandson George W Bush both became presidents of the United States In 1965 Connecticut ratified its current constitution replacing the document that had served since 1818 In 1968 commercial operation began for the Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Power Plant in Haddam in 1970 the Millstone Nuclear Power Station began operations in Waterford In 1974 Connecticut elected Democratic Governor Ella T Grasso who became the first woman in any state to be elected governor without being the wife or widow of a previous governor Late 20th century This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it October 2021 Connecticut s dependence on the defense industry posed an economic challenge at the end of the Cold War The resulting budget crisis helped elect Lowell Weicker as governor on a third party ticket in 1990 Weicker s remedy was a state income tax which proved effective in balancing the budget but only for the short term He did not run for a second term in part because of this politically unpopular move In 1992 initial construction was completed on Foxwoods Casino at the Mashantucket Pequots reservation in eastern Connecticut which became the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere Mohegan Sun followed four years later Early 21st century In 2000 presidential candidate Al Gore chose Senator Joe Lieberman as his running mate marking the first time that a major party presidential ticket included someone of the Jewish faith Gore and Lieberman fell five votes short of George W Bush and Dick Cheney in the Electoral College In the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 65 state residents were killed mostly Fairfield County residents who were working in the World Trade Center In 2004 Republican Governor John G Rowland resigned during a corruption investigation later pleading guilty to federal charges Connecticut was hit by three major storms in just over 14 months in 2011 and 2012 with all three causing extensive property damage and electric outages Hurricane Irene struck Connecticut August 28 and damage totaled 235 million Two months later the Halloween nor easter dropped extensive snow onto trees resulting in snapped branches and trunks that damaged power lines some areas were without electricity for 11 days Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and passed over Connecticut with hurricane force winds and tides up to 12 feet above normal Many coastal buildings were damaged or destroyed Sandy s winds drove storm surges into streets and cut power to 98 of homes and businesses with more than 360 million in damage On December 14 2012 Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and then killed himself The massacre spurred renewed efforts by activists for tighter laws on gun ownership nationally In the summer and fall of 2016 Connecticut experienced a drought in many parts of the state causing some water use bans As of November 15 2016 2016 11 15 45 of the state was listed at Severe Drought by the U S Drought Monitor including almost all of Hartford and Litchfield counties All the rest of the state was in Moderate Drought or Severe Drought including Middlesex Fairfield New London New Haven Windham and Tolland counties This affected the agricultural economy in the state GeographyConnecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound on the west by New York on the north by Massachusetts and on the east by Rhode Island The state capital and fourth largest city is Hartford and other major cities and towns by population include Bridgeport New Haven Stamford Waterbury Norwalk Danbury New Britain Greenwich and Bristol There are 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut with cities and villages included within some towns Reference Map showing major highways and settlements The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state The highest point is just east of where Connecticut Massachusetts and New York meet 42 3 N 73 29 W on the southern slope of Mount Frissell whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts At the opposite extreme many of the coastal towns have areas that are less than 20 feet 6 1 m above sea level Connecticut has a long maritime history and a reputation based on that history yet the state has no direct oceanfront technically speaking The coast of Connecticut sits on Long Island Sound which is an estuary The state s access to the open Atlantic Ocean is both to the west toward New York City and to the east toward the race near Rhode Island Due to this unique geography Long Island Sound and the Connecticut shoreline are relatively protected from high waves from storms The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state flowing into Long Island Sound The most populous metropolitan region centered within the state lies in the Connecticut River Valley Despite Connecticut s relatively small size it features wide regional variations in its landscape for example in the northwestern Litchfield Hills it features rolling mountains and horse farms whereas in areas to the east of New Haven along the coast the landscape features coastal marshes beaches and large scale maritime activities Connecticut s rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities such as Stamford Bridgeport and New Haven located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New London then northward up the Connecticut River to Hartford Many towns in northeastern and northwestern Connecticut center around a green Near the green typically stand historical visual symbols of New England towns such as a white church a colonial meeting house a colonial tavern or inn several colonial houses and so on establishing a scenic historical appearance maintained for both historic preservation and tourism Many of the areas in southern and coastal Connecticut have been built up and rebuilt over the years and look less visually like traditional New England The northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked by the Southwick Jog or Granby Notch an approximately 2 5 miles 4 0 km square detour into Connecticut The origin of this anomaly is clearly established in a long line of disputes and temporary agreements which were finally concluded in 1804 when southern Southwick s residents sought to leave Massachusetts and the town was split in half The southwestern border of Connecticut where it abuts New York State is marked by a panhandle in Fairfield County and the Western Connecticut Planning Region containing the towns of Greenwich Stamford New Canaan Darien and parts of Norwalk and Wilton This irregularity in the boundary is the result of territorial disputes in the late 17th century culminating with New York giving up its claim to the area whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield to the Massachusetts border as well as undisputed claim to Rye New York Areas maintained by the National Park Service include Appalachian National Scenic Trail Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor and Weir Farm National Historic Site Climate Koppen climate types of Connecticut using 1991 2020 climate normals Connecticut lies at the rough transition zone between the southern end of the humid continental climate and the northern portion of the humid subtropical climate Northern Connecticut generally experiences a climate with hot humid summers and moderataely cold winters with periodic snowfall Far southern and coastal Connecticut has a climate with cool winters with a mix of rain and infrequent snow and the long hot and humid summers typical of the middle and lower East Coast Precipitation Connecticut sees a fairly even precipitation pattern with rainfall snowfall spread throughout the 12 months Connecticut averages 56 of possible sunshine higher than the U S national average averaging 2 400 hours of sunshine annually Occasionally some months may see extremes in precipitation either much higher or lower than normal though long term droughts and floods are rare Early spring can range from slightly cool 40s to low 50s F to warm 65 to 70 F while mid and late spring late April May is warm By late May the building Bermuda High creates a southerly flow of warm and humid tropical air bringing hot weather conditions throughout the state Average highs are 81 F 27 C in New London and 85 F 29 C in Windsor Locks at the peak of summer in late July On occasion heat waves with highs from 90 to 100 F 38 C occur across Connecticut Connecticut s record high temperature is 106 F 41 C which occurred in Danbury on July 15 1995 Although summers are sunny in Connecticut quick moving summer thunderstorms can bring brief downpours with thunder and lightning Occasionally these thunderstorms can be severe and the state usually averages one tornado per year During hurricane season the remains of tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region though a direct hit is rare Some notable hurricanes to impact the state include the 1938 New England hurricane Hurricane Carol in 1954 Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Isaias in 2020 Weather commonly associated with the fall season typically begins in October and lasts to the first days of December Daily high temperatures in October and November range from the 50s to 60s F Winters December through mid March are moderately generally cold from south to north in Connecticut The coldest month January has average high temperatures ranging from 38 F 3 C in the coastal lowlands to 33 F 1 C in the inland and northern portions on the state The lowest temperature recorded in Connecticut is 32 F 36 C which has been observed twice in Falls Village on February 16 1943 and in Coventry on January 22 1961 The average yearly snowfall ranges from about 60 inches 1 500 mm in the higher elevations of the northern portion of the state to only 20 25 inches 510 640 mm along the southeast coast of Connecticut Branford to Groton Most of Connecticut has less than 60 days of snow cover while coastal areas often only see 30 days or so of snowcover Annually 95 of seasonal snowfall in Connecticut falls from early December to late March On occasion in winter Connecticut can occasionally get heavy snowstorms called nor easters which may produce as much as two feet of snow on rare occasions Although rare Ice storms also occur on occasion such as the Southern New England ice storm of 1973 Monthly normal high and low temperatures for various Connecticut cities F City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecBridgeport 38 24 40 25 47 32 58 41 68 51 77 61 83 67 81 67 75 59 64 48 53 38 43 30Hartford 35 18 38 20 47 28 60 38 71 48 79 57 85 63 83 61 75 53 63 42 51 33 40 24Flora Forests consist of a mix of Northeastern coastal forests of oak in southern areas of the state to the upland New England Acadian forests in the northwestern parts of the state Mountain Laurel Kalmia latifolia is the state flower and is native to low ridges in several parts of Connecticut Rosebay rhododendron Rhododendron maximum is also native to eastern uplands of Connecticut and Pachaug State Forest is home to the Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides is found in wetlands in the southern parts of the state Connecticut has one native cactus Opuntia humifusa found in sandy coastal areas and low hillsides Several types of beach grasses and wildflowers are also native to Connecticut Connecticut spans USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b to 7a Coastal Connecticut is the broad transition zone where more southern and subtropical plants are cultivated In some coastal communities Magnolia grandiflora southern magnolia crape myrtles scrub palms Sabal minor needle palms Rhapidophyllum hystrix and other broadleaved evergreens are cultivated in small numbers citation needed Fauna Largest cities and towns Largest cities or towns in ConnecticutRank Name Region Pop Bridgeport Stamford 1 Bridgeport Greater Bridgeport 148 654 New Haven Hartford2 Stamford Western 135 4703 New Haven South Central 134 0234 Hartford Capitol 121 0545 Waterbury Naugatuck Valley 114 4036 Norwalk Western 91 1847 Danbury Western 86 5188 New Britain Capitol 74 1359 West Hartford Capitol 64 08310 Greenwich Western 63 518DemographicsHistorical population CensusPop Note 1790237 946 1800251 0025 5 1810261 9424 4 1820275 2485 1 1830297 6758 1 1840309 9784 1 1850370 79219 6 1860460 14724 1 1870537 45416 8 1880622 70015 9 1890746 25819 8 1900908 42021 7 19101 114 75622 7 19201 380 63123 9 19301 606 90316 4 19401 709 2426 4 19502 007 28017 4 19602 535 23426 3 19703 031 70919 6 19803 107 5762 5 19903 287 1165 8 20003 405 5653 6 20103 574 0974 9 20203 605 9440 9 2024 est 3 675 0691 9 Sources As of the 2020 United States census Connecticut has a population of 3 605 944 an increase of 31 847 people 0 9 from the 2010 United States census Among the census records 20 4 of the population was under 18 In 1790 97 of the population in Connecticut was classified as rural The first census in which less than half the population was classified as rural was 1890 In the 2000 census only 12 3 was considered rural Most of western and southern Connecticut particularly the Gold Coast is strongly associated with New York City this area is the most affluent and populous region of the state and has high property costs and high incomes The center of population of Connecticut is located in the town of Cheshire According to HUD s 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report there were an estimated 2 930 homeless people in Connecticut Ethnic origins in ConnecticutConnecticut s population density mapRacial and ethnic composition as of the 2020 census Race and ethnicity Alone TotalWhite non Hispanic 63 2 63 2 66 6 66 6 Hispanic or Latino 17 3 17 3 African American non Hispanic 10 0 10 11 4 11 4 Asian 4 7 4 7 5 5 5 5 Native American 0 2 0 2 1 1 1 1 Pacific Islander 0 03 0 03 0 1 0 1 Other 0 8 0 8 2 1 2 1 Historical racial composition of Connecticut Racial composition 1990 2000 2010 2020White 87 0 81 6 77 6 66 4 Black 8 3 9 1 10 1 10 8 Asian 1 5 2 4 3 8 4 8 Native 0 2 0 3 0 3 0 4 Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander Other race 2 9 4 3 5 6 8 3 Two or more races 2 2 2 6 9 2 In common with the majority of the United States non Hispanic whites have remained the dominant racial and ethnic group in Connecticut From being 98 of the population in 1940 however they have declined to 63 of the population as of the 2020 census These statistics have represented fewer Americans identifying as non Hispanic white which has given rise to the Hispanic and Latino American population and Asian American population overall As of 2011 update 46 1 of Connecticut s population younger than age 1 were minorities As of 2004 11 4 of the population 400 000 was foreign born In 1870 native born Americans had accounted for 75 of the state s population but that had dropped to 35 by 1918 Also as of 2000 81 69 of Connecticut residents age 5 and older spoke English at home and 8 42 spoke Spanish followed by Italian at 1 59 French at 1 31 and Polish at 1 20 The largest ancestry groups since 2010 were 19 3 Italian 17 9 Irish 10 7 English 10 4 German 8 6 Polish 6 6 French 3 0 French Canadian 2 7 American 2 0 Scottish and 1 4 Scotch Irish The top countries of origin for Connecticut s immigrants in 2018 were India Jamaica the Dominican Republic Poland and Ecuador Birth data Note Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race giving a higher overall number Live Births by Single Race Ethnicity of Mother Race 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022White 28 454 78 8 28 543 78 7 28 164 78 8 gt Non Hispanic White 20 704 57 4 20 933 57 7 20 395 57 0 19 551 54 3 18 842 53 5 18 488 53 2 18 366 53 6 17 785 53 2 19 136 53 6 18 681 52 9 Black 5 103 14 1 5 154 14 2 4 988 14 0 4 453 12 4 4 301 12 2 4 423 12 7 4 221 12 3 4 056 12 1 4 357 12 2 4 298 12 2 Asian 2 221 6 1 2 280 6 3 2 497 7 0 2 583 7 2 2 475 7 0 2 232 6 4 2 199 6 4 1 992 6 0 1 921 5 4 1 878 5 3 American Indian 307 0 9 308 0 8 97 0 3 26 0 1 28 0 1 38 0 1 24 0 1 35 0 1 33 0 1 33 0 1 Hispanic of any race 8 208 22 7 8 129 22 4 8 275 23 1 8 622 23 9 8 833 25 1 8 762 25 2 8 728 25 5 8 861 26 5 9 482 26 6 9 597 27 2 Total Connecticut 36 085 100 36 285 100 35 746 100 36 015 100 35 221 100 34 725 100 34 258 100 33 460 100 35 670 100 35 332 100 Religion in Connecticut 2014 Religion PercentProtestant 35 Catholic 33 None 28 Jewish 3 Mormon 1 Eastern Orthodox 1 Other Christian 1 Buddhist 1 Hindu 1 Islam 1 Other 2 Do not know 1 Since 2016 data for births of White Hispanic origin are not collected but included in one Hispanic group persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race Religion A 2014 Pew survey of Connecticut residents religious self identification showed the following distribution of affiliations Protestant 35 Roman Catholic 33 non religious 28 Jewish 3 Mormonism 1 Orthodox 1 Jehovah s Witness 1 Hinduism 1 Buddhism 1 and Islam 1 Jewish congregations had 108 280 3 2 members in 2000 The Jewish population is concentrated in the towns near Long Island Sound between Greenwich and New Haven in Greater New Haven and in Greater Hartford especially the suburb of West Hartford According to the Association of Religion Data Archives the largest Christian denominations by number of adherents in 2010 were the Catholic Church with 1 252 936 the United Church of Christ with 96 506 and non denominational Evangelical Protestants with 72 863 Recent immigration has brought other non Christian religions to the state but the numbers of adherents of other religions are still low Connecticut is also home to New England s largest Protestant church The First Cathedral in Bloomfield Connecticut Hartford is seat to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford which is sovereign over the Diocese of Bridgeport and the Diocese of Norwich By a 2020 Public Religion Research Institute survey 71 of the population identified as some form of Christian It found the state to be 21 non religious and specifically 19 white mainline Protestant 19 white Catholic 9 white evangelical Protestant 7 black Protestant and 7 Hispanic Catholic In contrast to the 2014 Pew survey the 2020 PRRI survey found Connecticut to be 40 Protestant and 28 Catholic with the remainder of Christians being Mormon at 2 and Orthodox at 1 The PRRI survey found Jewish citizens to be 2 of the population and like the Pew survey Hindus Buddhists and Muslims to be 1 each EconomyA welcome sign on I 91 in Enfield The total 2023 gross state product for Connecticut was 345 9 billion up from 321 7 billion in 2022 Connecticut s adjusted per capita personal income in 2022 was estimated at 77 940 third highest among states There is a large disparity in incomes throughout the state Connecticut was tied with California and Massachusetts for the second highest after New York s 0 52 Gini coefficient at 0 50 as of 2020 According to a 2018 study by Phoenix Marketing International Connecticut had the third largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States with a ratio of 7 75 New Canaan is the wealthiest town in Connecticut with a per capita income of 105 846 Hartford is the poorest municipality in Connecticut with a per capita income of 16 798 in 2020 At the county level per capita income ranged from 48 295 in Fairfield County to 26 585 in Windham County which is close to the United States average As of December 2019 Connecticut s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3 8 with U S unemployment at 3 5 that month Dating back to 1982 Connecticut recorded its lowest unemployment in 2000 between August and October at 2 2 The highest unemployment rate during that period occurred in November and December 2010 at 9 3 but economists expected record new levels of layoffs as a result of business closures in the spring of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic Taxation Tax is collected by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services and by local municipalities As of 2012 Connecticut residents had the second highest rate in the nation of combined state and local taxes after New York at 12 6 of income compared to the national average of 9 9 as reported by the Tax Foundation Before 1991 Connecticut had an investment only income tax system Income from employment was untaxed but income from investments was taxed at 13 the highest rate in the U S with no deductions allowed for costs of producing the investment income such as interest on borrowing In 1991 under Governor Lowell P Weicker Jr an independent the system was changed to one in which the taxes on employment income and investment income were equalized at a maximum rate of 4 The new tax policy drew investment firms to Connecticut as of 2019 update Fairfield County was home to the headquarters for 16 of the 200 largest hedge funds in the world As of 2019 update the income tax rates on Connecticut individuals were divided into seven tax brackets of 3 on income up to 10 000 5 10 000 50 000 5 5 50 000 100 000 6 100 000 200 000 6 5 200 000 250 000 6 9 250 000 500 000 and 6 99 above 500 000 with additional amounts owed depending on the bracket All wages of Connecticut residents are subject to the state s income tax even if earned outside the state However in those cases Connecticut income tax must be withheld only to the extent the Connecticut tax exceeds the amount withheld by the other jurisdiction Since New York has higher income tax rates than Connecticut this effectively means that Connecticut residents who work in New York have no Connecticut income tax withheld Connecticut permits a credit for taxes paid to other jurisdictions but since residents who work in other states are still subject to Connecticut income taxation they may owe taxes if the jurisdictional credit does not fully offset the Connecticut tax amount Connecticut levies a 6 35 state sales tax on the retail sale lease or rental of most goods Some items and services in general are not subject to sales and use taxes unless specifically enumerated as taxable by statute A provision excluding clothing under 50 from sales tax was repealed as of July 1 2011 update There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions In 2001 Connecticut instituted what became an annual sales tax holiday each August lasting one week when retailers do not have to remit sales tax on certain items and quantities of clothing that has varied from year to year State law authorizes municipalities to tax property including real estate vehicles and other personal property with state statute providing varying exemptions credits and abatements All assessments are at 70 of fair market value The maximum property tax credit is 200 per return and any excess may not be refunded or carried forward According to the Tax Foundation on a per capita basis in the 2017 fiscal year Connecticut residents paid the 3rd highest average property taxes in the nation after New Hampshire and New Jersey As of January 1 2020 update gasoline taxes and fees in Connecticut were 40 13 cents per gallon 11th highest in the United States which had a nationwide average of 36 13 cents a gallon excluding federal taxes Diesel taxes and fees as of January 2020 in Connecticut were 46 50 cents per gallon ninth highest nationally with the U S average at 37 91 cents Real estate In 2019 sales of single family homes in Connecticut totaled 33 146 units a 2 1 percent decline from the 2018 transaction total The median home sold in 2019 recorded a transaction amount of 260 000 up 0 4 percent from 2018 Connecticut had the seventh highest rate of home foreclosure activity in the country in 2019 at 0 53 percent of the total housing stock Industries Finance insurance and real estate was Connecticut s largest industry in 2018 as ranked by gross domestic product generating 75 7 billion in GDP that year Major employers include The Hartford Travelers Harman International Cigna the Aetna subsidiary of CVS Health Mass Mutual People s United Financial Bank of America Realogy Bridgewater Associates GE Capital William Raveis Real Estate and Berkshire Hathaway through reinsurance and residential real estate subsidiaries The combined educational health and social services sector was the largest single industry as ranked by employment with a combined workforce of 342 600 people at the end of 2019 ranking fourth the year before in GDP at 28 3 billion The broad business and professional services sector had the second highest GDP total in Connecticut in 2018 at an estimated 33 7 billion Manufacturing was the third biggest industry in 2018 with GDP of 30 8 billion dominated by Raytheon Technologies formed in the March 2020 merger of Hartford based United Technologies and Waltham Mass based Raytheon Co As of the merger Raytheon Technologies employed about 19 000 people in Connecticut through subsidiaries Pratt amp Whitney and Collins Aerospace Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft operates Connecticut s single largest manufacturing plant in Stratford where it makes helicopters The world s largest audio equipment manufacturing company Harman International is headquartered in Stamford Connecticut citation needed It owns many brands like JBL Akg and Harman kardon Other major manufacturers include the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics which makes submarines in Groton Boehringer Ingelheim a pharmaceuticals manufacturer with its U S headquarters in Ridgefield and ASML which in Wilton makes precision lithography machines used to create circuitry on semiconductors and flat screen displays Connecticut historically was a center of gun manufacturing and four gun manufacturing firms continued to operate in the state as of December 2012 update employing 2 000 people Colt Stag Ruger and Mossberg Marlin owned by Remington closed in April 2011 Other large components of the Connecticut economy in 2018 included wholesale trade 18 1 billion in GDP information services 13 8 billion retail 13 7 billion arts entertainment and food services 9 1 billion and construction 8 3 billion Tourists spent 9 3 billion in Connecticut in 2017 according to estimates as part of a series of studies commissioned by the state of Connecticut Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun are the two biggest tourist draws and number among the state s largest employers both are located on Native American reservations in the southeastern Connecticut Connecticut s agricultural production totaled 580 million in 2017 with just over half of that revenue the result of nursery stock production Milk production totaled 81 million that year with other major product categories including eggs vegetables and fruit tobacco and shellfish Energy Connecticut s economy uses less energy to produce each dollar of GDP than all other states except California Massachusetts and New York It uses less energy on a per capita basis than all but six other states It has no fossil fuel resources but does have renewable resources Average retail electricity prices are the highest among the 48 contiguous states While most of the state s energy consumption is generated using fossil fuels nuclear power delivered over 40 of state s electricity generation in 2019 Refuse derived fuels and other biomass provided the largest share of renewable electricity at about a 3 share Solar and wind generation have grown in recent years More than three quarters of solar generation came from distributed small scale installations such as rooftop solar in 2019 and there is planning underway to significantly increase renewable generation with the state s offshore wind resource TransportRoads The Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge locally known as the Q Bridge carries ten lanes over the Quinnipiac River in New Haven along the Connecticut Turnpike The Interstate highways in the state are Interstate 95 I 95 traveling southwest to northeast along the coast I 84 traveling southwest to northeast in the center of the state I 91 traveling north to south in the center of the state and I 395 traveling north to south near the eastern border of the state The other major highways in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway which together form Connecticut Route 15 Route 15 traveling from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York parallel to I 95 before turning north of New Haven and traveling parallel to I 91 finally becoming a surface road in Berlin I 95 and Route 15 were originally toll roads they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic stopped and paid fixed tolls A series of major crashes at these plazas eventually contributed to the decision to remove the tolls in 1988 Other major arteries in the state include U S Route 7 US 7 in the west traveling parallel to the New York state line Route 8 farther east near the industrial city of Waterbury and traveling north south along the Naugatuck River Valley nearly parallel with US 7 and Route 9 in the east Between New Haven and New York City I 95 is one of the most congested highways in the United States Although I 95 has been widened in several spots some areas are only three lanes and this strains traffic capacity resulting in frequent and lengthy rush hour delays Frequently the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway and even US 1 The state has encouraged traffic reduction schemes including rail use and ride sharing Connecticut also has a very active bicycling community with one of the highest rates of bicycle ownership and use in the United States particularly in New Haven According to the U S Census 2006 American Community Survey New Haven has the highest percentage of commuters who bicycle to work of any major metropolitan center on the East Coast Rail A Metro North Railroad New Haven Line train leaving Stamford Station Rail is a popular travel mode between New Haven and New York City s Grand Central Terminal Southwestern Connecticut is served by the Metro North Railroad s New Haven Line operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro North provides commuter service between New York City and New Haven with branches to New Canaan Danbury and Waterbury Connecticut lies along Amtrak s Northeast Corridor which features frequent Northeast Regional and Acela Express service from New Haven south to New York City Philadelphia Baltimore Washington DC and Norfolk VA as well as north to New London Providence and Boston Since 1990 coastal cities and towns between New Haven and New London are also served by the Shore Line East commuter line In June 2018 a commuter rail service called the Hartford Line began operating between New Haven and Springfield on Amtrak s New Haven Springfield Line Hartford Line service is provided by both Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation s CT Rail and in addition to its termini serves New Haven State Street Wallingford Meriden Berlin Hartford Windsor and Windsor Locks Several infill stations are planned to be added in the near future as of 2021 Amtrak s Vermonter runs from Washington to St Albans Vermont via the same line In July 2019 Amtrak launched the Valley Flyer which runs between New Haven and Greenfield Massachusetts A proposed commuter rail service the Central Corridor Rail Line would connect New London with Norwich Willimantic Storrs via the main campus of the University of Connecticut and Stafford Springs with service continuing into Massachusetts and Brattleboro Vermont The proposal also adds stops to service popular tourist destinations Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun Bus Statewide bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation with smaller municipal authorities providing local service Bus networks are an important part of the transportation system in Connecticut especially in urban areas like Hartford Stamford Norwalk Bridgeport and New Haven Connecticut Transit also operates CTfastrak a bus rapid transit service between New Britain and Hartford which opened to the public on March 28 2015 Air Bradley International Airport the state s largest Connecticut s largest airport is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks 15 miles 24 km north of Hartford citation needed Many residents of central and southern Connecticut also make heavy use of JFK International Airport and Newark International Airports especially for international travel Smaller regional air service is provided at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport Larger civil airports include Danbury Municipal Airport and Waterbury Oxford Airport in western Connecticut Hartford Brainard Airport in central Connecticut and Groton New London Airport in eastern Connecticut Sikorsky Memorial Airport is located in Stratford and mostly services cargo helicopter and private aviation Ferry Several ferry services cross Long Island Sound and connect the state to Long Island The Bridgeport amp Port Jefferson Ferry travels between Bridgeport Connecticut and Port Jefferson New York Ferry service also operates out of New London to Orient New York Fishers Island New York and Block Island Rhode Island which are popular tourist destinations Two ferries cross the Connecticut River the Rocky Hill Glastonbury ferry and the Chester Hadlyme ferry the former of which is the oldest continuously operating ferry in the United States operating since 1655 Law and governmentThe Connecticut State Capitol in downtown Hartford Hartford has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875 Before then New Haven and Hartford alternated as dual capitals Constitutional history Connecticut is known as the Constitution State The origin of this nickname is uncertain but it likely comes from Connecticut s pivotal role in the federal constitutional convention of 1787 during which Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth helped to orchestrate what became known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Great Compromise This plan combined the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to form a bicameral legislature a form copied by almost every state constitution since the adoption of the federal constitution Variations of the bicameral legislature had been proposed by Virginia and New Jersey but Connecticut s plan was the one that was in effect until the early 20th century when Senators ceased to be selected by their state legislatures and were instead directly elected Otherwise it is still the design of Congress The nickname also might refer to the Fundamental Orders of 1638 39 These Fundamental Orders represent the framework for the first formal Connecticut state government written by a representative body in Connecticut The State of Connecticut government has operated under the direction of four separate documents in the course of the state s constitutional history After the Fundamental Orders Connecticut was granted governmental authority by King Charles II of England through the Connecticut Charter of 1662 Separate branches of government did not exist during this period and the General Assembly acted as the supreme authority A constitution similar to the modern U S Constitution was not adopted in Connecticut until 1818 Finally the current state constitution was implemented in 1965 The 1965 constitution absorbed a majority of its 1818 predecessor but incorporated a handful of important modifications Executive The governor heads the executive branch As of 2020 update Ned Lamont is the Governor and Susan Bysiewicz is the Lieutenant Governor both are Democrats From 1639 until the adoption of the 1818 constitution the governor presided over the General Assembly In 1974 Ella Grasso was elected as the governor of Connecticut This was the first time in United States history when a woman was a governor without her husband being governor first There are several executive departments Administrative Services Agriculture Banking Children and Families Consumer Protection Correction Economic and Community Development Developmental Services Construction Services Education Emergency Management and Public Protection Energy amp Environmental Protection Higher Education Insurance Labor Mental Health and Addiction Services Military Motor Vehicles Public Health Public Utility Regulatory Authority Public Works Revenue Services Social Services Transportation and Veterans Affairs In addition to these departments there are other independent bureaus offices and commissions In addition to the governor and lieutenant governor there are four other executive officers named in the state constitution that are elected directly by voters secretary of the state treasurer comptroller and attorney general All executive officers are elected to four year terms Legislative Connecticut s legislative branch is known as the General Assembly It is a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper body the State Senate 36 senators and a lower body the House of Representatives 151 representatives Bills must pass each house in order to become law The governor can veto bills but this veto can be overridden by a two thirds majority in both houses Per Article XV of the state constitution Senators and Representatives must be at least 18 years of age and are elected to two year terms in November on even numbered years There also must always be between 30 and 50 senators and 125 to 225 representatives The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate except when absent from the chamber when the President pro tempore presides The Speaker of the House presides over the House As of 2021 update Matthew Ritter is the Speaker of the House of Connecticut As of 2021 update Connecticut s United States Senators are Richard Blumenthal Democrat and Chris Murphy Democrat Connecticut has five representatives in the U S House all of whom are Democrats Locally elected representatives also develop local ordinances to govern cities and towns The town ordinances often include noise control and zoning guidelines However the State of Connecticut also provides statewide ordinances for noise control as well Judicial The highest court of Connecticut s judicial branch is the Connecticut Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Connecticut The Supreme Court is responsible for deciding on the constitutionality of laws or cases as they relate to the law Its proceedings are similar to those of the United States Supreme Court no testimony is given by witnesses and the lawyers of the two sides each present oral arguments no longer than thirty minutes Following a court proceeding the court may take several months to arrive at a judgment As of 2020 update the Chief Justice is Richard A Robinson In 1818 the court became a separate entity independent of the legislative and executive branches The Connecticut Appellate Court is a lesser statewide court and the Superior Courts are lower courts that resemble county courts of other states Local government Planning Regions of Connecticut Connecticut does not have county government unlike all other states except Rhode Island Connecticut county governments were mostly eliminated in 1960 with the exception of sheriffs elected in each county In 2000 the county sheriff was abolished and replaced with the state marshal system which has districts that follow the old county territories The judicial system is divided into judicial districts at the trial court level which largely follow the old county lines The eight counties are still widely used for purely geographical and statistical purposes such as weather reports and census reporting although the latter will cease using the counties in 2024 The state is divided into nine regional councils of government defined by the state Office of Planning and Management which facilitate regional planning and coordination of services between member towns The Intragovernmental Policy Division of this Office coordinates regional planning with the administrative bodies of these regions Each region has an administrative body made up chief executive officers of the member towns The regions are established for the purpose of planning coordination of regional and state planning activities redesignation of logical planning regions and promotion of the continuation of regional planning organizations within the state and provision for technical aid and the administration of financial assistance to regional planning organizations By 2015 the State of Connecticut recognized COGs as county equivalents allowing them to apply for funding and grants made available to county governments in other states In 2019 the state recommended to the United States Census Bureau that the nine Councils of Governments replace its counties for statistical purposes This proposal was approved by the Census Bureau in 2022 and will be fully implemented by 2024 Connecticut shares with the rest of New England a governmental institution called the New England town The state is divided into 169 towns which serve as the fundamental political jurisdictions There are also 21 cities most of which simply follow the boundaries of their namesake towns and have a merged city town government There are two exceptions the City of Groton which is a subsection of the Town of Groton and the City of Winsted in the Town of Winchester There are also nine incorporated boroughs which may provide additional services to a section of town Naugatuck is a consolidated town and borough PoliticsConnecticut is a blue state As of 2024 both of its U S Senators all five of its U S House representatives as well as its Governor Lt Governor Attorney General and Secretary of State are members of the Democratic Party The last Republican presidential candidate to win Connecticut s votes in the Electoral College was George H W Bush in 1988 Connecticut political party registration 1958 2012 marked with presidential influenceRegistered voters Connecticut residents who register to vote may declare an affiliation to a political party may become unaffiliated at will and may change affiliations subject to certain waiting periods As of 2022 update around 58 of registered voters are enrolled in a political party The Democratic Party of Connecticut is the largest party in the state by voter registration with 36 of voters followed by the Connecticut Republican Party with approximately 21 An additional 1 6 are registered to third parties As of 2022 4 third parties have statewide enrollment privileges meaning any state resident may register as a member including the Libertarian Party of Connecticut the Independent Party of Connecticut the Connecticut Green Party and the Connecticut Working Families Party Connecticut allows electoral fusion where the same candidate can run on the ballot of more than one political party this is often used by the Connecticut Working Families Party to cross endorse Democratic candidates Party registration as of October 31 2024Party Total voters PercentageUnaffiliated 1 066 435 42 1 Democratic 900 721 35 6 Republican 524 977 20 7 Minor parties 39 466 1 6 Total 2 531 599 100 Voting In July 2009 the Connecticut legislature overrode a veto by Governor M Jodi Rell to pass SustiNet the first significant public option health care reform legislation in the nation In April 2012 both houses of the Connecticut state legislature passed a bill 20 to 16 and 86 to 62 that abolished capital punishment for all future crimes while 11 inmates who were waiting on the death row at the time could still be executed EducationYale s motto means light and truth Connecticut ranked third in the nation for educational performance according to Education Week s Quality Counts 2018 report It earned an overall score of 83 5 out of 100 points On average the country received a score of 75 2 Connecticut posted a B plus in the Chance for Success category ranking fourth on factors that contribute to a person s success both within and outside the K 12 education system Connecticut received a mark of B plus and finished fourth for School Finance It ranked 12th with a grade of C on the K 12 Achievement Index K 12 Public schools Hartford Public High School 1638 is the third oldest secondary school in the nation after the Collegiate School 1628 in Manhattan and the Boston Latin School 1635 Today the Connecticut State Board of Education manages the public school system for children in grades K 12 Board of Education members are appointed by the Governor of Connecticut University of Connecticut the state s main public universityPrivate schools Connecticut has a number of private schools Private schools may file for approval by the state Department of Education but are not required to Per state law private schools must file yearly attendance reports with the state Notable private schools include Choate Rosemary Hall The Hotchkiss School Loomis Chaffee School and Taft School Colleges and universities Connecticut was home to the nation s first law school Litchfield Law School which operated from 1773 to 1833 in Litchfield Well known universities in the state include Yale University Wesleyan University Trinity College Sacred Heart University Fairfield University Quinnipiac University and the University of Connecticut The Connecticut State University System includes 4 state universities and the state also has 12 community colleges The United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London SportsThere are two Connecticut teams in the American Hockey League The Bridgeport Islanders is a farm team for the New York Islanders which competes at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport The Hartford Wolf Pack is an affiliate of the New York Rangers they play in the XL Center in Hartford The Hartford Yard Goats of the Double A Northeast are a AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies Also the Norwich Sea Unicorns play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League The New Britain Bees play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Connecticut Sun of the WNBA currently play at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville In soccer Hartford Athletic began play in the USL Championship in 2019 The state hosts several major sporting events Since 1952 a PGA Tour golf tournament has been played in the Hartford area It was originally called the Insurance City Open and later the Greater Hartford Open and is now known as the Travelers Championship Lime Rock a home of the American Le Mans Series Lime Rock Park in Salisbury is a 1 5 mile 2 4 km road racing course home to the International Motor Sports Association SCCA United States Auto Club and K amp N Pro Series East races Thompson International Speedway Stafford Motor Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl are oval tracks holding weekly races for NASCAR Modifieds and other classes including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour The state also hosts several major mixed martial arts events for Bellator MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship Professional sports teams The Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League played in Hartford from 1975 to 1997 at the Hartford Civic Center They departed to Raleigh North Carolina after disputes with the state over the construction of a new arena and they are now known as the Carolina Hurricanes A baseball team known as the Hartfords or Hartford Dark Blues played in the National Association from 1874 to 1875 before becoming charter members of the National League in 1876 The team moved to Brooklyn New York and then disbanded one season later In 1926 Hartford also had a franchise in the National Football League known as the Hartford Blues From 2000 until 2006 the city was home to the Hartford FoxForce of World TeamTennis Team Sport LeagueBridgeport Islanders Ice hockey American Hockey LeagueHartford Wolf Pack Ice hockey American Hockey LeagueHartford Yard Goats Baseball Double A NortheastNorwich Sea Unicorns Baseball Futures Collegiate Baseball LeagueNew Britain Bees Baseball Futures Collegiate Baseball LeagueConnecticut Sun Basketball Women s National Basketball AssociationHartford Athletic Soccer USL ChampionshipAC Connecticut Soccer USL League TwoCollege sports Yale Bowl during The Game between Yale and Harvard The Bowl was also the home of the NFL s New York Giants in 1973 74 The Connecticut Huskies are the team of the University of Connecticut UConn they play NCAA Division I sports Both the men s basketball and women s basketball teams have won multiple national championships In 2004 UConn became the first school in NCAA Division I history to have its men s and women s basketball programs win the national title in the same year they repeated the feat in 2014 and are still the only Division I school to win both titles in the same year The UConn women s basketball team holds the record for the longest consecutive winning streak in NCAA college basketball at 111 games a streak that ended in 2017 Both teams play in the historic Harry A Gampel Pavilion and XL Center in Hartford The UConn Huskies football team has played in the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2002 and has played in four bowl games New Haven biennially hosts The Game between the Yale Bulldogs and the Harvard Crimson the country s second oldest college football rivalry Yale alumnus Walter Camp is deemed the Father of American Football and he helped develop modern football while living in New Haven Other Connecticut universities which feature Division I sports teams are Quinnipiac University Fairfield University Central Connecticut State University and Sacred Heart University Etymology and symbolsState symbols of ConnecticutList of state symbolsFlag of ConnecticutSeal of ConnecticutCoat of arms of ConnecticutMottoQui transtulit sustinet Latin He Who Transplanted Still Sustains SloganFull of SurprisesSong Yankee Doodle The Nutmeg Living insigniaBirdAmerican robinFishAmerican shadFlowerMountain laurelInsectEuropean mantisMammalSperm whaleTreeCharter Oak a white oakInanimate insigniaDanceSquare danceFossilDinosaur tracksMineralGarnetShellEastern oysterShipUSS Nautilus SSN 571 Freedom Schooner AmistadTartanConnecticut State TartanState route markerState quarterReleased in 1999Lists of United States state symbols The name Connecticut originated with the Mohegan word quonehtacut meaning place of long tidal river Connecticut s official nickname is The Constitution State adopted in 1959 and based on its colonial constitution of 1638 1639 which was the first in America and arguably the world Connecticut is also unofficially known as The Nutmeg State whose origin is unknown It may have come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg which was a very valuable spice in the 18th and 19th centuries It may have originated in the early machined sheet tin nutmeg grinders sold by early Connecticut peddlers It is also facetiously said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved knobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers George Washington gave Connecticut the title of The Provisions State because of the material aid that the state rendered to the American Revolutionary War effort Connecticut is also known as The Land of Steady Habits According to Webster s New International Dictionary 1993 a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a Connecticuter There are numerous other terms coined in print but not in use such as Connecticotian Cotton Mather in 1702 and Connecticutensian Samuel Peters in 1781 Linguist Allen Walker Read suggests the more playful term Connecticutie Nutmegger is sometimes used as is Yankee The official state song is Yankee Doodle The traditional abbreviation of the state s name is Conn the official postal abbreviation is CT Commemorative stamps issued by the United States Postal Service with Connecticut themes include Nathan Hale Eugene O Neill Josiah Willard Gibbs Noah Webster Eli Whitney the whaling ship the Charles W Morgan which is docked at Mystic Seaport and a decoy of a broadbill duck The Charter Oak The USS Nautilus SSN 571 Connecticut state insignia and historical figures Source Sites Seals amp Symbols except where noted State aircraft Vought F4U CorsairState hero Nathan HaleState heroine Prudence CrandallState composer Charles Edward IvesState statues in Statuary Hall Roger Sherman and Jonathan TrumbullState poet laureate Margaret GibsonConnecticut State TroubadourState composer laureate Jacob DruckmanNotable peopleSee alsoConnecticut portalNew England portalUnited States portalIndex of Connecticut related articles Outline of Connecticut List of states and territories of the United States USS Connecticut 7 shipsNotesElevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry which found Protestants to be only 2 more numerous than Catholics in ConnecticutReferences Sites Seals amp Symbols Secretary of the State State of Connecticut August 28 2015 Archived from the original on July 31 2008 Retrieved October 25 2015 General Description and Facts State of Connecticut Archived from the original on October 16 2015 Retrieved June 6 2016 State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates Highest and Lowest Elevations Elevations and Distances in the United States United States Geological Survey 2001 Archived from the original on November 9 2013 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