Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was founded in 1635, so it is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The city has many important places, such as the country's oldest public art museum, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and the home where author Mark Twain wrote his books, the Mark Twain House.

Hartford has been the official capital of Connecticut since 1875. For many years after the American Civil War, it was one of the richest cities in the United States. Today, it is called the "Insurance Capital of the World" because many large insurance companies have their main offices there.

Even though Hartford has had some economic difficulties, the area around it, called the Greater Hartford metropolitan area, remains strong and provides many goods and services. The city is still an important place for education, healthcare, and many other services in the region.

History

Main article: History of Hartford, Connecticut

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Hartford, Connecticut.

Many Native American tribes lived near Hartford long ago. These tribes included the Podunks, Poquonocks, Massacoes, Tunxis, Wangunks, and Saukiog.

The first Europeans to explore the area were the Dutch in 1614. They built a small fort called Fort Hoop in 1623. Later, English settlers arrived and founded a new town called Newtown in 1636. They renamed it Hartford in 1637 to honor a town in England. Thomas Hooker, a leader, helped create important rules for the new colony.

Hartford grew into an important manufacturing center in the 1800s and early 1900s. Factories made many things, including bicycles, automobiles, and typewriters. The city was known as the "Typewriter Capitol of the World" for a time.

In the 1900s, Hartford faced many changes. After World War II, people began moving to the suburbs, and the city’s population shrank. In 1997, a professional hockey team left the city. Despite these changes, Hartford still hosts cultural events and has a lively theater scene today.

Geography

Hartford covers 18 square miles, with 17 square miles of land and a bit of water. It is next to the Connecticut River and surrounded by several towns.

Hartford has cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. Spring and fall are usually mild. The city gets about 47 inches of rain each year and 52 inches of snow in winter. Summer temperatures can reach 90 °F, and winter temperatures can drop below freezing. In the past, hurricanes have caused damage, like in 1938 and 2011.

Hartford's main areas include downtown with important buildings, Parkville near an old river, Frog Hollow close to a park and a college, and Asylum Hill with historic homes. Other neighborhoods have parks, schools, and cultural spots for different communities.

Main article: Neighborhoods of Hartford, Connecticut

Demographics

Hartford, Connecticut, had a population of 121,054 people as of the 2020 United States census. The city has many different kinds of people. In 2019, about 36% were White, 43% were Black or African American, and 24% were of other races. Many people in Hartford are from Puerto Rico.

Most families in the city have children, and many families are led by one parent. The city has many young people under age 30. The average income for families in Hartford is low, so many people have money troubles.

Economy

Hartford is an important city for medical care, research, and education. It has several hospitals, including Hartford Hospital, The Institute of Living, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center.

Hartford has a long history as a center for insurance. Many big insurance companies are based there, such as Aetna, The Hartford, and The Phoenix Companies. The city is also home to headquarters for other companies like CareCentrix and Insurity.

Hartford is growing as a technology hub. Companies like Infosys and CGI Inc. have opened offices there. The city focuses on technology in insurance, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Arts and culture

Cuisine

The first American cookbook was written by Amelia Simmons in Hartford in 1796. It had recipes for squash, cornmeal, and pumpkin pie. Hartford’s food comes from many places. Early settlers brought Dutch and English recipes, and Native American traditions added more flavors. In the 1900s, many people from Poland moved to Hartford and opened restaurants. Later, Italian food became popular too. Today, Hartford has food from all over the world.

The city has many farmers’ markets, with the Hartford Regional Market being the biggest one between New York City and Boston. The nearby sea gives fresh seafood, and the Connecticut River Valley grows lots of vegetables. Hartford also has many places to enjoy beer, cider, and spirits.

Points of interest

See also: List of public art in Hartford, Connecticut

• Aetna building – A big building with a tall tower.
• Ancient Burying Ground – Hartford’s oldest graveyard.
• Armsmear – The home of the Colt family.
• Bulkeley Bridge – A stone bridge connecting Hartford to East Hartford.
• Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts – A theater with beautiful designs.
• Bushnell Park – A park with grass, statues, fountains, and a carousel.
• Cathedral of St. Joseph – A large church with tall windows.
• Center Church – An old church founded by Thomas Hooker.
• Cheney Building – A building from the late 1800s.
• Church of the Good Shepherd and Parish House – Built to remember Samuel Colt and his family.
• City Place I – The tallest building in Connecticut.
• Colt Armory – A big building that used to make guns.
• Xfinity Theater – A place for concerts and shows.
• Connecticut Science Center – A big museum with fun science exhibits.
• Connecticut State Library – A library with history and art.
• Connecticut Convention Center – A huge center for events.
• Connecticut Governor's Mansion – The home of the governor.
• Connecticut Opera – A group that puts on operas.
• Connecticut State Capitol – A big building with statues and a golden dome.
• Constitution Plaza – A big area with offices and parking.
• Dunkin' Donuts Park – A baseball field.
• Elizabeth Park & Rose Garden – A park with beautiful roses.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe House & Research Center – The home of Harriet Beecher Stowe.
• The Hartford Financial Services Group headquarters – On the site of an old school.
• Hartford Public Library – A library with many books and free computers.
• Hartford Stage – A theater that has won many awards.
• Hartford Symphony Orchestra – The main orchestra for the area.
• The Hartt School at the University of Hartford – A school for music and theater.
• The Mark Twain House and Museum – The home where Mark Twain wrote many of his books.
• Old State House – One of the oldest government buildings in the United States.
• Phoenix Life Insurance Company Building – A special building with two sides.
• Polish National Home – A building that started as a place for Polish families.
• Pope Park – A public park.
• Real Art Ways – An art gallery with new art.
• Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch – A memorial for people from Hartford who served in a war.
• Trinity College – A college founded in 1823.
• Unitarian Meeting House (1964) – A modern building.
• University of Connecticut Hartford Campus – A part of the university in downtown Hartford.
• University of Connecticut School of Business – A business school in downtown Hartford.
• University of Connecticut School of Law – A law school with a big library.
• University of Hartford – A university with a big campus.
• Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art – One of the oldest art museums in the United States.
• PeoplesBank Arena – A place for concerts and sports games.

Parades

• Greater Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade – Downtown – March
• Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade – Downtown, South Green, and Frog Hollow – June
• Greater Hartford West Indian Parade – Northeast – August
• Hooker Day Parade – Downtown – May
• Connecticut Veterans Parade – Downtown – November

Sports

The Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League plays ice hockey at the PeoplesBank Arena in downtown Hartford. The arena also hosts games for the men's and women's basketball teams of the UConn Huskies. Other UConn home games are held at Gampel Pavilion on the university's main campus in Storrs, Connecticut. All UConn Men's Ice Hockey home games take place at the PeoplesBank Arena.

The Hartford Yard Goats, the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, moved from New Britain to Hartford in 2017 and currently plays at Dunkin' Donuts Park.

Hartford is home to a USL Championship division team, Hartford Athletic, founded in 2019. This team plays in the 5,500-seat Trinity Health Stadium. The city is also home to another semi-pro soccer team, Hartford City FC, which is a member of the NPSL and also plays at Trinity Health Stadium.

Hartford became the home of the WHA's New England Whalers in 1975 after the club moved from Boston. One of four WHA teams, it joined the NHL in 1979 as the Hartford Whalers and stayed there until 1997, when the team moved to Raleigh, North Carolina and became the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Boston Celtics played some home games in Hartford from 1975 until 1995, when they opened the new TD Garden.

Hartford was also home to the Hartford Hellions of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).

In the 1870s, Hartford had a National League baseball team, the Hartford Dark Blues. The city also had an NFL team, the Hartford Blues, for three seasons in the 1920s.

Hartford briefly had a team in the UFL called the Hartford Colonials, but games were played in neighboring East Hartford's Rentschler Field.

From 2000 to 2006, Hartford was home to the Hartford FoxForce of World TeamTennis.

Government

See also: Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut and Mayoral elections in Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford uses a mayor-council system to run the city. The current mayor is Arunan Arulampalam. In 2003, the city voted to bring back this system. The city council is called the "Court of Common Council." It has nine members.

Hartford is a city that supports all residents. The city has always voted for Democratic Party candidates in presidential elections.

City council

Education

Hartford has many schools for children and young people. The city’s public schools are run by Hartford Public Schools. One famous school is Hartford Public High School, which is one of the oldest high schools in the United States. There are also other high schools like Bulkeley High School, Global Communications Academy, Weaver High School, and Sport Medical and Sciences Academy. There are special schools too, such as The Learning Corridor, which includes the Montessori Magnet School and the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. There are private schools like Watkinson School and special education schools like Grace S. Webb School.

Hartford is also a place where many students go to college. Some of these schools include Trinity College, Capital Community College, and the University of Connecticut’s Hartford campus. The University of Hartford has many cultural places like galleries and performance centers.

Media

The daily Hartford Courant newspaper is the oldest newspaper in the country, started in 1764. A weekly newspaper, the Hartford Advocate, also serves Hartford and nearby areas, along with the Hartford Business Journal and the weekly Hartford News.

The Hartford area has several magazines, including Hartford Magazine, a monthly magazine about local life, CT Cottages & Gardens, Connecticut Business, and Home Living CT.

Broadcast media

Several radio stations are based in Hartford, including WDRC (AM), WDRC (FM), WHCN (FM), WJMJ (FM), WPOP (AM), WTIC (AM), WTIC (FM), and WPKT (FM, NPR).

Hartford's major television stations include WFSB 3 (CBS), WTNH 8 (ABC), WUVN 18 (Univision), WRDM-CD 19 (Telemundo O&O), WCCT-TV 20 (The CW), WHPX-TV (Ion Television O&O), WVIT 30 (NBC O&O), WHCT-LD 35 (MeTV O&O), WCTX 59 (MyNetworkTV) and WTIC-TV 61 (Fox). PBS member stations include WEDH 24 and WEDY 65, which are part of the Connecticut Public Television network. These stations serve the Hartford/New Haven market, the 33rd largest media market in the U.S. as of 2020.

Film

• Must Read After My Death, a 2009 documentary film

See also: List of newspapers in Hartford in the 18th century

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

I-84 and I-91 meet in downtown Hartford. Other highways serving the city include Route 2, the Wilbur Cross Highway which is part of Route 15, and the Conlin–Whitehead Highway. Traffic in Hartford can be busy, especially during rush hour when many people are traveling to and from the city.

Several major roads go through the city, such as Albany Avenue (Route 44), Blue Hills Avenue (Route 187), Main Street (Route 159), and Wethersfield Avenue (Route 99).

Rail

The city has Hartford Union Station, where Amtrak trains and buses stop. The Hartford Line commuter rail service started in 2018, linking New Haven and Springfield.

Airports

Bradley International Airport is close by in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, with many flights each day. Other airports serving the area include Hartford-Brainard Airport, Westover Metropolitan Airport, Logan International Airport, and Tweed New Haven Regional Airport.

Bus

Connecticut Transit operates local and commuter buses in Hartford. The Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) is a free bus that drives around downtown. CTfastrak, a bus rapid transit system, started in 2015 between Hartford and New Britain. Interstate bus services are offered by Peter Pan Bus, Greyhound Bus, and Megabus.

Bicycle

There is a bicycle route through Hartford that is part of the East Coast Greenway. The route passes through Bushnell Park, and there are bicycle lanes on several streets.

Emergency services

Fire department

The Hartford Fire Department is the fifth-largest in Connecticut, with 12 fire stations. Some of these stations are historic and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Police department

The Hartford Police Department was founded in 1860.

Emergency medical services

Hartford uses private companies for ambulance services.

Notable people

For a more comprehensive list, see List of people from Hartford, Connecticut.

Hartford has been home to many important people. Some famous residents include dictionary author Noah Webster, creator of American Sign Language Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, and inventor of the .45 Colt Sam Colt.

Many artists and writers lived in Hartford. After the US Civil War, authors like Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe lived in an area called Nook Farm. Other famous writers from Hartford include poet Lydia Sigourney and Wallace Stevens. Actors such as Katharine Hepburn and Norman Lear were also born or lived there.

The city has produced many musicians, including singer Sophie Tucker and members of bands like Toto. In science, Barbara McClintock, who won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work, was born in Hartford. The city has also been home to athletes like NBA player Marcus Camby and NFL player Dwight Freeney.

Recent developments

Hartford has had many new changes recently. Adriaen's Landing now has a big convention center and a hotel. There are also plans for a science center there. The Capital Community College uses a old department store for classes and offices.

A new bus system called CTfastrak links Hartford to New Britain to help with traffic. Front Street, part of Adriaen's Landing, will have shops, entertainment, and homes but is still being built. There are plans for a faster train service called the Hartford Line to connect nearby cities.

Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, started the Knowledge Corridor Partnership to work together on projects, with help from local universities.

Sister cities

Hartford has several sister cities around the world. They are:

• Caguas, Puerto Rico
• Dongguan, China
• Floridia, Italy
• Huế, Vietnam
• Morant Bay, Jamaica
• New Ross, Ireland
• Ocotal, Nicaragua
• Sogakope, Ghana
• Thessaloniki, Greece
• Hertford, England