Connecticut

Connecticut is known as the “Constitution State”, the “Nutmeg State”, the “Provisions State”, and the “Land of Steady Habits”. It was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States.

Land of Steady Habits

Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the United States. As of the 2010 Census, it has the highest per-capita income, Human Development Index (0.962), and median household income in the United States. It is bordered by 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. It is part of New England, although portions of it are often grouped with New York and New Jersey as the Tri-state area. The state is named for the Connecticut River which approximately bisects the state. The word "Connecticut" is derived from various anglicized spellings of an Algonquian word for "long tidal river".

Connecticut is the third smallest state by area, the 29th most populous,and the fourth most densely populated of the 50 states. It is known as the "Constitution State", the "Nutmeg State", the "Provisions State", and the "Land of Steady Habits". It was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States.

The Connecticut River, Thames River, and ports along Long Island Sound have given Connecticut a strong maritime tradition which continues today. The state also has a long history of hosting the financial services industry, including insurance companies in Hartford and hedge funds in Fairfield County.

The location

Learn about Connecticut

Origins

The first European explorer in Connecticut was Dutchman Adriaen Block, who explored the region in 1614. Dutch fur traders then sailed up the Connecticut River, which they called Versche Rivier ("Fresh River"), and built a fort at Dutch Point in Hartford that they named "House of Hope".

The Connecticut Colony was originally a number of separate, smaller settlements at Windsor, Wethersfield, Saybrook, Hartford, and New Haven. The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor, and 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.

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.

Education
RATING* SCHOOL NAME GRADES SCHOOL TYPE
2 South Side School Preschool - 5th Grade Public
N/A Cherry Brook Primary School Preschool - 3Rd Grade Public
1 Montessori Magnet School Preschool - 6th Grade Public
2 University Of Hartford Multiple Intelligences Magn Preschool - 5th Grade Public
N/A Chamberlain School Preschool - 5th Grade Public
N/A Gaffney School Preschool - 5th Grade Public
3 Aiken School Preschool - 5th Grade Public
2 Charter Oak International Academy Preschool - 5th Grade Public
1 Stafford School Kindergarten - 5th Grade Public
1 Holmes School Kindergarten - 5th Grade Public
N/A Smith School Kindergarten - 5th Grade Public
N/A Vance School Kindergarten - 5th Grade Public
4 Braeburn School Kindergarten - 5th Grade Public
4 Duffy School Kindergarten - 5th Grade Public
2 Metropolitan Learning Center 6th Grade - 12th Grade Public
N/A Pulaski Middle School 6th Grade - 8th Grade Public
N/A Slade Middle School 6th Grade - 8th Grade Public
5 House Of Arts Letters And Science (Hals) Academy 6th Grade - 8th Grade Public
5 Canton High School 9th Grade - 12th Grade Public
1 Great Path Academy At Mcc 9th Grade - 12th Grade Public
* School data provided by National Center for Education Statistics, Pitney Bowes, and GreatSchools. Intended for reference only. GreatSchools Ratings compare a school’s test performance to statewide results. To verify enrollment eligibility, contact the school or district directly.

Counties of Connecticut