Greater Hartford | |
|---|---|
| Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, CT MSA | |
   Top to bottom: Skylines of Hartford, New Britain, and West Hartford | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Connecticut |
| Principal cities | |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,923 sq mi (10,160 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,482,086 (CSA) |
| • Rank | Ranked 41st in the US for Combined Statistical Areas |
| GDP | |
| • MSA | $114.887 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 860,959 |
Greater Hartford is a region located in the U.S. state ofConnecticut, centered on the state's capital ofHartford. It represents the only combined statistical area in Connecticut defined by a city within the state, being bordered by theGreater Boston region to the northeast andNew York metropolitan area to the south and west.[2] Sitting at the southern end of theMetacomet Ridge, its geology is characterized by land of a level grade along the shores ofConnecticut River Valley, withloamy, finer-grained soil than other regions in the state. Greater Hartford (the metropolitan area as defined by theU.S. Census Bureau), had a total population of 1,213,531 at the2020 United States census.
Hartford's role as a focal point for the Americaninsurance industry is known nationally. The metropolitan area'saffluence and its vibrant music and arts scene define the region's culture. The region's economy is closely tied withSpringfield, Massachusetts, with both cities being served byBradley International Airport and with their shared presence within theKnowledge Corridor, being only 25 miles apart. The area is also served by the smallerHartford-Brainard Airport.
New England City and Town Areas (NECTA) are cluster of cities and towns throughout all of New England defined by theOffice of Management and Budget. The Hartford-East Hartford-Middletown, CT Metropolitan NECTA consists of 54 towns, including 25 in Hartford County, 5 in Litchfield County, 6 in Middlesex County, 2 in New London County, 12 in Tolland County, and 4 in Windham County.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 195,480 | — | |
| 1910 | 250,182 | 28.0% | |
| 1920 | 336,027 | 34.3% | |
| 1930 | 421,097 | 25.3% | |
| 1940 | 450,189 | 6.9% | |
| 1950 | 539,661 | 19.9% | |
| 1960 | 847,157 | 57.0% | |
| 1970 | 1,034,993 | 22.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,051,606 | 1.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,123,678 | 6.9% | |
| 2000 | 1,148,618 | 2.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,212,381 | 5.6% | |
| 2020 | 1,213,531 | 0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[3][4] | |||
TheUnited States Census Bureau also defines theHartford–East Hartford–Middletown, CTMetropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) based on towns as building blocks. The area contains 54 towns ofHartford County,Tolland County, andMiddlesex County.[5] The 2015 population estimate for the MSA is 1,211,324.[6]
A region very similar to the MSA is covered by the combination of the Hartford Service Delivery Area and the Mid-Connecticut Service Delivery Area, covering 56 towns.[7]
| County | 2021 estimate | 2020 census | Change | Area | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford County | 896,854 | 899,498 | −0.29% | 734.93 sq mi (1,903.5 km2) | 1,220/sq mi (471/km2) |
| Middlesex County | 164,759 | 164,245 | +0.31% | 369.30 sq mi (956.5 km2) | 446/sq mi (172/km2) |
| Tolland County | 150,293 | 149,788 | +0.34% | 410.35 sq mi (1,062.8 km2) | 366/sq mi (141/km2) |
| Total | 1,211,906 | 1,213,531 | −0.13% | 1,514.58 sq mi (3,922.7 km2) | 800/sq mi (309/km2) |
^1 Town also included in theSpringfield, MassachusettsNECTA
^2 Division of United Technologies (Otis and Carrier are under the UTC Building & Industrial Systems division)
Public, four-year universities in the area include:.[30][31]
Public, two-yearcommunity colleges in the area include:[30]
Private, nonprofit, four-year universities in the area include:[32]
There are numerous hospitals in the Greater Hartford area, including fiveteaching hospitals (of which, one is apediatric hospital) and twopsychiatric hospitals.
All of the above hospitals are affiliated with theUniversity of Connecticut School of Medicine[33]
TheBushnell Center for the Performing Arts is one of the largest indoor performing arts venues in the area. It houses two theaters within the complex: the 2,800-seat Mortensen Hall and the 906-seat Belding Theater, and is home to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the premiere orchestra in Connecticut. Other theaters in the area include theHartford Stage andTheaterWorks.
The area is also home to theXfinity Theatre, a 7,500-seat open-airamphitheater. The lawn outside the theater is capable of holding roughly 22,500 people, bringing total capacity to around 30,000 people.
In Hartford exurbs, theConnecticut Repertory Theatre on the main campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, theGoodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, and the Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center in Simsbury serve as pillars of the New England theatrical and performing arts scene.
TheConnecticut Convention Center is located in downtown Hartford adjacent to theHartford Marriot Downtown. The facility has more than 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) of exhibition space, a 40,000-square-foot (4,000 m2)ballroom, and 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) of space for meetings and conferences. Since 2005, it has hostedConnectiCon, an annual, multi-genre, pop culture convention.[34]
TheNew England Air Museum inWindsor Locks also hosts many events, with three large hangars available for use. One of the more popular events held there isFlightSimCon.
In addition,AOPA has held their annual aviation summit in Hartford.[35]
Greater Hartford is home to multiple minor league professional sports teams and college teams. There are currently no major league professional sports teams. However, it was home to theHartford Whalers ice hockey team from 1974 to 1997. The Whalers came to Hartford playing in theWorld Hockey Association, until they were admitted to theNational Hockey League in 1979. In 1997, the team relocated toNorth Carolina, where they were renamed theCarolina Hurricanes.
Throughout the mid-1990s, theNew England Patriots were negotiating with the state of Connecticut for a brand new football stadium located in downtown Hartford to replace the agingFoxboro Stadium where they played. The team eventually agreed to another proposal that saw the construction ofGillette Stadium. With the Patriots no longer in the equation, the state instead decided to construct a smaller football stadium on the formerUnited Technologies-owned airfield in East Hartford.Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field seats approximately 40,000 spectators and is home to theConnecticut Huskies football team.
| Club | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Wolf Pack | Ice Hockey | AHL | PeoplesBank Arena |
| Hartford Yard Goats | Baseball | Eastern League | Dunkin' Donuts Park |
| Hartford Athletic | Soccer | USL Championship | Trinity Health Stadium |
Greater Hartford is also home to theTravelers Championship golf tournament (formerly known as the Greater Hartford Open/Buick Championship).
Major shopping centers in the area include:
TheHartford Courant is the dailybroadsheet newspaper serving the Greater Hartford area. Founded in 1764 as theConnecticut Courant, it is generally considered to be the oldest continually published newspaper in the United States. It is owned byTribune Publishing.
From 1817 to 1976, the area was also served by another daily newspaper, theHartford Times.
Greater Hartford andGreater New Haven form a singletelevision market. This television market is served by the following broadcast television stations:
Highway transportation in Greater Hartford is primarily run by two mainline Interstates:
There were several plans to expand the highway system (with at least one plan calling for a full beltway). Various plans encountered resistance due to budgetary and environmental concerns. However, some highways were ultimately constructed, if only partially:
I-291 (serves as the northeastern portion of the partial beltway)
I-384 (spur route into eastern Connecticut)
I-691 (originally a connection toWillimantic)In the area, four majorU.S. Routes serve the area's towns/cities:
Some state highways also serve as major expressways:
Route 2
Route 3 (initially part of the largerI-491 plan)
Route 9 (serves as the southwestern portion of the partial beltway)
Route 15
Route 72Public bus transportation is operated by theHartford division of CTTransit. It provides service to 30 local routes and 12 express routes seven days a week throughout the metropolitan area.[36]
2015 saw the opening of theCTfastrak, abus rapid transit system that runs fromdowntown New Britain toHartford Union Station. The dedicated busway is over 9 miles long and stops at 10 stations.[37][38][39]
Bradley International Airport (IATA:BDL,ICAO:KBDL,FAALID:BDL) is located in the town ofWindsor Locks, approximately 10 miles from Hartford. Bradley is the second-largest airport inNew England (behindLogan International Airport), and was ranked the 55th busiest airport in the United States in 2008.[40][41]Southwest Airlines,Delta Air Lines,JetBlue Airways, andUS Airways account for more than half of the airport's passenger traffic.[42][43] TheBradley Airport Connector provides highway access to the airport from Interstate 91.
Bradley is a dual-use civil/military airport, with theBradley Air National Guard Base serving as the home of theConnecticut Air National Guard103d Airlift Wing.
Hartford–Brainard Airport (IATA:HFD,ICAO:KHFD,FAALID:HFD) is a smaller reliever airport located in the southeastern section of Hartford. It is primarily used forgeneral aviation purposes.[44]
SeveralAmtrak routes run through the metropolitan area, including theNortheast Regional,Vermonter, as well as adaily shuttle betweenNew Haven and Springfield, Massachusetts.
TheHartford Line is a commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, using the Amtrak-owned New Haven–Springfield Line. CTrail-branded trains provide service along the corridor, and riders can use Hartford Line tickets to travel on board most Amtrak trains along the corridor at the same prices. The service launched on June 16, 2018.
