TheNaugatuck River Valley is the watershed area of theNaugatuck River in the western part ofConnecticut. The Naugatuck Valley straddles parts ofLitchfield County,New Haven, andFairfield counties. TheRoute 8 corridor andWaterbury Branch of theMetro-North railroad line run along the river valley. Geographically, it comprises the municipalities located within theNaugatuck River basin. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the area was one of the main manufacturing centers inNew England, and most of the communities around the river were emblematic New England mill towns.
Map of Connecticut showing the regions of the Naugatuck River Valley. Green is the Valley, yellow is the Greater Waterbury area, and blue is the Litchfield Hills region.
Traditionally, the Naugatuck Valley is often subdivided for historical, cultural, geographic, and demographic reasons.
TheLower Naugatuck Valley refers to the area focused on the city ofDerby. The towns within the watershed area of the lower valley areShelton,Seymour,Woodbridge,Ansonia, and Derby. The towns of Beacon Falls, Oxford, and Naugatuck, usually grouped together in the central valley region, are also sometimes assigned to the lower valley region.
