New Milford, Connecticut Weantinock | |
|---|---|
 Town Green | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Gateway to Litchfield County"[1] | |
 Litchfield County and Connecticut Western Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut | |
 Show New Milford Show Connecticut Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:41°34′37″N73°24′30″W / 41.57694°N 73.40833°W /41.57694; -73.40833 | |
| Country | United States |
| U.S. state | Connecticut |
| County | Litchfield |
| Region | Western CT |
| Settled | 1707 |
| Incorporated | 1712[3] |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Mayor | Pete Bass[4] |
| • Town Council | |
| Area | |
• Total | 63.7 sq mi (165.0 km2) |
| • Land | 61.6 sq mi (159.5 km2) |
| • Water | 2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 236 ft (72 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 28,115[2] |
| • Density | 457/sq mi (176.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Codes | 06755, 06776 |
| Area codes | 860/959 |
| FIPS code | 09-52630 |
| GNIS feature ID | 209242[7] |
| Website | www |
New Milford is a town inLitchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town, part ofGreater Danbury, as well as theNew York Metropolitan Area, has a population of 28,115 as of the2020 census.[2] New Milford is located within theWestern Connecticut Planning Region.
New Milford is located roughly 50 miles (80 km) west ofHartford, 63 miles (101 km) northeast ofNew York City proper, and 80 miles fromMidtown Manhattan.
New Milford lies 14 miles (23 km) north ofDanbury on the banks of theHousatonic River, and shares its border with the northeastern shore ofCandlewood Lake. It is the largest town in the state of Connecticut in terms of land area at nearly 63.7 mi2 (164.9822 km2). Thetown center is listed as acensus-designated place (CDP).
New Milford consists of a number of town sub-divisions (i.e.boroughs, districts, communities, or neighborhoods), includingChimney Point,Gaylordsville,Merryall, andNorthville. The town's infrastructure largely branches off of either side of the highway routesU.S. 7 andU.S. 202, which intersect and split within the town and together form its main thoroughfare.
The area constituting contemporary New Milford was originally inhabited by theindigenousWawyachtonoc people, while the town of New Milford itself was formally established byEnglish colonists in the early18th century.
The indigenousWawyachtonoc people were a sub-group of thePaugussett Nation, and later aMahican-affiliated Native American tribe, that lived in the area of contemporary New Milford both before and during thecolonial era. They had a farming and fishing culture, cultivating corn—mainly by the Housatonic andStill rivers[8]—squash, beans and tobacco, and fished in freshwater areas.[9]
In 1707, John Noble Sr., previously ofWestfield, Massachusetts, and his eight-year-old daughter Sarah Noble were the first Anglo-American settlers. (A public school was later named after Sarah Noble.) They were soon joined by others who had bought land there.[10]
On October 17, 1711, twelve families (including a total about 70 people) petitioned theConnecticut General Assembly to create the town, together with the associated privilege of levying a tax to support a minister. With the legislature's approval, the town was organized the next year. The residents soon secured Daniel Boardman to preach, and he was ordained as the minister of theCongregational Church on November 21, 1716.[10][11]
In 1722, most of northwestern Connecticut (except for the town of Litchfield) was placed under the jurisdiction of New Haven County. In 1730, the eastern half of northwestern Connecticut was transferred to the jurisdiction of Hartford County. But New Milford,Salisbury andSharon continued in New Haven County until the formation of Litchfield County in 1751.
Roger Sherman lived in New Milford before moving toNew Haven in 1761.[10] He later became a member of theContinental Congress and signed both theDeclaration of Independence andU.S. Constitution. The lot of his former house is the site of the present Town Hall.
During the American Revolution, the7th Connecticut Regiment (also known as the 19th Continental Regiment) was raised in town on September 16, 1776. The regiment, and the New Milford men in it, would see action in theBattle of Brandywine,Battle of Germantown and theBattle of Monmouth. In total, the town "sent 285 men to fight in the War out of a total population of 2,776."[10]
During the early- to mid-19th century, New Milford was home to several locations that were part of theUnderground Railroad network.
In the second half of the 19th century, many new industries came to town. The Water Witch Hose Company No. 2, local telephone and electricity companies, and newspapers were all founded. Factories in town made buttons, paint and varnish, hats, furniture, pottery, lime, dairy products and pasteboard, among other goods.Tobacco became the major crop in the area, and tobacco warehouses sprang up to handle its storage and processing before sales.[10]
In 1942Buck's Rock Camp was founded off Bucks Rock Road, and has remained in operation ever since.
The house that inspired the 1946 novel and 1948 film,Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, still stands in the Merryall section of town.
The town has constructed a 1,000,000-gallon sewer plant expansion on West Street, a sewer pump station on Boardman Road, reconstruction of the Rte. 67/ Grove Street Intersection, and ambulance facility on Scovill Street.
The town has added a skate park at Young's Field (2006), reconstructed the tennis and basketball courts at Young's Field (2010), reconstructed the basketball court at Williamson Park in Gaylordsville (2010), and improved Lynn Deming Park (2017), and is working on the New Milford River Trail,[12] which will eventually join the existing 1.5-mile Sega Meadows Park trail (2012), 3.5 miles of River Road, and the 0.25-mile Young's Field River Trail (2017) and link them to the greenways in the neighboring towns of Brookfield and Kent.[13] Several streetscape projects were completed by the Department of Public Works (DPW) with grant money on Church Street, Whittlesey Avenue, and the west side of East Street (2009/2010). Candlewoof Dog Park is completed on Pickett District Road. Abocce ball court was constructed at the Senior Center by Boy Scout Troop 66 (2012).
New Milford is frequented on weekends between the months of April and December, when visitors attend the Elephant's Trunk Flea Market, a large outdoorflea market located near the southern end of the town whichWRKI has claimed is the largest weekly flea market inNew England.[14] It is also a popular destination with summer and weekend residents from NYC and its suburbs. It is also a popular place for those looking to tour a city similar toStars Hollow in the television seriesGilmore Girls.[15] Communities on Candlewood Lake's NE corner and the rural and rolling farm land in the northern portion of the town between Routes 7 and 202 swell with added population between May and October.
The trend of town population growth has continued but slowed since the beginning of the21st century.
New Milford is located on the northeastern shore ofCandlewood Lake. TheEast Aspetuck River,Still River andHousatonic River flow through the town. Downtown New Milford is home to a largetown green, commonly cited as the longest town green in the state of Connecticut.[16]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 63.7 square miles (165.1 km2), making it the largest town in Connecticut. Behind New Milford isGreenwich with 47.62 square miles . 61.6 square miles (159.5 km2) of New Milford is land, and 2.2 square miles (5.6 km2) of New Milford (3.40%) is water.[17] The CDP corresponding to the town center has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2), of which 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.88%) is water.
The Greater New Milford Area, also known as Southern Litchfield County, encompasses a cluster of charming towns nestled in the scenic landscapes of Connecticut. This region includesBridgewater,Kent, New Milford,Roxbury,Sherman,Warren, andWashington. With a combined urban and town proper population of 43,732, the area is celebrated for its rich history, rural charm, and picturesque surroundings. Residents and visitors alike are drawn to the area's historic architecture, vibrant community life, and a harmonious blend of urban and rural living.[18]
New Milford has a humidcontinental climate, with mild to warm humid summers and cold to very cold winters and precipitation being relatively uniformly distributed throughout the year. The highest recorded temperature was 103 °F (39 °C) in July 1966, while the lowest recorded temperature was −18 °F (−28 °C) in January 1968.[19]Snowfall is generally frequent in winter.
| Climate data for New Milford, Connecticut (Candlelight Farms Airport) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) | 77 (25) | 87 (31) | 95 (35) | 97 (36) | 100 (38) | 103 (39) | 102 (39) | 100 (38) | 92 (33) | 82 (28) | 76 (24) | 103 (39) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36 (2) | 40 (4) | 49 (9) | 61 (16) | 72 (22) | 80 (27) | 85 (29) | 83 (28) | 75 (24) | 63 (17) | 51 (11) | 40 (4) | 61 (16) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16 (−9) | 19 (−7) | 27 (−3) | 37 (3) | 48 (9) | 56 (13) | 62 (17) | 60 (16) | 53 (12) | 42 (6) | 32 (0) | 22 (−6) | 40 (4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −18 (−28) | −14 (−26) | −8 (−22) | 14 (−10) | 26 (−3) | 36 (2) | 40 (4) | 38 (3) | 28 (−2) | 19 (−7) | 6 (−14) | −13 (−25) | −18 (−28) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.76 (96) | 3.30 (84) | 4.43 (113) | 4.36 (111) | 4.57 (116) | 4.74 (120) | 4.99 (127) | 4.55 (116) | 4.66 (118) | 4.89 (124) | 4.54 (115) | 4.16 (106) | 52.95 (1,345) |
| Source:[20] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1756 | 1,137 | — |
| 1774 | 2,776 | +144.2% |
| 1782 | 3,015 | +8.6% |
| 1790 | 3,167 | +5.0% |
| 1800 | 3,221 | +1.7% |
| 1810 | 3,537 | +9.8% |
| 1820 | 3,830 | +8.3% |
| 1850 | 4,508 | +17.7% |
| 1860 | 3,535 | −21.6% |
| 1870 | 3,586 | +1.4% |
| 1880 | 3,907 | +9.0% |
| 1890 | 3,917 | +0.3% |
| 1900 | 4,804 | +22.6% |
| 1910 | 5,010 | +4.3% |
| 1920 | 4,781 | −4.6% |
| 1930 | 4,700 | −1.7% |
| 1940 | 5,559 | +18.3% |
| 1950 | 5,799 | +4.3% |
| 1960 | 8,318 | +43.4% |
| 1970 | 14,601 | +75.5% |
| 1980 | 19,420 | +33.0% |
| 1990 | 23,629 | +21.7% |
| 2000 | 27,121 | +14.8% |
| 2010 | 28,142 | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 28,115 | −0.1% |
| Population of Connecticut Towns 1756-1820 | ||
As of thecensus[21] of 2020, there were 28,276 people, 10,775 households, and 7,503 families residing in the town. The population density was 443.8 inhabitants per square mile (171.4/km2). There were 11,763 housing units at an average density of 190.4 per square mile (73.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 81.6%White, 4.1%Black orAfrican American, 0.1%Native American, 3.2%Asian, 0.00%Pacific Islander, 3.5% fromother races, and 7.5% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race was 10.6% of the population.
Of the 10,618 households, 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% weremarried couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town, the population had 24.30% under the age of 18, 6.87% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 31.75% from 45 to 64, and 12.18% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.6 males.
As of the 2000 Census the median income for a household in the town was $65,354, and the median income for a family was $75,775. Males had a median income of $50,523 versus $34,089 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $29,630. About 2.1% of families and 3.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 1, 2022[22] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
| Democratic | 4,918 | 313 | 5,231 | 27.58% | |
| Republican | 4,959 | 290 | 5,249 | 27.67% | |
| Unaffiliated | 7,555 | 586 | 8,141 | 42.92% | |
| Minor parties | 321 | 25 | 346 | 1.83% | |
| Total | 17,753 | 1,214 | 18,967 | 100% | |
New Milford is known for its large church andreligious school, thenondenominational Faith Church. It is also home to two Catholic churches; a Lutheran church; aChristian Science community; a longstandingQuaker community; a house of worship belonging to theUnited Church of Christ; aUnited Methodist church; and anAssemblies of God (Pentecostal) church; as well the Episcopalian (Anglican) St. John's Episcopal Church, located next to the town green. A JewishReformsynagogue, Temple Sholom, is located near the town's border with Sherman.[23]
TheCanterbury School, a well-known Catholicboarding school, is located near downtown New Milford.
New Milford is home to the GMS Rowing Center.[24] Founded in 2003, it manages a US Rowing Training Center Program. It has a highly successful Middle and High School (Junior) Program which competes at Youth National Championships, Junior National Team Trials, The "Royal Canadian Henley" and has sent rowers to the Junior World Rowing Championships.[25] In 2011 GMS also had rowers representing the US at the Under 23 World Championships in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and at theWorld Rowing Championships at Bled, Slovenia.[26]
It is in theNew Milford School District.[27]
New Milford is served by fixed-bus routes of theHousatonic Area Regional Transit. The main highways of the town areU.S. Route 7 andU.S. Route 202.
There has been continued talk about a proposal to electrify and restore theDanbury Branch of theMetro-North Railroad north ofDanbury toNew Milford. These efforts have included a Rail Study in 2008,[28] proposed state legislation in 2017,[29] and stimulus money in 2021.[30] The Danbury Branch providescommuter rail service between Danbury, toSouth Norwalk,Stamford, andGrand Central Terminal in New York City. The tracks north of Danbury are currently used by theHousatonic Railroad for freight service.
The following movies with their actual or expected year of release have been filmed in New Milford:[36]
Municipalities and communities ofWestern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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Municipalities and communities ofLitchfield County, Connecticut,United States | ||
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| Boroughs | ||
| CDPs |
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| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
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