Shelton, Connecticut | |
|---|---|
 View from the Shelton River Walk | |
 Seal | |
| Motto: "Vision To See, Faith To Believe, Courage To Do"[1] | |
 Fairfield County and Connecticut Naugatuck Valley Planning Region and Connecticut | |
 Show Shelton Show Connecticut Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:41°18′15″N73°08′17″W / 41.30417°N 73.13806°W /41.30417; -73.13806 | |
| Country | United States |
| U.S. state | Connecticut |
| County | Fairfield |
| Region | Naugatuck Valley |
| Incorporated (town) | 1789 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1915 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-board of aldermen |
| • Mayor | Mark A. Lauretti (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 31.90 sq mi (82.63 km2) |
| • Land | 30.63 sq mi (79.33 km2) |
| • Water | 1.27 sq mi (3.29 km2) |
| Elevation | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 40,869 |
| • Density | 1,334/sq mi (515.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 06484 |
| Area codes | 203/475 |
| FIPS code | 09-68100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0210800 |
| Major highways |  |
| Commuter rail |  |
| Website | www |
Shelton is a city inFairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 40,869 at the2020 United States Census.[3] The city is part of theNaugatuck Valley Planning Region.
Shelton was settled by the English as part of the town ofStratford in 1639. On May 15, 1656, the Court of theColony of Connecticut in Hartford affirmed that the town of Stratford included all of the territory 12 miles (19 km) inland fromLong Island Sound, between theHousatonic River and theFairfield town line. In 1662, Stratford selectmen Lt. Joseph Judson, CaptainJoseph Hawley and John Minor had secured all the written deeds of transfer from theGolden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation for this vast territory that comprises the present-day towns ofTrumbull, Shelton andMonroe. Shelton was split off from Stratford in 1789, asHuntington (named forSamuel Huntington).[4][5]The current name originated in a manufacturing village started in the 1860s named for the Shelton Company founded by Edward N. Shelton—also founder of Ousatonic Water Power Company.[6][7][8][9]The rapidly growingborough of Shelton incorporated as a city in 1915 and was consolidated with the town of Huntington in 1919, establishing the present city of Shelton.[10][11]
Shelton was the site of one of the largest arson fires in the United States history. It happened in 1975 when the Sponge Rubber Products plant (formerly owned by B.F. Goodrich) was set on fire. Charles Moeller, president of parent company Grand Sheet Metal Products, was acquitted ofcriminal charges, but in asuit under civil law (wherepreponderance of evidence suffices to establish a factual claim), a jury found in 1988 the insurer was entitled to disallow claims on the fire losses, based on the finding that the company's top officials arranged the fire to claim insurance money. Eight others were convicted or pleaded guilty.[12]
The explosion that destroyed the Sponge Rubber Plant on Canal Street in 1975 marked the start of the decline of Shelton's industries. During the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s several firms that operated factories along the banks of the Housatonic River either went out of business or relocated to areas where labor and operating costs were cheaper.[13] In 1995,Sikorsky Aircraft closed a plant off Bridgeport Avenue that manufactured electrical components for helicopters.[citation needed]
With the completion ofRoute 8, new office spaces and businesses were attracted to the town, due to its Fairfield County location coupled with low costs of doing business as opposed to places such as Stamford or Greenwich. Major firms such as Tetley Tea, TIE Communication, I.T.T., Black and Decker, Sikorsky Aircraft,Gama Aviation, Chesebrough-Pond's, Tetra-Pak, General Electric, and Bunker Ramo.[13] Over 2,000,000 square feet (190,000 m2) of corporate office space spread across 12 buildings was constructed by the R.D. Scinto corporation alone.[14]
Efforts are underway to restore nineteenth-century industrial buildings in the downtown area; those that were beyond repair were demolished in the late 1990s and early 2000s and replaced with the Veteran's Memorial and a farmer's market. The 10-acre (40,000 m2) Riverwalk Park next to the Veterans Memorial was created on the site of the former Sponge Rubber Plant. Other buildings along Howe Avenue, one of the city's main thoroughfares, have been restored, while developers have renovated two 19th-century factory buildings on Bridge Street, converting them into luxurycondominiums. Several downtown streets have been reconstructed as part of a streetscape improvement project: sidewalks were reconstructed with brick and cobblestone, trees were planted, and some power lines were rerouted underground to improve the appearance of Shelton'scentral business district.[15] In March 2008, Connecticut GovernorM. Jodi Rell announced that after negotiations with State SenatorDan Debicella and State Representative Jason Perillo, state bond funds in the amount of $2 million would be directed toward additional infrastructure improvements.[16]
In November 2007, a tree growing on Soundview Avenue in Shelton was selected and felled to be theRockefeller Center Christmas tree.[17]
On May 30, 2008, producers and staff for the upcoming movieAll Good Things shot one scene on Canal Street in downtown Shelton. The scene was underneath the train trestle and involved one of the characters dragging a body and dumping it into the Housatonic River.[citation needed]
On July 31, 2009, a line of heavy thunderstorms with weak rotation spawned an EF1tornado, which touched down with wind speeds between 95 and 105 miles per hour. According to WTNH, the most concentrated damage was along the Oronoque Trail, where many trees were blown down. There were no injuries or fatalities.[18]
In November 2013, a tree located on Kazo Drive was picked to be the secondRockefeller Center Christmas tree from Shelton.[19]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.9 square miles (83 km2), of which 30.6 square miles (79 km2) is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2), or 4.26%, is water.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 2,742 | — | |
| 1800 | 2,792 | 1.8% | |
| 1810 | 2,770 | −0.8% | |
| 1820 | 2,805 | 1.3% | |
| 1830 | 1,371 | −51.1% | |
| 1840 | 1,326 | −3.3% | |
| 1850 | 1,301 | −1.9% | |
| 1860 | 1,477 | 13.5% | |
| 1870 | 1,527 | 3.4% | |
| 1880 | 2,499 | 63.7% | |
| 1890 | 4,006 | 60.3% | |
| 1900 | 5,572 | 39.1% | |
| 1910 | 6,545 | 17.5% | |
| 1920 | 9,475 | 44.8% | |
| 1930 | 10,113 | 6.7% | |
| 1940 | 10,971 | 8.5% | |
| 1950 | 12,694 | 15.7% | |
| 1960 | 18,190 | 43.3% | |
| 1970 | 27,165 | 49.3% | |
| 1980 | 31,314 | 15.3% | |
| 1990 | 35,418 | 13.1% | |
| 2000 | 38,101 | 7.6% | |
| 2010 | 39,559 | 3.8% | |
| 2020 | 40,869 | 3.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[20] | |||
As of thecensus[21] of 2000, there were 38,101 people, 14,190 households, and 10,543 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.4 inhabitants per square mile (481.2/km2). There were 14,707 housing units at an average density of 481.1 per square mile (185.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.44%White, 1.12%Black orAfrican American, 0.15%Native American, 2.08%Asian, 0.89% fromother races, and 1.31% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 3.48% of the population.
There were 14,190 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% weremarried couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $67,292, and the median income for a family was $75,523 (these figures had risen to $80,694 and $94,485 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[22]). Males had a median income of $50,210 versus $36,815 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $29,893. About 2.5% of families and 3.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
National Register of Historic Places:
There are two private golf courses in town. Highland Golf Club of Shelton is located in the downtown Shelton area where it was founded in 1900.[24] It is a 9-hole course (with 10 greens to allow alternating #2 and #11 where the tee shot goes over Perry Hill Road) in which an unknown original designer created difficult greens. The clubhouse's 1920s era structure still remains as the core to the current structure. Brownson Country Club is an 18-hole venue located in the Huntington section of Shelton.[25] There is an annual competition between the clubs for the "Mayor's Trophy", alternating the venue each year. The 2009 Champion and holder of the Trophy is Highland.
The City of Shelton's goal is to preserve at least 15% of the land as permanently protected, locally controlled open space in the following three forms: City of Shelton Public Open Space properties, Privately owned farmland protected by the purchase of development rights, and properties held by the non-profit Shelton Land Conservation Trust. As of 2009, these forms of open space amount to 13% of the City and more than 2,700 acres (11 km2). The City of Shelton owns close to 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of Public Open Space, Protected Farmland is 411 acres (1.66 km2), and the Shelton Land Trust organization has preserved 364 acres (1.47 km2).
There are over 15 miles (24 km) of hiking trails in Shelton,[26] including a portion of the Paugussett "Blue Blazed" trail, part of an 800-mile (1,300 km) network of hiking trails throughout the state. There is opportunity for fishing, boating,geocaching andletterboxing, hiking, walking and biking. Dogs are welcomed when on leash. There is no hunting on city-owned open space, by ordinance.
Republican Mark Lauretti has served as mayor since taking office in 1991.
The Republican Party has controlled the city government since the 1980s. Before the 2007 Elections, the Board of Aldermen consisted of five Republican members, two Citizens' United members, and one Democratic member.[27] Mayor Lauretti was re-elected for an eighteenth consecutive term on November 4, 2025.[28] The current Board of Aldermen consists entirely of eight Republicans.[29]
Political representation at the state level has been Republican since the 1960s.[citation needed] Republican State Senator Kevin Kelly of Stratford replaced Senator Dan Debicella in 2010 after Debicella sought election to the U.S. Congress. There are two State Assembly districts that cover Shelton. In 2007, Republican State Representative Jason Perillo of the 113th District took office. He won in a special election following the death of Richard O. Belden, who had represented the town for 32 years. Republican State Representative Ben McGorty of the 122nd District took office after winning a special election in 2014 following the death of previous State Representative Larry Miller.
At the federal level, Shelton is represented byDemocraticU.S. SenatorsRichard Blumenthal andChris Murphy in theUnited States Senate, along with the rest of the state. Representation of Shelton in theU.S. House of Representatives is split between the 3rd and 4th congressional districts, which are represented by DemocraticU.S. RepresentativesRosa DeLauro andJim Himes, respectively. The boundary between the two congressional districts lies roughly alongRoute 8; Himes represents the portion of the city to the north and west of Route 8 while DeLauro represents sections of Shelton to the south and east.
Shelton is a Republican stronghold in presidential elections, as the city has voted for the GOP presidential nominee in every election since 1964 whenLyndon B. Johnson carried the municipality in his landslide election.
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third Parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 43.58%10,282 | 55.04%12,985 | 1.38%324 |
| 2020 | 45.36%10,837 | 53.35%12,747 | 1.56%308 |
| 2016 | 38.36%8,001 | 57.78%12,051 | 3.86%805 |
| 2012 | 44.23%8,362 | 54.63%10,327 | 1.14%215 |
| 2008 | 47.46%9,655 | 51.26%10,428 | 1.27%259 |
| 2004 | 41.94%8,247 | 56.64%11,137 | 1.42%279 |
| 2000 | 46.58%8,441 | 47.89%8,678 | 5.53%1,002 |
| 1996 | 41.29%6,779 | 43.18%7,089 | 15.54%2,551 |
| 1992 | 28.33%5,354 | 47.43%8,963 | 24.24%4,582 |
| 1988 | 32.46%5,217 | 66.76%10,729 | 0.78%126 |
| 1984 | 23.67%3,628 | 76.05%11,655 | 0.27%42 |
| 1980 | 29.55%4,084 | 60.73%8,393 | 9.72%1,344 |
| 1976 | 37.72%4,938 | 61.64%8,056 | 0.73%96 |
| 1972 | 26.86%3,344 | 70.76%8,810 | 2.39%297 |
| 1968 | 38.18%4,125 | 51.53%5,567 | 10.29%1,112 |
| 1964 | 58.54%5,930 | 41.46%4,200 | 0.00%0 |
| 1960 | 50.87%4,666 | 49.13%4,506 | 0.00%0 |
| 1956 | 30.23%2,372 | 69.77%5,475 | 0.00%0 |
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024[31] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 8,859 | 417 | 9,276 | 29.15% | |
| Democratic | 7,153 | 414 | 7,567 | 23.78% | |
| Unaffiliated | 13,614 | 935 | 14,549 | 45.71% | |
| Minor parties | 413 | 19 | 432 | 1.36% | |
| Total | 30,039 | 1,785 | 31,824 | 100% | |
Shelton is one of the few municipalities inConnecticut with its ownsheriff's department, the Shelton Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department, which is distinct from the police department, is responsible for servinglegal process within the city of Shelton. TheFairfield County Sheriff's Department had a similar role before it and all other county sheriffs in Connecticut were abolished in 2000. The Shelton Sheriff's Department is not a law enforcement agency. Members are political appointees and receive no salary and derive income from fees charged to serve legal papers.[32]
Shelton Public Schools include:[33]
TheValley Independent Sentinel, an online-only, non-profit news site. TheShelton Herald is a weekly newspaper.[citation needed] TheConnecticut Post and theNew Haven Register also cover the city. Both are daily papers.
The city has a 246-member all-volunteer Shelton Fire Department, which consists of four fire companies operating out of four fire stations. There is also a board of fire commissioners with a representative from each company.[34]
Echo Hose Ambulance Corps has been providing emergency medical services to the city since 1949 and currently operates seven ambulances.[35][36] It also operates the Echo Hose Ambulance Community Training Center, which offers EMT certification, a paramedic program with Yale New Haven Health, and classes for laypeople.[37][38]
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