Hamden | |
|---|---|
| Town of Hamden | |
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 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto: "Land of the Sleeping Giant" | |
 New Haven County and Connecticut South Central Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut | |
 Show Hamden Show Connecticut Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:41°23′52″N72°55′18″W / 41.39778°N 72.92167°W /41.39778; -72.92167 | |
| Country |  United States |
| U.S. state |  Connecticut |
| County | New Haven |
| Region | South Central CT |
| Incorporated | 1786 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council |
| • Mayor | Lauren Garrett (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 21.7 sq mi (56.2 km2) |
| • Land | 32.8 sq mi (84.9 km2) |
| • Water | 0.54 sq mi (1.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 184 ft (56 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 61,169 |
| • Density | 1,870/sq mi (720/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Codes | 06514, 06517–06518 |
| Area codes | 203/475 |
| FIPS code | 09-35650 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0213440 |
| Website | www |
Hamden is atown inNew Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town'snickname is "The Land of theSleeping Giant". The town is part of theSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 61,169 at the2020 census.[1]
The peaceful[2] tribe of Quinnipiacs were the first residents of the land that is now Hamden; they had great regard, awe and veneration for the Blue Hills Sleeping Giant Mountain.
In spring 1638,Theophilus Eaton and the ReverendJohn Davenport purchased, fromQuinnipiac Chief Momauguin, the land that would become the settlement of New Haven Colony.[3] Later that November, Eaton expanded the settlement by acquiring 130 square miles fromMattabesset Chief Montowese. This tract extended the original settlement 10 miles north along theQuinnipiac River, with an additional 8 miles to the east and 5 mi. to the west. This piece of land included what would eventually become Hamden. The payment was made with "11 coats of trucking cloth and a fine coat for the chief."[4] It was settled byPuritans as part of the town ofNew Haven.
It remained a part of New Haven until 1786 when 1,400 local residents incorporated the area as a separate town, naming it after the English statesmanJohn Hampden.[5]
Largely developed as a nodal collection of village-like settlements (which remain distinct today), includingMount Carmel (home toQuinnipiac University),Whitneyville, Spring Glen, West Woods, andHighwood, Hamden has a long-standing industrial history. In 1798, four years afterEli Whitney began manufacturing thecotton gin in New Haven, he made arms for the U.S. government at amill site in Hamden, where a waterfall provided a good source of power. At that site, Whitney introduced the modern era ofmass production with the concept of interchangeable parts.
The major thoroughfare through Hamden is named Whitney Avenue in honor of Eli Whitney, and it runs past Whitney's old factory, now theEli Whitney Museum.
Whitney constructed stone houses for his employees in the nearby area, which is still referred to as Whitneyville; this is believed to be the first example of employer-provided homes in U.S. history. In 1806, the dam that Eli Whitney built at the mill site was enlarged to create areservoir,Lake Whitney. The firsttruss bridge in the United States was erected nearby over theMill River in Whitneyville in 1823, but has since been replaced.
TheFarmington Canal, which ships traveled from New Haven northward, passed through Hamden between 1825 and 1848 until it was supplanted byrailroad travel. The canal right-of-way has become, in recent years, a popular walking and bicycling trail, passing by some of the well-preservedlocks of the canal, as well as some of Hamden's oldest sites. Before its use as a walking and bicycling trail, many local residents rode their motocross bikes on the Farmington Canal.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Hamden received a steady influx of immigrants, most notably fromItaly andIreland. To this day, a large part of Greater New Haven'sItalian-American community resides in Hamden.
During the post-war period, Hamden underwent significant suburban development. Much of the southern section of town is urbanized and is difficult to distinguish from neighboring New Haven. The northern section of town, however, retains a more rural character, and has the distinct neighborhood of Mount Carmel. This area of town is the location of the uniqueSleeping Giant hill formation that is the source of the town's nickname.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.3 square miles (86 km2), of which 32.8 square miles (85 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), or 1.62%, is water. The town features theMill River, which runs from the northern part of town, is dammed to formLake Whitney, and flows from there toLong Island Sound. The town also has theQuinnipiac River and Lake Wintergreen, as well as numerous small streams.
Source:[6]
The Town Hall at the center of Hamden has a distinctive appearance. The rotunda includes commemorative stained glass windows. Across the street is Freedom Park, which contains a fountain with concrete stepping stones leading to a sign that pleads for peace in several different languages. The Town recently completed new facilities for the police and fire departments in the newly renovated Town Hall.
Hamden was host to the Ghost Parking Lot, a notable roadsidepublic artinstallation byJames Wines located in front of the Hamden Plazashopping center in Hamden's commercial district on Dixwell Avenue. Erected in 1978, it consisted of 15 car hulks, specially treated and encased in asphalt. Although featured in over 100 art books, the attraction was torn down in 2003 due to the excessive cost of restoration and repair.[9][10]
Hamden is bordered by six other towns:[11]
Hamden is governed by amayor-council form of government, with a 15-member legislative council. Six councilors are elected at large while the other nine are elected by district. Town elections are held biennially during odd years in November. Other elected positions in the town government are the Town Clerk and members of the Board of Education. Positions in the various town boards and commissions are generally appointed by the Mayor subject to approval by the Legislative Council.
Lauren Garrett became the town's 14th mayor in November 2021.[12] Past mayors of Hamden are:
John DeNicola Sr. was the town's last first selectman before becoming the town’s first mayor, in November 1965.
Top employers in Hamden according to the town's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report[13]
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Town of Hamden/Board of Education | 1,612 |
| 2 | Quinnipiac University | 850–900 |
| 3 | Arden House | 300–325 |
| 4 | Whitney Center | 300–325 |
| 5 | CT Transit | 250–300 |
| 6 | AAA Hamden | 250–300 |
| 7 | ACES | 200–250 |
| 8 | Home Depot | 150–200 |
| 9 | XL Care Agencies of CT | 150–200 |
| 10 | Stop & Shop | 100–150 |
The main industries in the town are retail trade, computer products, manufacture of wire and cable, concrete, pump mixer products, fabricated metals, construction and business services. Business services account for 49.4% of employment in the town, with retail trade accounting for 22.8%, and manufacturing accounting for 9.6%. The top four major employers are the Town government and school district,Quinnipiac University, Harborside Health Care, and Area Cooperative Education Services (ACES).
Shaw's Supermarket was one of the top five major employers, but the Hamden Shaw's was sold to ShopRite in a sale of Shaw's Connecticut stores announced on February 13, 2010.[14] The Shaw's supermarket has been shut down and the new ShopRite store has opened.
Hamden is a residential suburb for New Haven, with more residents commuting to work in New Haven than residents working in Hamden.
TheWilbur Cross Parkway runs through the center of the town serving as a connection toHartford to the north and theNew York metropolitan area to the south. The town is connected toInterstate 91 viaConnecticut Route 40, a spur expressway to the Mount Carmel section of town. The main route from the town center to New Haven passing through the commercial areas of Hamden is Dixwell Avenue (Route 10). Another route to New Haven via the Spring Glen and Whitneyville residential neighborhoods is Whitney Avenue.
Public transportation is provided byConnecticut Transit New Haven. The main bus routes in the town are the Dixwell Avenue (238, formerly D) and the Whitney Avenue (228/229, formerly J) routes. Other secondary routes serving the town are the State Street (224, formerly M), Winchester Avenue (234, formerly O), and Shelton Avenue (237, formerly G) bus routes.
North Haven Station, a station on theHartford Linecommuter railroad, is planned be built next to the Hamden–North Haven border near the Route 40 Connector, serving both towns.[15]
Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) inEast Haven andBradley International Airport (BDL) inWindsor Locks are the closest commercial airports to Hamden.
Thepublic school district for the town, Hamden Public Schools, operates eightelementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, enrolling a total of about 5,398 students.[16]
In addition to the town's public schools, Hamden is the site of twomagnet schools, Wintergreen Magnet School (Kindergarten through grade 8) andHighville Mustard Seed Charter School (high school).
Eli Whitney Technical High School is located in Hamden.
Hamden is home to several private and religious schools, including:
Small portions of the campuses ofSouthern Connecticut State University[19] andAlbertus Magnus College[20] in New Haven extend just over the city line into southernmost Hamden, as do a few outlying buildings ofYale University.[21]
Within the town limits, there are 16 banks, six lodging facilities, and 29 day care facilities. There are no hospitals in the town, although it is close to the major hospitals in New Haven. In 2004, the crime rate was 2,084 per 100,000 residents, lower than the statewide average of 2,981 per 100,000 residents. The town library has 166,358 volumes (as of 2001).
Electricity in the town is provided by theUnited Illuminating company; natural gas is provided by theSouthern Connecticut Gas company; the water provider is theSouth Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority; Cable TV is provided byComcast of New Haven.
There are several parks and museums located in Hamden. Hamden Town Center Park hosts fireworks, free concerts, outdoor movies, and other seasonal festivals. Other parks include theEli Whitney Museum in Whitneyville,Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum, parts ofWest Rock Ridge State Park (including Lake Wintergreen) andEast Rock Park (including the Pardee Rose Garden), Brooksvale Park and the adjoining Mount Sanford block ofNaugatuck State Forest, and theSleeping Giant State Park. TheFarmington Canal Trail runs through the town. Two blue-blazed hiking trails, theQuinnipiac Trail and theRegicides Trail, also run through the town.
The Jonathan Dickerman House, listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, is located in Mount Carmel. Hamden also has an all-volunteer orchestra, the Hamden Symphony Orchestra, providing concerts throughout the year.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 1,422 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,482 | 4.2% | |
| 1810 | 1,716 | 15.8% | |
| 1820 | 1,687 | −1.7% | |
| 1830 | 1,666 | −1.2% | |
| 1840 | 1,797 | 7.9% | |
| 1850 | 2,164 | 20.4% | |
| 1860 | 2,725 | 25.9% | |
| 1870 | 3,028 | 11.1% | |
| 1880 | 3,408 | 12.5% | |
| 1890 | 3,882 | 13.9% | |
| 1900 | 4,626 | 19.2% | |
| 1910 | 5,850 | 26.5% | |
| 1920 | 8,611 | 47.2% | |
| 1930 | 19,020 | 120.9% | |
| 1940 | 23,373 | 22.9% | |
| 1950 | 29,715 | 27.1% | |
| 1960 | 41,056 | 38.2% | |
| 1970 | 49,357 | 20.2% | |
| 1980 | 51,071 | 3.5% | |
| 1990 | 52,434 | 2.7% | |
| 2000 | 56,913 | 8.5% | |
| 2010 | 60,960 | 7.1% | |
| 2020 | 61,169 | 0.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[23] | |||
As of thecensus[24] of 2010, there were 60,690 people, 23,727 households, and 14,300 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,867.3 inhabitants per square mile (721.0/km2). There were 25,114 housing units at an average density of 769.2 per square mile (297.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 68.45%White, 20.19%African American, 0.15%Native American, 5.47%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 3.00% fromother races, and 2.72% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 8.74% of the population.
There were 23,727 households, out of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% weremarried couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 20, 10.6% from 20 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $66,695, and the median income for a family was $88,613. Theper capita income for the town was $34,596. About 3.8% of families and 6.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2013[25] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
| Democratic | 16,158 | 664 | 16,822 | 47.94% | |
| Republican | 4,020 | 180 | 4,200 | 11.97% | |
| Unaffiliated | 13,128 | 669 | 13,797 | 39.32% | |
| Minor parties | 262 | 6 | 268 | 0.76% | |
| Total | 33,568 | 1,519 | 35,087 | 100% | |
Places adjacent to Hamden, Connecticut | |
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Municipalities and communities ofNew Haven County, Connecticut,United States | ||
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Municipalities and communities ofSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut,United States | ||
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