Windham, Connecticut | |
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| Town of Windham | |
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 Seal | |
 Windham County and Connecticut Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut | |
 Show Windham Show Connecticut Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:41°43′N72°10′W / 41.717°N 72.167°W /41.717; -72.167 | |
| Country |  United States |
| U.S. state |  Connecticut |
| County | Windham |
| Region | Southeastern CT |
| Incorporated | 1693 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tom Devivo |
| • Town Manager | James Rivers |
| Area | |
• Total | 27.9 sq mi (72.3 km2) |
| • Land | 27.1 sq mi (70.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.85 sq mi (2.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 233 ft (71 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 24,428 |
| • Density | 903/sq mi (348.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Codes | 06226, 06235, 06256, 06266, 06280 |
| Area codes | 860/959 |
| FIPS code | 09-86790 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0213537 |
| Major highways |     |
| Website | windhamct |
| [1] | |
Windham (/ˈwɪndəm/WIN-dəm) is a town inWindham County, Connecticut, United States. It contains the former city ofWillimantic as well as the communities ofWindham Center, North Windham, andSouth Windham. Willimantic, an incorporatedcity since 1893, was consolidated with the town in 1983. The town is part of theSoutheastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 24,428 at the2020 census.[2]
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the region was occupied byAlgonquian peoples, including thePequot,Mohegan,Narragansett, andNipmuck. After the conclusion of thePequot War in 1638, the Pequots ceased to exist as a tribe; afterKing Philip's War ended in 1678, the Narragansett and Nipmuck did as well, leaving the Mohegans the only native power in the region. The settlement of Windham was left to settlers by Joshua Uncas, son ofUncas, in a will dated 1675.[3] Settlers moved in, and held their firsttown meeting on May 18, 1691. The tract was named the town of Windham in May 1692, and was incorporated into Hartford County in fall of 1693.[4]: 82-83
Starting in the early nineteenth century, the town's center of activity moved from Windham to Willimantic, as the water power available there led to the establishment of factories.[4]: 104 First established as a borough in 1833,[5] it was incorporated as a separate city in 1893, then reincorporated into the town of Windham in 1983 as its industry declined.[6]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.9 square miles (72.3 km2), of which 27.1 square miles (70.1 km2) is land and 0.9 square mile (2.2 km2) (3.04%) is water.
Climate data for Windham County, Connecticut (includingUniversity of Connecticut andStorrs, Connecticut), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1888–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) | 69 (21) | 83 (28) | 95 (35) | 93 (34) | 96 (36) | 101 (38) | 97 (36) | 97 (36) | 89 (32) | 82 (28) | 73 (23) | 101 (38) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.4 (13.6) | 55.2 (12.9) | 64.1 (17.8) | 77.7 (25.4) | 84.1 (28.9) | 87.3 (30.7) | 89.8 (32.1) | 87.8 (31.0) | 84.0 (28.9) | 76.1 (24.5) | 68.2 (20.1) | 59.8 (15.4) | 91.6 (33.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 35.0 (1.7) | 37.2 (2.9) | 44.8 (7.1) | 57.0 (13.9) | 67.6 (19.8) | 75.6 (24.2) | 80.5 (26.9) | 79.1 (26.2) | 72.7 (22.6) | 61.3 (16.3) | 50.3 (10.2) | 40.1 (4.5) | 58.4 (14.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 26.9 (−2.8) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 36.3 (2.4) | 47.5 (8.6) | 57.7 (14.3) | 66.3 (19.1) | 71.7 (22.1) | 70.0 (21.1) | 63.4 (17.4) | 52.1 (11.2) | 42.1 (5.6) | 32.7 (0.4) | 49.6 (9.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.8 (−7.3) | 20.4 (−6.4) | 27.8 (−2.3) | 38.0 (3.3) | 47.7 (8.7) | 57.0 (13.9) | 62.8 (17.1) | 60.9 (16.1) | 54.1 (12.3) | 42.9 (6.1) | 34.0 (1.1) | 25.3 (−3.7) | 40.8 (4.9) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −0.2 (−17.9) | 3.2 (−16.0) | 11.1 (−11.6) | 26.6 (−3.0) | 36.4 (2.4) | 44.9 (7.2) | 53.3 (11.8) | 51.2 (10.7) | 40.3 (4.6) | 29.7 (−1.3) | 20.0 (−6.7) | 9.9 (−12.3) | −2.1 (−18.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −19 (−28) | −20 (−29) | −6 (−21) | 10 (−12) | 25 (−4) | 35 (2) | 42 (6) | 37 (3) | 26 (−3) | 16 (−9) | 1 (−17) | −17 (−27) | −20 (−29) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.65 (93) | 2.99 (76) | 4.38 (111) | 4.23 (107) | 3.73 (95) | 4.52 (115) | 4.01 (102) | 4.30 (109) | 4.48 (114) | 4.58 (116) | 3.90 (99) | 4.50 (114) | 49.27 (1,251) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.3 (21) | 14.1 (36) | 6.3 (16) | 1.7 (4.3) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.3 (0.76) | 1.1 (2.8) | 7.2 (18) | 39.0 (99) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.2 | 9.0 | 10.2 | 11.3 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 9.5 | 9.0 | 10.6 | 9.1 | 10.4 | 123.4 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 3.8 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 13.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[8] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 2,489 | — | |
| 1840 | 3,382 | — | |
| 1850 | 4,503 | 33.1% | |
| 1860 | 4,243 | −5.8% | |
| 1870 | 5,412 | 27.6% | |
| 1880 | 8,264 | 52.7% | |
| 1890 | 10,032 | 21.4% | |
| 1900 | 8,937 | −10.9% | |
| 1910 | 12,604 | 41.0% | |
| 1920 | 13,801 | 9.5% | |
| 1930 | 13,773 | −0.2% | |
| 1940 | 13,824 | 0.4% | |
| 1950 | 15,884 | 14.9% | |
| 1960 | 16,973 | 6.9% | |
| 1970 | 19,626 | 15.6% | |
| 1980 | 21,062 | 7.3% | |
| 1990 | 22,039 | 4.6% | |
| 2000 | 22,857 | 3.7% | |
| 2010 | 25,268 | 10.5% | |
| 2020 | 24,428 | −3.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
As of thecensus[10] of 2000, there were 22,857 people, 8,342 households, and 5,088 families residing in the town. The population density was 844.4 inhabitants per square mile (326.0/km2). There were 8,926 housing units at an average density of 329.8 per square mile (127.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 74.0%White, 5.1%African American, 0.6%Native American, 1.3%Asian, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 15.2% fromother races, and 3.8% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 26.9% of the population.
There were 8,342 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% weremarried couples living together, 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 18.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,087, and the median income for a family was $42,023. Males had a median income of $32,742 versus $25,703 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $16,978. About 12.7% of families and 17.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 9.6% of those age 65 or over.
Sites listed on theNational Register of Historic Places include:
The Windham Public School system serves students from pre-K through high school. Elementary schools are district-based, while Windham Middle School and Windham High School serve all residents.[11] The school district has a preschool, four elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and an alternative high school.[11] The alternative high school, Windham Phoenix Academy, is designed to provide individualized instruction and offers a transition program for 18-22 year olds (Assisted Work Program).[11] As of January 2024, the district schools enrolled 3,209 students.[11] Among those students, one in three students is anEnglish language learner, among the highest proportions of Connecticut school districts.[11]
In Willimantic, a publicSTEM-focused magnet school, Charles Barrows, enrolls students in kindergarten through eighth grade through a lottery system.[11] At the high school level,Windham Technical High School offers technical education to students from Windham and surrounding towns. Windham Tech is a part of theConnecticut Technical High School System, rather than the public school district. Windham Tech students come from twenty-three different towns as of the 2023-24 school year.[12]
In addition, high schoolers from Windham may attendE. O. Smith High School through itsvocational agriculture program, in the neighboring town ofMansfield.[13] In Willimantic there is also a specialized high school, Arts at the Capitol Theater Performing Arts High School, operated by the non-profit organization EASTCONN.[14] A Catholic school for students in grades pre-K through 8, St. Mary-St. Joseph, is also located in downtown Willimantic.[15][16]
Public Schools located in the town of Windham:
Private Schools located in the town of Windham:
Eastern Connecticut State University, a four-year liberal arts college, is located in Willimantic, as is a satellite campus ofQuinebaug Valley Community College.
Route 32 runs throughSouth Windham and north-westernWillimantic.Route 66 goes east to west from North Windham toColumbia.Route 14 servesWillimantic to Windham Center.Route 203 severs the eastern section of town from North Windham toSouth Windham.Route 195 goes fromWillimantic toMansfield eventually going to theUniversity of Connecticut.Route 289 starts in southernWillimantic and shortly after going intoLebanon toRoute 87.US 6 bypasses Willimantic and serves North Windham. Bus service is available around the town seven days a week.Windham Airport is ageneral aviation airport located in North Windham.Bradley International Airport (BDL) inWindsor Locks is the closest major commercial airport. There is no passenger train service, but a freight train stop is found inWillimantic for theProvidence and Worcester Railroad. Bus service is provided by theWindham Region Transit District, andConnecticut Transit express bus route 918.
Places adjacent to Windham, Connecticut | |
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Municipalities and communities ofWindham County, Connecticut,United States | ||
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Municipalities and communities ofSoutheastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut,United States | ||
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