Middlesex County, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Middlesex County is a county
located in the south central part of the U.S. state
of Connecticut
. It was created in 1785 from portions of Hartford and New London counties. As of 2010, the population was 165,676.
As is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is now no county government, and no county seat. In Connecticut, towns are responsible for all local government activities, including fire and rescue, snow removal
, and schools. In a few cases, neighboring towns will share certain resources, e.g. water, gas, etc. However, Middlesex County is merely a group of towns on a map, and no longer has any particular authority.
The terrain trends from mostly level along the Connecticut River
and Atlantic coast to gently rolling uplands away from them. The highest elevation is close to a triangulation station
in Meshomasic State Forest, located at 916 feet (279 m) above sea level; the lowest point is sea level.
Middlesex County is also the home of Wadsworth Falls.
of 2000, there were 155,071 people, 61,341 households, and 40,607 families residing in the county. The population density
was 420 people per square mile (162/km²). There were 67,285 housing units at an average density of 182 per square mile (70/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.28% White
, 4.42% Black
or African American
, 0.17% Native American
, 1.56% Asian
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
, 0.97% from other races
, and 1.56% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 20.4% were of Italian
, 14.3% Irish
, 11.1% English
, 8.9% Polish and 8.2% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.1% spoke English
, 2.6% Spanish
, 1.9% Italian
, 1.2% French
and 1.0% Polish
as their first language.
There were 61,341 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples
living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $59,175, and the median income for a family was $71,319. Males had a median income of $48,341 versus $35,607 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $28,251. About 2.30% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.00% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
* Villages are named localities within towns, but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
located in the south central part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It was created in 1785 from portions of Hartford and New London counties. As of 2010, the population was 165,676.
As is the case with all eight of Connecticut's counties, there is now no county government, and no county seat. In Connecticut, towns are responsible for all local government activities, including fire and rescue, snow removal
Snow removal
Snow removal is the job of removing snow after a snowfall to make travel easier and safer. This is done by both individual households and by governments and institutions.-De-icing and anti-icing:...
, and schools. In a few cases, neighboring towns will share certain resources, e.g. water, gas, etc. However, Middlesex County is merely a group of towns on a map, and no longer has any particular authority.
Government
There is no government in Middlesex County other than the Middlesex County Judicial District. All county functions other than courts and county sheriff's departments were discontinued in 1960, and again in 2000 when the county sheriff's departments were reorganized as the State of Connecticut judicial Marshall's department, due to political corruption in the county sheriff's departments. Joseph E. Bibisi was the last person ever to serve as high sheriff of middlesex county.Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 439.07 square miles (1,137.2 km²), of which 369.26 square miles (956.4 km²) (or 84.10%) is land and 69.81 square miles (180.8 km²) (or 15.90%) is water.The terrain trends from mostly level along the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
and Atlantic coast to gently rolling uplands away from them. The highest elevation is close to a triangulation station
Benchmark (surveying)
The term bench mark, or benchmark, originates from the chiseled horizontal marks that surveyors made in stone structures, into which an angle-iron could be placed to form a "bench" for a leveling rod, thus ensuring that a leveling rod could be accurately repositioned in the same place in the future...
in Meshomasic State Forest, located at 916 feet (279 m) above sea level; the lowest point is sea level.
Middlesex County is also the home of Wadsworth Falls.
Adjacent counties
- Hartford CountyHartford County, ConnecticutHartford County is a county located in the north central part of the US state of Connecticut. The 2010 Census records show that the county population is at 894,014 making it the second most populated county in Connecticut....
(north) - New London CountyNew London County, ConnecticutNew London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....
(east) - New Haven CountyNew Haven County, ConnecticutNew Haven County is a county located in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2010 Census, the county population is 862,477 making it the third most populated county in Connecticut. There are 1,340 people per square mile...
(west)
National protected areas
- Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge (part)
- Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife RefugeStewart B. McKinney National Wildlife RefugeThe Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in ten units across the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the Atlantic Flyway, the refuge spans of Connecticut coastline and provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of wading...
(part)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 155,071 people, 61,341 households, and 40,607 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 420 people per square mile (162/km²). There were 67,285 housing units at an average density of 182 per square mile (70/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 91.28% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 4.42% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.17% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 1.56% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.04% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.97% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.56% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 20.4% were of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, 14.3% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 11.1% English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 8.9% Polish and 8.2% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 91.1% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 2.6% Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, 1.9% Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, 1.2% French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and 1.0% Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
as their first language.
There were 61,341 households out of which 30.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.40% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.80% were non-families. 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.20% under the age of 18, 7.30% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 13.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $59,175, and the median income for a family was $71,319. Males had a median income of $48,341 versus $35,607 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $28,251. About 2.30% of families and 4.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.00% of those under age 18 and 5.90% of those age 65 or over.
Cities, towns, and villages*
- ChesterChester, ConnecticutChester is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,743 at the 2000 census. The town center is also defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
(Town) - ClintonClinton, ConnecticutClinton is a town located on Long Island Sound in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,094 at the 2000 census. The town center along the shore line was listed as a census-designated place by the U.S...
(Town) - CromwellCromwell, ConnecticutCromwell is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States located in the middle of the state. The population was 12,871 at the 2000 census.The town was named after Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England.-Points of interest:...
(Town) - Deep RiverDeep River, ConnecticutDeep River is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,629 at the 2010 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
(Town) (Known as Saybrook until 1947, when name was changed to Deep River) - --Winthrop (a village of Deep River)
- DurhamDurham, ConnecticutDurham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 6,627 at the 2000 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New...
(Town) - East HaddamEast Haddam, ConnecticutEast Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,333 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
(Town) - -- MoodusMoodus, ConnecticutMoodus is a census-designated place in East Haddam, a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,263 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
(a village of East Haddam) - East HamptonEast Hampton, ConnecticutEast Hampton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,352 at the 2000 census. The town center village is listed as a census-designated place...
(Town) - -- Lake PocotopaugLake Pocotopaug, ConnecticutLake Pocotopaug is a census-designated place in the Town of East Hampton in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States.It is named for the large local lake, which for years has been a popular resort area. The lake is surrounded by numerous homes. Most are year round residences, although some...
(a village of East Hampton) - EssexEssex, ConnecticutEssex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.- History :- The Great Attack :...
(Town) - -- Essex VillageEssex Village, ConnecticutEssex Village is a village and census-designated place in the town of Essex, Connecticut in the United States. The population was 2,573 at the 2000 census. The government offices of the town are located within the village.-Geography:...
(a village of Essex) - -- Centerbrook (a village of Essex)
- -- IvorytonIvoryton, ConnecticutIvoryton is a small village in the town of Essex in the state of Connecticut in the United States. It was known for its production of pianos in the early 20th century and takes its name from the ivory industry that imported tusks. In the beginning combs, buttons, toothpicks, billiard balls, and...
(a village of Essex) - HaddamHaddam, ConnecticutHaddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,157 at the 2000 census. The town was also home to the now decommissioned Connecticut Yankee Nuclear Reactor.-Geography:...
(Town) - -- HigganumHigganum, ConnecticutHigganum, a census-designated place in the town of Haddam, a part of Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,671 at the 2000 census....
(a village of Haddam) - KillingworthKillingworth, ConnecticutKillingworth is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town's name can easily be confused with another Connecticut town, Killingly; or a Vermont ski area, Killington. The population was 6,018 at the 2000 census.-History:...
(Town) - MiddlefieldMiddlefield, ConnecticutMiddlefield is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,203 at the 2000 census. The town includes the village of Rockfall-History:...
(Town) - -- RockfallRockfall, ConnecticutRockfall is a village comprising the northern section of the town of Middlefield, Connecticut....
(a village of Middlefield) - MiddletownMiddletown, ConnecticutMiddletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
(City) - Old SaybrookOld Saybrook, ConnecticutOld Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybrook Manor.-History:...
(Town) - -- FenwickFenwick, ConnecticutFenwick is a borough in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, in the town of Old Saybrook. The population was 52 at the 2000 census, making it the least populous municipality in Connecticut. It is a popular summer colony. Most of the borough is included in Fenwick Historic District, a...
(a borough of Old Saybrook) - -- Old Saybrook CenterOld Saybrook Center, ConnecticutOld Saybrook Center is a community and census-designated place in Old Saybrook, a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,962 at the 2000 census...
(a village of Old Saybrook) - -- Saybrook ManorSaybrook Manor, ConnecticutSaybrook Manor is a community and census-designated place in Old Saybrook, a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,133 at the 2000 census. The Saybrook Manor section is generally the area south of U.S...
(a village of Old Saybrook) - PortlandPortland, ConnecticutPortland is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,732 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place . It is situated across the Connecticut River from Middletown....
(Town) - WestbrookWestbrook, ConnecticutWestbrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,292 at the 2000 census. The town center is also classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
(Town)
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Connecticut
External links
- Middlesex County Sheriff's Department (department is now defunct but the website is still available in an internet archive)
- Middlesex County Fire School (agency still exists but the site is an archive and now defunct)
- National Register of Historic Places listing for Middlesex Co., Connecticut
- Middlesex County Historical Society
- History
- Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce