West Hartford

West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, 5 miles (8.0 km) west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The Center," and is centered on Farmington Avenue and South/North Main Street. West Hartford Center has been the community's main hub since the late 17th century. In 1636 Reverend Thomas Hooker led a group of followers from what is now Cambridge, Massachusetts to the "Great River" and established Hartford, Connecticut and the Connecticut Colony. In the 1670s, the area was referred to as the "West Division" of Hartford. This remained the official name until 1806 when Connecticut General Assembly started referring to it as "the Society of West Hartford" One of the first major industries to arise in West Hartford was the pottery and brick works of Seth Goodwin, who started his pottery dynasty around 1798. In 1770, Ebzer Faxon came from Massachusetts and settled in what would become the section of Westwood Elmwood. There he established a pottery on South Road (what is today New Britain Avenue) which took advantage of the local geological landscape of the area. He is the only known African American to be buried in WestHartford's Old Center's Burial Yard, and his children are named in his honor. He died in 1775 and left his property to the Hookers' two children when he died.

History

West Hartford is the primary city name, but also Hartford, West Hartfrd are acceptable city names or spellings, W Hartford, W Htfd on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is West Hartford, Connecticut. Wampanoag people used West Hartford as one of their winter camps. In 1636 Reverend Thomas Hooker led a group of followers from what is now Cambridge, Massachusetts to the "Great River" The first homesteader to West Hartford was Stephen Hosmer whose father was in Hooker's first group of Hartford settlers and who later owned 300 acres (1,200,000 m2) just north of the present day Center. The First Congregational Meeting House was built around 1712. In 1879 Edwin Arnold Arnold established the Trout Brook Ice & Feed Company. The Goodwin Brothers Pottery Company (as it came to be known) burned for the third time in 1908. By the late 19th century the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad ran through part of Elmwood in the southeast corner of the town. A variety of companies cropped up in this area including Royal Pipe Company in 1891 and Royal Pipe & Pipe Company later in the 19th Century. The town's first major industry was pottery and brick works, which still exist today. The Town's first industry was the pottery works of Seth Goodwin, who started his pottery business around 1798. The pottery company employed 75 people in its heyday and never recovered. It is believed that the town's name is derived from the word "West" or "West Hartford" which means "West of Hartford" in English and "Hartford" in Spanish. The name was used until 1806 when Connecticut General Assembly started referring to it as "the Society of West Hartford".

Geography

The west side of West Hartford is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. The town's web site indicates that the highest point in town is 778 feet (237 m) above sea level on Talcott (Avon) Mountain. The altitude at Town Hall is 120 feet (37 m) The town is adjacent to and west of Hartford, the state capital, and borders Bloomfield, Newington, New Britain, Farmington, and Avon. Interstate 84 runs through West Hartford. It is approximately 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Boston and 120 miles (190 km) northeast of New York City. It has a total area of 22.3 square miles (57.7 km²), of which 21.9 squaremile (56.6 km²) is land and 0.42 square mile (1.1km²), or 1.91%, is water. It also has a number of highland water reservoirs belonging to the Metropolitan District, which maintains watershed and recreation resources on the property. The town has a population of 2,071 (2,082 in 2011). It is located on the Connecticut River, which runs through the town. It was founded in 1788. The city's name is derived from the town's first post office, which was established in 1787. It's located on a former site of the Connecticut Turnpike.

Demographics

As of the 2010 Census, there were 63,268 people, 25,258 households, and 16,139 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 79.6% White, 6.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 7.4% Asian, 3.8% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8%. Of West Hartford residents, 49.85% reported a religious affiliation. In 2018, the median household income was $99,280 and the per capita income for the town of West Hartford was $54,601. About 3.7%. of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3%. of those under the age of 18 and 9.6%. ages 65 or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, there are 86.5 males. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.06. Out of all residents, 31.74% were Catholic and 3.29% Presbyterian, 2.19% Baptist, 1.59% Jewish, 1,39% Lutheran, and 1.31% Episcopalian. The town is located on the Connecticut Turnpike, which runs through West Hartford. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in the state, with a population growth rate of 2.4%. in the last decade.

Economy

Top employers in West Hartford according to the town's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. Top employers in the town of West Hartford, Connecticut, based on 2020 Comprehensive annual financial report. The town's economy is based on the economy, not the economy as a whole. West Hartford is home to some of the country's largest employers, according to a new report by the city's economic development department. The city's top employers are based in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The state's largest employer is based in Rhode Island and its second-largest is Connecticut's largest is Connecticut State University. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ranks West Hartford as one of the top employers in New Hampshire. It is the largest employer in the state, followed by the University of Connecticut, which has the state's third-largest employment growth rate. The number of small businesses is also among the highest in the city, with more than 1,000. The unemployment rate is at 3.7 per cent, the lowest of any city in the United States. The economy is the third-lowest of any state in the nation. It's the fifth-highest in the country, behind New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. It ranks No. 1 in New York City and No. 2 in New Jersey. It has the sixth-highest unemployment rate in the U.K. and the seventh-highest rate in New England. It was the lowest in the Midwest and the ninth-highest among states.

Government

West Hartford has had councilmanager government since 1919. Town Council members are elected at large for two years and represent all of West Hartford. Town clerk is elected for four years. Rick Ledwith is the Town Manager.Connecticut municipalitiesas with neighboring Massachusetts and Rhode Islandprovide nearly all local services (i.e. fire and rescue, education, snow removal, etc.), as county government has been abolished since 1960. West Hartford was the first town in the state and one of the first in the country to adopt this form of government, where the council acts as the elected policy board and the town manager serves as the chief executive officer responsible for carrying policies out. In 1921, voters switched to elections by the single transferable vote, using it for two elections, before the General Assembly overturned it in 1923. The Town Council will elect a new Town Manager in 2022, and the Town Clerk will be elected in 2023, with the Town Council choosing the Town clerk in 2026, and then the Town manager in 2028. The town has a population of 4,000, and has a mayor-council ratio of 50:50. It is the second largest town in Connecticut, after New Haven, with 4,200 residents. The city has a GDP of $1.2 billion, and is the third largest city in the U.S. behind New York City and Boston. It has an unemployment rate of 3.7 per cent, and a poverty rate of 2.1 per cent.

Infrastructure

West Hartford is a planned stop along the Hartford Line, a commuter rail service from New Haven to Springfield that uses the current Amtrak-owned New HavenSpringfield Line. The State of Connecticut has secured funding for the construction of a new train station at Flatbush Avenue at the corner of New Park Avenue. Currently there is not enough funding to build a rail station in West Hartford. The West Hartford fire department operates out of five fire stations, that provide fire protection and emergency medical services at the Advanced life support level. Connecticut's first bus rapid transit corridor, opened in 2015, providing a separated right-of-way between Hartford and New Britain. West Hartford is served by several bus routes of Connecticut Transit. Major roads served are Albany Avenue (Route 58), New Britain Avenue (Routes 37, 39, and 128), Park Street (Rouges 31 and 33), South/North Main Street (Route 153) Farmington Avenue (routes 60, 62, 64, and 66), Asylum Avenue (route 72), Hillside Avenue (Route 63), and Boulevard/South Quaker Lane (Route 69) West Hartford has a public library, which is open to the public. It also has a hospital, which provides emergency medical and life support services. It has a police force, which serves the West Hartford area, as well as a fire department, that provides fire protection, life support, and other emergency services. The city has a wastewater treatment plant, which was built in the 1950s.

Education

West Hartford is home to two public high schools, Conard and Hall, as well as 11 elementary schools and three middle schools in the West Hartford Public Schools system. The elementary schools are evenly distributed to either King Philip or Sedgwick, and those who enroll at Bristow are chosen by lottery. After middle school, students continue on to high school with their same student body. The schools have been neck and neck in competing in educational aspects, but especially in sports. Hall versus Conard sports rivalry has gone on since the beginning of 1957, when their first football game against each other was held. On February 23, 2015, a fight occurred between both teams at the varsity basketball game held at Hall High School. The fight was recorded entirely for the town to see online and identify which students were at fault, which led to 10 students being arrested. The Hall-Conard fan section was packed per usual and bleachers were filled to capacity as seen in multiple video recordings. The University of Connecticut Greater Hartford Campus was formerly located in West Hartford adjacent to the University of Saint Joseph campus, however it was moved to downtown Hartford in 2017. As of 2020, both of West Hartford's public high school, Hall and Conard, were ranked in the top 15 in the state and top 5% nationally according to U.S. News. The competition and school spirit is just as alive today, if not, more extreme than it was over 60 years ago. The town's private schools include: University of Hartford.

Military

The 76th Infantry Division was a unit of the United States Army in World War I, World War II and the Cold War. The 76th Division was reconstituted in October 1946 and reactivated in November of that year as a part of the Organized Reserve. Units of the division were spread throughout the six New England states. The 405th Army Hospital Unit took over the South Quaker lane facility in 1996. The division was headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut and was inactivated in November 1946. It was disbanded in November 1950. It has been reactivated again in November 2008. It is now based in New Haven, Connecticut, and is in the National Army Reserve. It served in the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the First Gulf War. It also served in Afghanistan and the Second Gulf War, as well as in the Second World War. Its current headquarters is in New York City, and it was in the U.S. Army Reserve when it was formed in 1946. Its former headquarters was in Connecticut, but has since been moved to New Jersey. It currently has a hospital unit in New Jersey, which was in charge of treating wounded soldiers in the 1990s and 2000s. It had a hospital facility in Connecticut until it was taken over by the 405thArmy Hospital Unit in 1996, which is now the headquarters of the New Jersey Army National Guard. It remains in the N.C. National Guard until the present day, and has been in the Reserve since November 2008, when it became the headquarters for the New Hampshire Army National Guards.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in West Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut = 17.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 11. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in West Hartford = 3.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 64,083 individuals with a median age of 40.9 age the population dropped by -1.04% in West Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,900 residents per square mile of area (1,100/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 24,258 households with an average household income of $74,538 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.50% of the available work force and has dropped -3.69% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.12%. The number of physicians in West Hartford per 100,000 population = 291.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in West Hartford = 51.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 14.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 114. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 190. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 53, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in West Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut which are owned by the occupant = 69.83%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 55 years with median home cost = $267,100 and home appreciation of -6.35%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $19.40 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,241 per student. There are 14.8 students for each teacher in the school, 378 students for each Librarian and 382 students for each Counselor. 5.43% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 26.52% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 25.93% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).