Connecticut
Constitution State · Capital: Hartford · Northeast (New England)
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Bordering states: New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island.
About Connecticut
Connecticut sits in New England, bordered by New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and covers 5,543 square miles, the third smallest area of any state. Its name comes from an Algonquian word for the long tidal river. The Connecticut River runs 410 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, the last 68 inside the state, through the Central Valley, a lowland left by a continental rift that began about 200 million years ago. The highest ground, 2,379 feet, lies on the slope of Mount Frissell in the northwest. The 96 miles of coast face Long Island Sound, which blocks the Atlantic swell.
Pequot, Mohegan, Quinnipiac and other nations held the land when the Dutch built a trading post at Hartford in 1633. English Puritans from Massachusetts founded Windsor, Wethersfield and Hartford by 1636, and the Pequot War followed in 1637. In January 1639 the three towns adopted the Fundamental Orders, creating a governor and elected assembly without mention of the king, which is why Connecticut is the Constitution State. Its 1662 royal charter was reputedly hidden in a hollow white oak, the Charter Oak, in 1687. At Philadelphia in 1787 Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth brokered the Connecticut Compromise, which gave every state two senators. Connecticut ratified the Constitution on January 9, 1788, the fifth state.
The 2020 census counted 3,605,944 residents, up just 0.9 percent from 2010, with 744.7 people per square mile, the fourth highest density, and five House seats. Hartford is the capital, but Bridgeport is the largest city. The state industrialised on precision work, from Colt revolvers to clocks and Waterbury brass, while Hartford became the insurance capital of the country. Electric Boat at Groton launched the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear powered vessel, in 1954. Notable natives include Noah Webster, whose 1828 dictionary set American spelling, and Harriet Beecher Stowe, born in Litchfield in 1811.
4 fun facts about Connecticut
- Hartford is the insurance capital of the world, Aetna, The Hartford, and others were founded here.
- Yale, founded in 1701, is the third-oldest university in the United States.
- Louis' Lunch in New Haven claims the first hamburger sandwich, served in 1900, and still cooks them in vertical cast-iron grills.
- Connecticut has one of the highest per-capita incomes of any US state.
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Frequently asked questions about Connecticut
Is Connecticut a US state?
Yes, Connecticut is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1788, making it the 5th state. Its capital is Hartford and its largest city is Bridgeport.
What is the capital of Connecticut?
The capital of Connecticut is Hartford. Note that the largest city in Connecticut is Bridgeport, not the capital, a common point of confusion.
When did Connecticut become a state?
Connecticut became a US state in 1788. It is the 5th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Connecticut?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Connecticut is CT.
How big is Connecticut?
Connecticut ranks #48 of 50 US states by area. With 744.7 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the 4th most densely populated state.
What is the population of Connecticut?
Connecticut had 3,605,944 residents at the 2020 census, the 29th largest population of the 50 states, up 0.9% since 2010. That count gives it 5 seats in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Connecticut in?
Connecticut is in the Northeast region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Connecticut in?
Connecticut observes Eastern Time.
Learn more
How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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