Connecticut is known for its beautiful fall foliage, its cultural heritage, its manufacturing industry, Yale University, and being the home of ESPN, the famous American cable sports channel.
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
CT |
| State Capital |
Hartford |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 5,543 sq miles; Land Only: 4,845 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
8 |
| Time Zone |
Eastern Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island |
| Highest Point | South side of Mount Frissell, 2,379 feet |
| Tallest Building | CityPlace I in Hartford, 535 feet |
| Largest Stadium | Yale Bowl in New Haven, capacity 61,446 |
| National Parks | None |
| State Population (2020) | 3,605,944 |
| State Population Density | 744.3 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
203, 475, 860, 959 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Bridgeport (143,525)
Stamford (131,397)
New Haven (130,801)
Hartford (121,535)
Waterbury (106,826)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State Animal | Sperm whale |
| State Bird |
Robin |
| State Composer | Charles Edward Ives |
| State Flower |
Mountain laurel |
| State Folk Dance | Square dance |
| State Fossil | Eubrontes giganteus |
| State Hero | Nathan Hale |
| State Heroine | Prudence Crandall |
| State Insect | European mantis |
| State Mineral | Garnet |
| State Motto |
Qui transtulit sustinet (He who transplanted sustains) |
| State Nickname |
Constitution State |
| State Poet Laureate | Rennie McQuilkin |
| State Shellfish | Eastern oyster |
| State Ship | USS Nautilus |
| State Tree |
White oak |
| State Troubadour | Kristen Graves |
Sports Teams
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Connecticut Science Center: Science museum in Hartford, Connecticut.
- Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum: Natural history preserve in Rocky Hill, Connecticut.
- Hammonasset Beach State Park: State park in Madison, Connecticut.
- Maritime Aquarium: Aquarium in Norwalk, Connecticut.
- Mark Twain House: Historical landmark in Hartford, Connecticut.
- Lake Compounce: Amusement park in Bristol, Connecticut.
- Mystic Aquarium: Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.
- Mystic Seaport: Museum in Mystic, Connecticut.
- Quassy Amusement Park: Amusement park in Middlebury, Connecticut.
- Rocky Neck State Park: State park in East Lyme, Connecticut.
- Ski Sundown: Ski area in New Hartford, Connecticut.
- Thimble Islands: Archipelago in the southeast corner of Branford, Connecticut.
- USS Nautilus: Historic submarine in Gordon, Connecticut.
- Wadsworth Atheneum: Art museum in Hartford, Connecticut.
- Wickham Park: Park in Manchester, Connecticut.
- Yale University Art Gallery: Art gallery in New Haven, Connecticut.
Festivals and Events
Top festivals and events in Connecticut. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.
Popular Iconic Connecticut Foods
Connecticut is famous for the following foods:
- Hot Lobster Rolls
- Steamed Cheeseburger
- Apple Cider Donuts
- Apizza
- Hot Dogs
- PEZ Candy
- Grinders
- New Haven-style Pizza
- Clam Chowder
- White Clam Pizza
- Indian Pudding
Famous People Born In Connecticut
Nobel Prize Winners
United States Presidents
- George W. Bush (43rd President)
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Ken Strong (Halfback, Kicker. Inducted in 1967)
- Andy Robustelli (Defensive End. Inducted in 1971)
- Floyd Little (Running Back. Inducted in 2010)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Jim O'Rourke (Left Fielder. Inducted in 1945)
- Roger Connor (First Baseman. Inducted in 1976)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Calvin Murphy (Guard. Inducted in 1993)
- Rebecca Lobo (Center. Inducted in 2017)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Ernest Borgnine
- Katharine Hepburn
- Seth MacFarlane
- John Ratzenberger
Famous Singers
- Michael Bolton
- Karen Carpenter
- Tony Scherr
Connecticut Fun Facts
- The State of Connecticut is named after the River Connecticut, the largest river in New England. The word 'Connecticut' is derived from 'Quonehtacut', a Mohegan Indian word for "long tidal river."
- The first telephone book was published in New Haven on February 21, 1878. It consisted of a single piece of cardboard and included 50 names.
- Mary Dixon Kies of South Killingly was the first woman to receive a U.S. patent. She did so on May 5th, 1809, for a method of weaving straw with silk and thread to make hats.
- The Hartford Courant, based in Connecticut, is the oldest U.S. newspaper still being published. It started published as a weekly on October 29, 1764.
- The first automobile law was passed by the state of CT on May 21, 1901. The speed limit was set at 12 miles per hour in cities and 15 miles per hour on country roads.
- First Ph.D. Degree in the United States was awarded by the Yale University in 1861 to Eugene Schuyler, Arthur Williams Wright, and James Morris Whiton.
- In Connecticut, it's illegal to keep town records where liquor is sold.
- In 1908, George Smith put candy on a stick and thus invented the lollipop. It is named after a famous racehorse at the time called Lolly Pop. He trademarked the term under the Bradley Smith Company of New Haven in 1931.
- In 1889, the first public pay phone in the United States was installed by William Gray in Hartford.
- Connecticut is the only state with an official State Composer (Charles Edward Ives), State Hero (Nathan Hale), and State Heroine (Prudence Crandall).
- Hartford is nicknamed the Insurance Capital of the World, as it has a high concentration of jobs in the insurance industry.
This page was last updated on October 12, 2024.
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