kids encyclopedia robot

Harwinton, Connecticut facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Harwinton, Connecticut
Town of Harwinton
Harwinton Town Hall
Harwinton Town Hall
Official seal of Harwinton, Connecticut
Seal
Harwinton's location within Litchfield County and Connecticut Litchfield County and Connecticut
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County Litchfield
Region Northwest Hills
Incorporated 1737
Government
 • Type Selectman-town meeting
Area
 • Total 31.2 sq mi (80.7 km2)
 • Land 30.8 sq mi (79.8 km2)
 • Water 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation
794 ft (242 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,484
 • Density 178/sq mi (68.7/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06791
Area code(s) 860/959
FIPS code 09-37280
GNIS feature ID 0213444

Harwinton (/ˈhɑːrwɪntən/ hahr-WIN-tən) is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,484 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The high school is Lewis S. Mills.

History

The town incorporated in 1737. The name of the town alludes to Hartford and Windsor, Connecticut (HAR + WIN) followed by the suffix -ton, meaning town.

Geography

Harwinton is in eastern Litchfield County; it is bordered to the northwest by the city of Torrington and to the east by Burlington in Hartford County. Hartford, the state capital, is 23 miles (37 km) to the east, and Bristol is 11 miles (18 km) to the southeast.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of Harwinton has a total area of 31.2 square miles (80.7 km2), of which 30.8 square miles (79.8 km2) are land and 0.35 square miles (0.9 km2) of it, or 1.12%, are water. The town is bordered to the west by the Naugatuck River. The southeastern portion of the town contains the Roraback Wildlife Area and several reservoirs.

Principal communities

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 1,500
1850 1,175
1860 1,044 −11.1%
1870 1,044 0.0%
1880 1,016 −2.7%
1890 943 −7.2%
1900 1,213 28.6%
1910 1,440 18.7%
1920 2,020 40.3%
1930 949 −53.0%
1940 1,112 17.2%
1950 1,858 67.1%
1960 3,344 80.0%
1970 4,318 29.1%
1980 4,889 13.2%
1990 5,228 6.9%
2000 5,283 1.1%
2010 5,642 6.8%
2020 5,484 −2.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,283 people, 1,958 households, and 1,546 families living in the town. The population density was 171.8 inhabitants per square mile (66.3/km2). There were 2,022 housing units at an average density of 65.8 per square mile (25.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.69% White, 0.08% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.89% of the population.

There were 1,958 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,222, and the median income for a family was $75,912. Males had a median income of $51,597 versus $40,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,137. About 0.8% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.4% of those age 65 or over.

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2023
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 1,508 69 1,577 34.26%
Democratic 935 58 993 21.57%
Unaffiliated 1,816 133 1,949 42.34%
Minor Parties 77 7 84 1.82%
Total 4,336 267 4,603 100%

Transportation

Connecticut Route 4 connects the town to Torrington in the northwest and to Hartford in the east. Route 118 connects the town westward to Litchfield center, with a junction for the Route 8 expressway in the western part of Harwinton. Route 222 runs south from Harwinton to Thomaston center. Route 72 leads south then east to the city of Bristol.

Notable people

  • Harry C. Bentley (1877–1967), founder of Bentley University
  • Jonathan Brace (1754–1837), judge and U.S. congressman
  • George S. Catlin (1808–1851), U.S. congressman
  • Collis Potter Huntington (1821–1900), one of four men who formed the Central Pacific Railroad
  • Elam Luddington (1806–1893), Mormon pioneer to Utah and the first Mormon missionary to preach in Thailand
  • Luman Watson (1790–1834), clockmaker
  • Abner Wilcox (1808–1869), missionary teacher to the Kingdom of Hawaii

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Harwinton (Connecticut) para niños

kids search engine
Harwinton, Connecticut Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.