Waterford

Waterford, Connecticut
—  Town  —
Location in Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°20′59″N 72°08′49″W / 41.34972°N 72.14694°W / 41.34972; -72.14694
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Norwich-New London
Region	Southeastern Connecticut
Incorporated	1801
Government
- Type	Representative town meeting
- First selectman	Daniel M. Steward
- Town meeting moderator	Sharon M. Palmer
Area
- Total	44.4 sq mi (115.0 km2)
- Land	32.8 sq mi (85.0 km2)
- Water	11.6 sq mi (30.1 km2)
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population (2005)[1]
- Total	18,940
- Density	577/sq mi (223/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06375, 06385
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-80280
GNIS feature ID	0213526
Website	http://www.waterfordct.org/

Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.4 square miles (115.0 km²), of which, 32.8 square miles (84.8 km²) of it is land and 11.6 square miles (30.1 km²) of it (26.22%) is water.

Principal communities

• Graniteville
• Jordan
• Millstone
• Morningside Park
• Quaker Hill (06375)
  • Bartlett Point, Best View, Cohanzie, Thames View

Other minor communities and geographic features are: Dufree Hill, East Neck, Fog Plain, Gilead, Goshen, Great Neck, Harrisons, Lake's Pond, Logger Hill, Mago Point, Magonk, Mullen Hill, Oswegatchie, Pepper Box Road, Pleasure Beach, Ridgewood Park, Riverside Beach, Spithead, Strand, West Neck.

Demographics

This town consists of a wide variety of rural and city living. Many residents live in apartments as well. As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 19,152 people, 7,542 households, and 5,219 families residing in the town. The population density was 584.7 people per square mile (225.8/km²). There were 7,986 housing units at an average density of 243.8/sq mi (94.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.41% White, 2.22% African American, 0.48% Native American, 2.51% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.40% of the population.

There were 7,542 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,047, and the median income for a family was $65,659. Males had a median income of $47,312 versus $32,046 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,807. About 2.1% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

• Veronica Ballestrini, country music artist
• Robert Bono, minor league baseball player
• Martin Branner, cartoonist (Winnie Winkle)
• Billy Gardner, MLB player/manager
• Audrey Meadows, actress (The Honeymooners)
• Jesse Metcalfe, actor

Economy

Waterford's economic center is predominantly retail chains, including a variety of mini malls and the Crystal Mall. There are several family-owned delicatessens and restaurants. It is also home to Dominion's Millstone Nuclear Power Plant. It is a popular tourist area. Millstone consists of three reactors, the first built between 1966 and 1970. While Millstone's first reactor is no longer in operation, the remaining two still provide power to a variety of towns in New England. Also, Pfizer Global Research and Development is located in New London (Waterford's neighboring town), and many people from Waterford work there.

Attractions

• The Connecticut College Arboretum is a 750-acre (3.0 km²) arboretum and botanical garden which lies partially within Quaker Hill Village, a district of Waterford.
• The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center is also located in Waterford. O'Neill was a famous playwright. The theater is now a historical location of Waterford.
• Waterford Beach
• Harkness Memorial State Park is a recreational area that provides a picturesque view of Long Island Sound. The park features the former mansion, gardens and grounds of Edward Harkness, who bought the property in 1907. Activities include fishing, formal gardening, golf, and tours of the mansion, known as Eolia. Adjacent to the park is Camp Harkness, a summer facility for children with mental disabilities. The Harkness estate is also open for formal occasions including weddings, and is often used for group photography.
• The Waterford Speedbowl is a racetrack recognized under NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Series, and holds touring events throughout the year including the True Value Modified Series, International Super Modified Association, and North Eastern Midget Association. The track formerly held events sanctioned by the Whelen Modified Tour and the Busch East series. It is usually open every Saturday and includes events such as burnout contests and car shows.^[3]
• As of September 2009, Waterford is the new home of the game show Deal or No Deal.

External links

Connecticut portal

• Town government Web site
• Mystic Country: The Eastern Regional Tourism District

References

1. ^ U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
3. ^ "History of the Track". http://www.speedbowl.com/speedpages/history.html. Retrieved 2006-11-07. 

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