Trumbull is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, and borders on the cities of Bridgeport and Shelton, as well as the towns of Stratford, Fairfield, Easton and Monroe. The population was 36,827 during the 2020 census. The Trumbull area was the home of the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation for thousands of years before the English settlement was made in 1639.
After independence, the successful American Yankees named the town after one of their own, Jonathan Trumbull (1710–1785), a merchant, Patriot (American soldier) and statesman. Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky lived in Trumbull during his active years, when he designed, built, and flew fixed-wing aircraft and put the helicopter into mass production for the first time.
History
The area comprising the town of Trumbull was occupied by the Paugusset Indian nation for thousands of years before English colonists arrived here during the Great Migration from England and established the town of Stratford, Connecticut, in 1639.
In 1725, Stratford residents living in the northern part of the town petitioned the Colony of Connecticut to establish their own separate village. They wished to call their new village Nickol's Farms, after the family who lived in its center. However, the Colony named it Unity instead. The village of Unity merged with the village to its west called Long Hill (organized in 1740), to form the town of "North Stratford" in 1744.
In the late 1780s, North Stratford began to petition the Connecticut General Assembly seeking independence from Stratford. The Assembly finally granted full town rights in October 1797 and named the new town after Jonathan Trumbull (1710–1785), a merchant, patriot, statesman and slave owner when it was incorporated in 1797. Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky lived in Trumbull during his active years when he designed, built, and flew fixed-wing aircraft and put the helicopter into mass production for the first time.
Geography
Bodies of water
The Pequonnock River is the only major waterway in Trumbull, beginning northwest of Old Mine Park at the Monroe border and flowing southeasterly through the Pequonnock River Valley State Park, Trumbull Center and Twin Brooks Park. The river leaves Trumbull and continues into Beardsley Park in Bridgeport.
Major bodies of water include Canoe Brook Lake, Pinewood Lake, Tashua Hills Golf Club Pond, and the six Twin Brooks Park ponds. Minor bodies of water include Curtiss (Secret) Pond, Dogwood Lake, Frog Pond, Kaatz Pond, Kaechele Pond, Porters Pond, Thrush Wood Lake and Unity Park Pond.
Land
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.5 square miles (61 km2), of which 23.3 square miles (60 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2), or 1.0%, is water. According to the U.S. Geological Survey in 1986, the lowest point in town is approximately 40 feet (12 m) above sea level at Beach Park. The highest point is the top of Monitor Hill at 615 feet (187 m) above sea level.
According to the U.S. Geological Society, at 615 ft Monitor Hill (Tashua Hill) in Trumbull is the highest coastal point on the east coast of the United States. It is marked with a plaque on Monitor Hill Road.
Parks
Trumbull has 871.23 acres (3.5257 km2) of park facilities. These areas include:
- Abraham Nichols Park/Wood's Estate (13.8 acres (56,000 m2))
- Aldo Memorial Park (Westwind Road) (7.0 acres (28,000 m2))
- Robert G. Beach Memorial Park (331.0 acres (1.340 km2))
- Davidow Park (15.2 acres (62,000 m2))
- Great Oak Park (69.9 acres (283,000 m2))
- Gunther Pond Park (1.3 acres (5,300 m2))
- Indian Ledge Park (104.6 acres (0.423 km2))
- Island Brook Park (47.0 acres (190,000 m2))
- Kaatz Pond Park ( 17.5 acres (71,000 m2))
- Kaechele Soccer Fields (12.23 acres (49,500 m2))
- Long Hill Green (0.1-acre (400 m2))
- Middlebrooks Park (13.7 acres (55,000 m2))
- Mischee Brook Park (16.6 acres (67,000 m2))
- Nothnagle Memorial Field (4.0 acres (16,000 m2))
- Old Mine Park (Historic Mine Area Dedication) (72.1 acres (292,000 m2))
- Parlor Rock Historic Amusement Area (2.5 acres (10,000 m2))
- Strawberry Brook Estates (4.4 acres (18,000 m2))
- Tashua Recreation Area (20 acres (81,000 m2))
- Twin Brooks Park (83.2 acres (337,000 m2))
- Unity Park (35.1 acres (142,000 m2))
State parks
The town of Trumbull, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company agreed to make a joint Town and State purchase of land in the Pequonnock River Valley in 1989. The 382-acre (155 ha) parcel cost $9,275,000 and is maintained by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Villages
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,243 people, 11,911 households, and 9,707 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,470.6 inhabitants per square mile (567.8/km2). There were 12,160 housing units at an average density of 522.2 per square mile (201.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.0% White, 2.7% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.7% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.
There were 11,911 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living within them, 71.7% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.5% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.8 and the average family size was 3.2.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males. As of the 2000 census, males had a median income of $62,201 versus $41,384 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,931. About 1.4% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those over age 65.
2008 estimates
According to the American Community Survey (ACS) 2008 estimate, there were 37,134 people, 12,338 households, and 10,021 families residing in the town.
The population density was 1,593.7 people per square mile. There were 12,651 housing units (93% ownership, 7% rental) with an average density of 542.9 per square mile.
There were 12,338 households, out of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living within them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town, the population includes 25.5% under the age of 18 and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $103,082, and the median income for a family was $115,686.The per capita income for the town was $46,307. About 1.7% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those over age 65.
The racial makeup of the town was 92.0% White, 4.1% Asian, 2.9% Black or African American, 0.5% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.7% of the population. The ten largest ethnicities were Italian 11,025 (29.7%), Irish 9,166 (24.7%), German 4,363 (11.7%), English 3,112 (8.4%), Polish 2,762 (7.4%), Russian 1,558 (4.2%), Hungarian 1,447 (3.9%), French (except Basque) 1,087 (2.9%), Portuguese 885 (2.4%), & Slovak 881 (2.4%).
Places of worship
Notable locations
Bicentennial fountain and time capsule
The town's Bicentennial fountain is located at the corner of Quality Street and Church Hill Road (Connecticut Route 127), near the main branch of the library and the town hall. It features the Trumbull town seal and a memorial plaque of donors. In 1997 a time capsule was laid at the base of the Bicentennial Fountain with an opening date of October 12, 2097, Trumbull's tricentennial.
On the National Register of Historic Places
Economics
The revised town budget for 2009–2010 is $140,054,187.23.
For 2009, Trumbull maintained a AA bond rating on $26.3 million in new general obligation issues. The total of Trumbull GOs is $98.1 million. Trumbull has approximately 1400 businesses.
Commerce
Corporate and industrial parks
Located north of the Merritt Parkway and east of Route 8 near the town boundary with Shelton and Stratford, 93,000 square feet (8,600 m2) of commercial space is zoned and includes offices for large firms such as Helicopter Support, Sun Products, Unilever, and UnitedHealthcare. It is also home to the Market Integrity office of the NASDAQ OMX Group.
Retail
The Westfield Trumbull Mall is located on Route 111, or Main Street, on the town boundary with Bridgeport, has over 180 stores. The Hawley Lane Mall is located on Hawley Lane south of Route 8 on the town boundary with Stratford.
Economic development
Planning and Zoning Regulations
Professional Office Overlay Zones (formerly Design Districts) have been established on certain areas along White Plains Road (Route 127), Church Hill Road and Main Street (Route 111). A combination Business Commercial Multi-Family Residential Zone, or Mixed-use, has been created around the historic Long Hill Green (dating to 1720), to encourage new commercial development.
Adaptive reuse has been adopted to permit the reuse of all antique structures situated on state numbered roads which have been previously occupied by a non-conforming use, or are deemed historic by the town, and for which uses allowed by the existing zones are no longer viable—resulting in structures that may become badly maintained, under-utilized, vacant or demolished by neglect.
Blight Ordinance
The town amended its Municipal Code effective on October 1, 2012, to establish a Blight Prevention Ordinance pursuant to Section 7-148(c) (7) (H) (xv) of the Municipal Powers Act of the State of Connecticut General Statutes. This new ordinance encourages the rehabilitation of blighted premises by prohibiting any owner(s), or occupant(s) of real property from; allowing, creating, maintaining or causing the creation or maintenance of a blighted premises.
Taxes
The town's grand list assesses the taxable value in Trumbull at $5.114 billion, with a 2017 mill rate of 33.39. The cumulative value of Trumbull real estate is $4.615 billion.