Main Street, Torrington
Connecticut is currently divided into 169 “towns” with distinct geographical boundaries. Each of these towns may contain incorporated cities or boroughs, as well as villages, post offices, and railroad depots without a distinct government. For example:
- Mystic is a village located in both Groton & Stonington.
- Stafford Springs is a post office in the Town of Stafford.
- Winsted is a city within the Town of Winchester.
In other cases, the governments of once-incorporated cities and boroughs have subsequently been consolidated with the town they fall within. For example:
- The Town of Vernon and the City of Rockville consolidated on July 1, 1965
- The City of Willimantic consolidated with the Town of Windham July 1, 1983.
Connecticut never had strong county governments, and since 1960 the names and boundaries of its eight counties have existed only as geographical names used to define parts of the state.
Town name | County | Year Established | Parent Town | History of incorporation |
Andover | Tolland | 1848 | Coventry, Hebron | May 18, 1848; taken from Hebron and Coventry |
Ansonia | New Haven | 1889 | Derby | April, 1889; taken from Derby |
Ashford | Windham | 1714 | —- | Oct., 1714 |
Avon | Hartford | 1830 | Farmington | May, 1830; taken from Farmington |
Barkhamsted | Litchfield | 1779 | —- | Oct., 1779 |
Beacon Falls | New Haven | 1871 | Bethany, Seymour, Oxford, Naugatuck | June, 1871, taken from Bethany, Oxford, Seymour and Naugatuck |
Berlin | Hartford | 1785 | Farmington, Wethersfield, Middletown | May, 1785; taken from Farmington, Wethersfield and Middletown |
Bethany | New Haven | 1832 | Woodbridge | May, 1832; taken from Woodbridge |
Bethel | Fairfield | 1855 | Danbury | May, 1855; taken from Danbury |
Bethlehem | Litchfield | 1787 | Woodbury | May, 1787; taken from Woodbury, and known as “North Purchase.” |
Bloomfield | Hartford | 1835 | Windsor, Farmington, Simsbury | May, 1835; taken from Windsor |
Bolton | Tolland | 1720 | Oct., 1720 | |
Bozrah | New London | 1786 | Norwich | May, 1786; taken from Norwich |
Branford | New Haven | 1685 | New Haven | Named, 1653; settled 1639~1644 under New Haven jurisdiction; named 1653; set off from New Haven 1685 |
Bridgeport | Fairfield | 1821 | Stratford, Fairfield | May, 1821; taken from Stratford and Fairfield; city inc., May, 1836; town and city consolidated, 1836 |
Bridgewater | Litchfield | 1856 | New Milford | May, 1856; taken from New Milford |
Bristol | Hartford | 1785 | Farmington | May, 1785; taken from Farmington. Town and city co-extensive, 1911 |
Brookfield | Fairfield | 1788 | Danbury, New Milford, Newtown | May, 1788; taken from Danbury, New Milford and Newtown |
Brooklyn | Windham | 1786 | Pomfret, Canterbury | May, 1786; taken from Pomfret and Canterbury |
Burlington | Hartford | 1806 | Bristol | May, 1806; taken from Bristol |
Canaan | Litchfield | 1739 | —- | Oct., 1739 |
Canterbury | Windham | 1703 | Plainfield | Oct., 1703; taken from Plainfield |
Canton | Hartford | 1806 | Simsbury | May, 1806; taken from Simsbury |
Chaplin | Windham | 1822 | Windham, Hampton, Mansfield | 1822; taken from Windham, Mansfield and Hampton |
Cheshire | New Haven | 1780 | Wallingford | May, 1780; taken from Wallingford |
Chester | Middlesex | 1836 | Saybrook | May, 1836; taken from Saybrook, now Chester |
Clinton | Middlesex | 1838 | Killingworth | May, 1838; taken from Killingworth |
Colchester | New London | 1698 | —- | 1698; named, Oct., 1699 |
Colebrook | Litchfield | 1779 | —- | Oct., 1779 |
Columbia | Tolland | 1804 | Lebanon | May, 1804; taken from Lebanon |
Cornwall | Litchfield | 1740 | —- | May, 1740 |
Coventry | Tolland | 1712 | —- | May, 1712 |
Cromwell | Middlesex | 1851 | Middletown | May, 1851; taken from Middletown |
Danbury | Fairfield | 1687 | —- | Settled, 1685; named, Oct., 1687, Inc., town, May, 1702; city, 1889. Town and city consolidated, Jan. 1, 1965 |
Darien | Fairfield | 1820 | Stamford | May, 1820; taken from Stamford |
Deep River | Middlesex | 1635 | —- | Settled, 1635 as Saybrook; united with Connecticut, Dec., 1644; name changed to Deep River, July 1, 1947 |
Derby | New Haven | 1675 | —- | Named, May, 1675. Town inc., May 13, 1775. City inc., June 7, 1893. Town and city consolidated, June 7, 1893 |
Durham | Middlesex | 1708 | —- | Settled, 1699; named, May 1704; Inc., Oct. 1708 |
East Granby | Hartford | 1858 | Granby, Windsor Locks | June, 1858; taken from Granby and Windsor Locks |
East Haddam | Middlesex | 1734 | Haddam | May, 1734; taken from Haddam |
East Hampton | Middlesex | 1767 | Middletown | Inc., as Chatham, Oct., 1767; taken from Middletown |
East Hartford | Hartford | 1783 | Hartford | Oct., 1783; taken from Hartford |
East Haven | New Haven | 1785 | New Haven | May, 1785; taken from New Haven |
East Lyme | New London | 1839 | Lyme, Waterford | May, 1839; taken from Lyme and Waterford |
East Windsor | Hartford | 1768 | Windsor | May, 1768; taken from Windsor |
Eastford | Windham | 1847 | Ashford | May, 1847; taken from Ashford |
Easton | Fairfield | 1845 | Weston | May, 1845; taken from Weston |
Ellington | Tolland | 1786 | East Windsor | May, 1786; taken from East Windsor |
Enfield | Hartford | 1683 | —- | Named and inc., by Massachusetts, 1683; annexed to Conn., May, 1749 |
Essex | Middlesex | 1852 | Saybrook | Sept. 13, 1852, as Old Saybrook; taken from Saybrook. Name changed, July 8, 1854 to Essex |
Fairfield | Fairfield | 1639 | —- | Settled, 1639; named 1645; included in Connecticut Colony, May, 1685 |
Farmington | Hartford | 1645 | —- | Inc. and named, Dec., 1645. The Town of Farmington, Borough of Unionville and Borough of Farmington were consolidated in 1947 |
Franklin | New London | 1786 | Norwich | May, 1786; taken from Norwich |
Glastonbury | Hartford | 1690 | Wethersfield | May, 1693; taken from Wethersfield |
Goshen | Litchfield | 1739 | —- | Oct., 1739 |
Granby | Hartford | 1786 | Simsbury | Oct., 1786; taken from Simsbury |
Greenwich | Fairfield | 1665 | Stamford | Settled, 1640, submitted to Connecticut, Oct. 6, 1656 |
Griswold | New London | 1815 | Preston | Oct., 1815; taken from Preston |
Groton | New London | 1705 | New London | May 10, 1705; taken from New London |
Guilford | New Haven | 1643 | —- | Settled, 1639; named, July 6, 1643 |
Haddam | Middlesex | 1668 | —- | Oct. 8, 1668 |
Hamden | New Haven | 1786 | New Haven | May, 1786; taken from New Haven |
Hampton | Windham | 1786 | Windham, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Canterbury, | Oct., 1786; taken from Windham, Pomfret, Brooklyn, Canterbury and Mansfield |
Hartford | Hartford | 1635 | —- | Settled in 1635; inc., 1784; city inc., May, 1784. Town and city consolidated, April, 1896 |
Hartland | Hartford | 1761 | —- | May, 1761 |
Harwinton | Litchfield | 1737 | —- | Oct., 1737 |
Hebron | Tolland | 1708 | —- | May 26, 1708 |
Kent | Litchfield | 1739 | —- | Oct., 1739 |
Killingly | Windham | 1708 | —- | May, 1708 |
Killingworth | Middlesex | 1667 | Named, May, 1667 | |
Lebanon | New London | 1700 | —- | Oct., 1700 |
Ledyard | New London | 1836 | Groton | June, 1836; taken from Groton |
Lisbon | New London | 1786 | Norwich | May, 1786; taken from Norwich |
Litchfield | Litchfield | 1719 | —- | May, 1719 |
Lyme | New London | 1667 | Saybrook | Named, May, 1667; set off from Saybrook, now Deep River, in 1665 |
Madison | New Haven | 1826 | Guilford | May, 1826, taken from Guilford |
Manchester | Hartford | 1823 | East Hartford | May, 1823; taken from East Hartford |
Mansfield | Tolland | 1702 | Windham | Oct., 1702; taken from Windham |
Marlborough | Hartford | 1803 | Colchester, Glastonbury, Hebron | Oct., 1803; taken from Colchester, Glastonbury and Hebron |
Meriden | New Haven | 1806 | Wallingford | May, 1806; taken from Wallingford. City inc., May, 1867. Town and city consolidated, Jan. 1, 1922 |
Middlebury | New Haven | 1807 | Waterbury, Woodbury, Southbury | Oct., 1807; taken from Waterbury, Woodbury and Southbury |
Middlefield | Middlesex | 1866 | Middletown | June, 1866; taken from Middletown |
Middletown | Middlesex | 1651 | —- | Town inc., Sept. 11, 1651, named, Nov. 1653; city inc., 1784, town and city consolidated, 1923 |
Milford | New Haven | 1639 | —- | Settled in 1639, under New Haven; named, Nov. 24, 1640; united with Connecticut Colony, 1664. Inc. as a city, June 15, 1959. Town and city consolidated, 1959 |
Monroe | Fairfield | 1823 | Huntington | May, 1823; taken from Huntington (now Shelton) |
Montville | New London | 1786 | New London | Oct. 12, 1786; taken from New London |
Morris | Litchfield | 1859 | Litchfield | June, 1859; taken from Litchfield |
Naugatuck | New Haven | 1844 | Waterbury, Bethany, Oxford | May, 1844; taken from Waterbury, Bethany and Oxford. Borough and town consolidated, 1895 |
New Britain | Hartford | 1850 | Berlin | May, 1850; taken from Berlin. City inc., 1871. Town and City consolidated, April, 1905 |
New Canaan | Fairfield | 1801 | Norwalk, Stamford | May, 1801; taken from Norwalk and Stamford |
New Fairfield | Fairfield | 1740 | —- | May 1740 |
New Hartford | Litchfield | 1738 | —- | Oct., 1738 |
New Haven | New Haven | 1638 | —- | Settled, April, 1638; named, Aug., 1640; Inc., 1784; town and city consolidated, Nov., 1895 |
New London | New London | 1646 | —- | Settled, 1646; named, March 11, 1658. Inc., Jan., 1784. Town and city are co-extensive |
New Milford | Litchfield | 1712 | —- | Oct., 1712 |
Newington | Hartford | 1871 | Wethersfield | July 10, 1871; taken from Wethersfield |
Newtown | Fairfield | 1711 | —- | Oct., 1711 |
Norfolk | Litchfield | 1758 | —- | Oct., 1758 |
North Branford | New Haven | 1831 | Branford | May, 1831; taken from Branford |
North Canaan | Litchfield | 1858 | Canaan | May, 1858; taken from Canaan |
North Haven | New Haven | 1786 | New Haven | Oct., 1786; taken from New Haven |
North Stonington | New London | 1807 | Stonington | May, 1807; taken from Stonington |
Norwalk | Fairfield | 1651 | —- | Sept. 11, 1651. Town and city consolidated, Oct., 1913 |
Norwich | New London | 1662 | —- | Settled, 1659; accepted as legal township, May, 1662; city inc., May, 1784; town and city consolidated, Jan. 1, 1952 |
Old Lyme | New London | 1855 | Lyme | off from Saybrook, February 13, 1665; Inc., May, 1855, as South Lyme; taken from Lyme; name changed in 1857 |
Old Saybrook | Middlesex | 1854 | Old Saybrook (i.e., the modern Essex) | July 8, 1854 |
Orange | New Haven | 1822 | Milford, New Haven | May, 1822, taken from Milford and New Haven |
Oxford | New Haven | 1798 | Derby, Southbury | Oct., 1798; taken from Derby and Southbury |
Plainfield | Windham | 1699 | —- | as Quinabaug, May, 1699; named Plainfield, Oct., 1700 |
Plainville | Hartford | 1869 | Farmington | July, 1869; taken from Farmington |
Plymouth | Litchfield | 1795 | Watertown | May, 1795; taken from Watertown |
Pomfret | Windham | 1713 | —- | Named and inc., May, 1713 |
Portland | Middlesex | 1841 | Chatham | May, 1841; taken from Chatham |
Preston | New London | 1687 | —- | Oct., 1687 |
Prospect | New Haven | 1827 | Cheshire, Waterbury | May, 1827; taken from Cheshire and Waterbury |
Putnam | Windham | 1855 | Thompson, Pomfret, Killingly | Town inc., May, 1855; taken from Thompson, Pomfret and Killingly. City inc., Jan., 1895. Town and city consolidated, Nov. 8, 1983. The city is a Special Service Dist. |
Redding | Fairfield | 1767 | Fairfield | May, 1767; taken from Fairfield |
Ridgefield | Fairfield | 1709 | —- | Settled, 1708; inc., Oct., 1709; town and borough consolidated, May 11, 1921 |
Rocky Hill | Hartford | 1843 | Wethersfield | May, 1843; taken from Wethersfield |
Roxbury | Litchfield | 1796 | Woodbury | Oct., 1796; taken from Woodbury |
Salem | New London | 1819 | Colchester, Lyme, Montville | May 5, 1819; taken from Colchester, Lyme and Montville |
Salisbury | Litchfield | 1741 | —- | Oct., 1741 |
Scotland | Windham | 1857 | Windham | May, 1857; taken from Windham |
Seymour | New Haven | 1850 | Derby | May, 1850; taken from Derby |
Sharon | Litchfield | 1739 | —- | Oct., 1739 |
Shelton | Fairfield | 1789 | Stratford | Jan., 1789; taken from Stratford; city inc., 1915; town and city of Shelton, co-extensive |
Sherman | Fairfield | 1802 | New Fairfield | Oct., 1802; taken from New Fairfield |
Simsbury | Hartford | 1670 | —- | Named, May, 1670 |
Somers | Tolland | 1734 | Enfield | Named, July, 1734; annexed to Connecticut, May, 1749 |
South Windsor | Hartford | 1845 | East Windsor | May, 1845; taken from East Windsor |
Southbury | New Haven | 1787 | Woodbury | May, 1787; taken from Woodbury |
Southington | Hartford | 1779 | Farmington | Oct., 1779; taken from Farmington. Town and borough consolidated, 1947 |
Sprague | New London | 1861 | Lisbon, Franklin | May, 1861; acquired from Lisbon and Franklin |
Stafford | Tolland | 1719 | —- | Settled, 1719 |
Stamford | Fairfield | 1641 | —- | Settled, 1641, under New Haven jurisdiction; named Town of Stamford in 1642; submitted to Connecticut, Oct., 1662; in 1893, the City of Stamford, comprising central portion of Town of Stamford, was incorporated. Henceforth, City of Stamford became a composite part of Town of Stamford, resulting in two separate governments–the Town of Stamford and City of Stamford. Town and City of Stamford were consolidated on April 15, 1949 and named City of Stamford |
Sterling | Windham | 1794 | Voluntown | May 4, 1794; taken from Voluntown |
Stonington | New London | 1662 | —- | Settled, 1649; named, 1666 |
Stratford | Fairfield | 1639 | —- | Settled, 1639 |
Suffield | Hartford | 1674 | —- | May, 1674, by Massachusetts; annexed to Connecticut, May, 1749 |
Thomaston | Litchfield | 1875 | Plymouth | July, 1875; taken from Plymouth |
Thompson | Windham | 1785 | Killingly | May, 1785; taken from Killingly |
Tolland | Tolland | 1715 | —- | Named, May 1715. Inc., May, 1722 |
Torrington | Litchfield | 1740 | —- | Inc. as a town, Oct. 1740; inc. as a city, Oct. 1, 1923. Town and city consolidated, 1923 |
Trumbull | Fairfield | 1797 | Stratford | Oct., 1797; taken from Stratford |
Union | Tolland | 1734 | —- | Oct., 1734 |
Vernon | Tolland | 1808 | Bolton | Town inc., Oct., 1808; taken from Bolton. City of Rockville inc., Jan., 1889. Town of Vernon and City of Rockville consolidated, July 1, 1965 |
Voluntown | New London | 1721 | —- | May, 1721 |
Wallingford | New Haven | 1670 | New Haven | Named, May, 1670. Town and borough consolidated, Jan. 1, 1958 |
Warren | Litchfield | 1786 | Kent | May, 1786; taken from Kent |
Washington | Litchfield | 1779 | Woodbury, Litchfield, Kent, New Milford | Jan., 1779; taken from Woodbury, Litchfield, Kent and New Milford |
Waterbury | New Haven | 1686 | —- | Town inc., May, 1686; city inc., 1853; town and city consolidated, 1902 |
Waterford | New London | 1801 | New London | Oct., 1801; taken from New London |
Watertown | Litchfield | 1780 | Waterbury | May, 1780; taken from Waterbury |
West Hartford | Hartford | 1854 | Hartford | May, 1854; taken from Hartford |
West Haven | New Haven | 1921 | Orange | June 24, 1921; taken from Orange; inc. as a city, June 27, 1961 |
Westbrook | Middlesex | 1840 | Saybrook | May, 1840; taken from Saybrook (Deep River) |
Weston | Fairfield | 1787 | Fairfield | Oct., 1787; taken from Fairfield, Inc., 1845, the town was divided and Easton was taken from Weston |
Westport | Fairfield | 1835 | Fairfield, Norwalk, Weston | May 28, 1835; taken from Fairfield, Norwalk and Weston |
Wethersfield | Hartford | 1634 | —- | Settled, 1634; named, 1637; inc., May, 1822 |
Willington | Tolland | 1727 | —- | May, 1727 |
Wilton | Fairfield | 1802 | Norwalk | May, 1802; taken from Norwalk |
Winchester | Litchfield | 1771 | —- | May, 1771 |
Windham | Windham | 1692 | —- | Town inc., May, 1692. City of Willimantic inc., Jan. 1893. Town of Windham and City of Willimantic consolidated July 1, 1983 |
Windsor | Hartford | 1633 | —- | Settled, Sept. 26, 1633; named, Feb., 1637 |
Windsor Locks | Hartford | 1854 | Windsor | May, 1854; taken from Windsor |
Wolcott | New Haven | 1796 | Waterbury, Southington | May, 1796; taken from Waterbury and Southington |
Woodbridge | New Haven | 1784 | New Haven, Milford | Jan., 1784; taken from New Haven and Milford |
Woodbury | Litchfield | 1673 | —- | Named, May, 1673 |
Woodstock | Windham | 1690 | —- | Settled, 1686; named New Roxbury; name changed, March, 1690, to Woodstock. Annexed to Conn., May, 1749 |