Watertown, Connecticut

Watertown, Connecticut
Official seal of Watertown, Connecticut
Location in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Location in Litchfield County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°37′N 73°7′W / 41.617°N 73.117°W / 41.617; -73.117Coordinates: 41°37′N 73°7′W / 41.617°N 73.117°W / 41.617; -73.117
CountryUnited States
StateConnecticut
NECTAWaterbury
RegionCentral Naugatuck Valley
Incorporated1780
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager
 • Town managerRobert Scannell
 • Town councilJohnathan Ramsay, Chm.(R)
Mary Ann Rosa, Vice Chm. (R)
Ken Demirs (R)
Robert Desena (R)
Anthony DiBona (R)
Robert Retallick (R)
Gary Lafferty (I)
Denise Russ (D)
Rachel Ryan (D)
 • Board of Education CommissionersLeslie Crotty, Chm. (R)
Tom Lambert, Vice Chm. (R)
Janelle Wilk, Sec. (R)
Robert Makowski (R)
Victor Vicenzi, Jr. (R)
Cathie Rinaldi (R)
Josephine Cavallo-Rosa (D)
James C. Gambardella (D)
Cheryl Albino (D)
Area
 • Total29.5 sq mi (76.4 km2)
 • Land29.0 sq mi (75.1 km2)
 • Water0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)
Elevation583 ft (178 m)
Population
(2020)
 • Total22,105
 • Density762/sq mi (294.3/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes
06779, 06795
Area code860
FIPS code09-80490
GNIS feature ID0213527
Websitewww.watertownct.org

Watertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 22,105 at the 2020 census. The ZIP codes for Watertown are 06795 (for most of the town) and 06779 (for the Oakville section). It is a suburb of Waterbury. The urban center of the town is the Watertown census-designated place, with a population of 3,938 at the 2020 census.

Founding

Colonization of the area today called Watertown began around 1657. In that time, the colony was called "Mattatock", though it had several variations in spelling through the years. The land where Watertown is now located, having originally belonged to Mattatock, officially changed its name to Watterbury (now Waterbury) by record on March 20, 1695, by consensus of a council. The original Colony of Mattatuck, which became Watterbury, then Waterbury in name, comprised a much greater land area than Waterbury does today. Thomas Judd and other families were among the first investors to buy the land as a group. The Town of Watertown was officially incorporated in 1780.

Geography

Watertown is in southeastern Litchfield County and is bordered to the southeast by the city of Waterbury in New Haven County. Other bordering towns are Middlebury to the south, Woodbury and Bethlehem to the west, Morris to the northwest, and Thomaston to the east. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone. The elevation at the town center is 583 feet (178 m).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.5 square miles (76.4 km2), of which 29.0 square miles (75.1 km2) are land and 0.50 square miles (1.3 km2), or 1.72%, are water. Oakville, which is often mistaken for a separate town, is in the southeast part of Watertown. Although Oakville has its own post office and ZIP code, it does not have a charter or town government of its own. Oakville receives all of its town services (police, fire, water and so on) from Watertown.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
18201,439
18501,533
18601,5873.5%
18701,6987.0%
18801,89711.7%
18902,32322.5%
19003,10033.4%
19103,85024.2%
19206,05057.1%
19308,19235.4%
19408,7877.3%
195010,69921.8%
196014,83738.7%
197018,61025.4%
198019,4894.7%
199020,4565.0%
200021,6615.9%
201022,5143.9%
202022,105−1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 21,661 people, 8,046 households, and 5,994 families residing in the town. The population density was 743.0 inhabitants per square mile (286.9/km2). There were 8,298 housing units at an average density of 284.6 per square mile (109.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.46% White, 0.75% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.27% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.48% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.87% of the population.

There were 8,046 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $59,420, and the median income for a family was $68,761. Males had a median income of $47,097 versus $31,822 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,044. About 1.1% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The Route 8 expressway runs through the eastern edge of town, with two exits inside the town. Route 8 leads north 14 miles (23 km) to Torrington and south through Waterbury 34 miles (55 km) to Bridgeport. The main routes through the center of Watertown are U.S. Route 6 running east–west and Connecticut Route 63 running north–south. Route 6 leads northeast 30 miles (48 km) to Hartford, the state capital, and southwest 30 miles (48 km) to Danbury, while Route 63 leads north 10 miles (16 km) to Litchfield and south the same distance to Naugatuck. Other important highways include Route 73 (a more direct route leading through Oakville to Waterbury) and Route 262, which runs north from Oakville through the eastern part of Watertown.

Public transportation is provided by buses of Northeast Transportation Company.

Local media

  • Waterbury Republican-American, a Waterbury-based independent daily newspaper
  • Town Times, Prime Publishers Inc., a local newspaper serving Watertown, Oakville, Bunker Hill in Waterbury, Thomaston and Northfield. Voices, its sister paper, covers Southbury, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Naugatuck, Woodbury, Bethelhem, New Preston, Washington, Washington Depot, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Monroe, Sandy Hook and Newtown.
  • Macaroni Kid, an online magazine for families in Watertown

Notable places

"The 1812 Oak" in Watertown

Notable people


This page was last updated at 2023-01-18 02:29 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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