Known as the land of many firsts, the state of Connecticut has seen decades of history and progress. Its title as the Constitution State shows how vital it was to forming the American Constitution. Aside from its history, Connecticut also stands out for its famous steamed cheeseburgers, hot lobster rolls, and many other treats. Find out more about the state with these interesting Connecticut facts.
- Connecticut ranks 29th among the most populous states found in the United States.
- This state is also the 48th-most extensive state in the United States.
- Connecticut lies in the Northeastern region of the United States.
- Connecticut attained its statehood on January 9th, 1788.
- The state of Connecticut was the 5th state to join the union of the United States.
- The state of Connecticut borrows its name from the Connecticut River.
- Its other nicknames are the Constitution State and the Nutmeg State.
- The capital of Connecticut is Hartford.
- Connecticut has an area that measures 14,357 km².
- As of 2020, over 3.7 million people live in Connecticut.
- When on a bike, you cannot go over 65 mph in Connecticut.
- A Connecticut tradition states that pickles must bounce when dropped.
- Connecticut has a total of 169 towns and 21 cities within the state.
- Connecticut was also the first state to issue permanent license plates to cars.
- As of 2020, Connecticut ranks 43rd in terms of the cost of living in all US States.
- Connecticut is also nicknamed the Provisions state.
- The postal abbreviation for Connecticut is CT.
- People are not allowed to walk backward at night in the state of Connecticut.
- In Connecticut, it is illegal to cross the street on a handstand.
- Education for dogs has been banned in the state of Connecticut.
The first settlers of the state of Connecticut arrived in the year 1614.
Originally, these settlers came from The Netherlands. At the time, the Dutch traded fur and built a fort around the area of what is known to be Hartford today.
The first Dutchman noted to set foot in the state of Connecticut at the time was Adriaen Block, who sailed up the Connecticut River. By the year 1620, more Dutchmen began settling into the area and negotiated trades with the Pequot Indians.
Former United States President George W. Bush was born in Connecticut.
The former United States President was born in the town of New Haven, Connecticut on July 6th, 1946. From 2001 until 2009, George W. Bush served as the President of the United States as a member of the Republican Party.
Before his presidency, George W. Bush also served as the 46th governor of Texas from the year 1995 until 2000. Of all US Presidents, Bush stood out for his high approval ratings despite the major incidents during his presidency such as the infamous 9/11 attack.
The state of Connecticut has a flag for its state.
The state flag of Connecticut displays a blue background with a central coat of arms that shows three grapevines. Below the coat of arms, a ribbon bears an inscription that states Qui transtulit sustinet, which translates to ‘He who transplanted still sustains’ in English.
Based on the 80th Psalm of the Christian Bible, this inscription has also been known as the Connecticut’s state motto. First displayed during the time of the American Revolution, its original background color was red. It only changed to the current one in 1897.
Connecticut is known as a provisional state due to its involvement with the Continental army.
During the time of the Revolutionary War, the state of Connecticut sent several supplies and cannons to the Continental Army. At the time, Connecticut also provided the army with more food supplies and cannons for its forces than any other American state.
Over 20,000 patents were granted to inventors in Connecticut.
From the 16th to 17th century, around 5,000 inventors from Connecticut secured 20,000 patents. Among these inventors, 44 women women also achieved credit for their inventions.
This historical achievement was immortalized through the Connecticut Patent Database in the Museum of Connecticut History. Additionally, the museum also offers an interesting hands-on program called the Connecticut Invents, which involves the interests of younger students in the state.
The highest peak found in the state of Connecticut is Bear Mountain.
Located in the northwestern corner of Salisbury, Bear Mountain stands around 708 meters tall with a prominence of around 132 meters.
Hiking up the mountain typically takes around 2 hours to complete, with visitors welcome to camp out on the mountain grounds if they wish to. Many of its visitors also arrive early to explore other sides of the mountain apart from its peak. Now there’s one for Connecticut facts you’d have to see for yourself!
The state of Connecticut has no government.
This American state has no country government as they were all abolished on October 1st, 1960. Instead, the state of Connecticut became a Charter Colony in which is considered to be largely self-governed.
The state also largely operates under the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut first adopted by the freemen of Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. In these areas, the charter established its rules of the government. As such, the these rules allowed the Connecticut colonists a large amount of freedom compared to other places.
Connecticut has a state quarter.
The Connecticut state quarter is considered to be the last five quarters that were minted in the year 1999. The back of the coin bears a Charter Oak tree design, which commemorates the Connecticut Charter document’s hiding place during the British’s demand for Connecticut to surrender.
Today, the Charter Oak tree symbolizes freedom in the American state. Additionally, collectors also state that the value of the quarter today reaches around 4 dollars in mint condition.
The first nuclear submarine in the world was built in the state of Connecticut.
Known as the USS Nautilus or SSN-571, the world’s first nuclear submarine was first constructed in the town of Groton, Connecticut. The construction of the water vessel started in 1952 and completed in 1954.
Once completed, this submarine could remain submerged nearly indefinitely due to the nuclear fuel that was used and the lack of need to use air. The submarine was also recorded to remain in service for 25 years until it was no longer of use.
Connecticut has the highest personal income per capita in the United States.
As of 2018, the state of Connecticut ranked first place in per capita personal income with an average of $74,568 annual earnings per person. This ranking is calculated by taking the total of the state and dividing it with the number of its current population.
For each year since, Connecticut’s per capita personal income increased by approximately 4.5% more, remaining to be one of the highest-earning states in the United States today. Of all its cities, Greenwich is considered the wealthiest city in the state of Connecticut.
The Inventor of the revolver gun was from the state of Connecticut.
In the year 1836, Samuel Colt of Connecticut secured a patent for a revolver mechanism which allowed a user to fire a gun multiple times without reloading. Later on, the same man founded a company to manufacture his design for a revolving-cylinder pistol, which eventually became known as the revolver gun.
Around the beginning of the Civil War in the United States, the gun became well known in the country. Even after Samuel Colt’s passing, his company remains in business until today. Definitely one of the more unexpected Connecticut facts.
The famous American writer, Mark Twain wrote Huckleberry Finn in the state of Connecticut.
Better known as Mark Twain, American journalist Samuel Langhorne wrote the famous novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At the time, Mark Twain resided in the state of Connecticut.
For nearly 20 years, Mark Twain lived in Connecticut with his three daughters and his wife. Today, his house has been converted into a museum that displays copies of his best works and tells the story of his life and relationships.
The oldest surviving state prison in Connecticut is the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine.
Considered a national historic landmark and a state archaeological preserve, this state prison is found in East Granby, Connecticut. First operating in the year 1776 until 1782, this state prison initially held prisoners of war during the American Revolutionary War.
By the year 1972, the prison was officially considered a National Historic Landmark owned by the state of Connecticut and made into a museum for tourism purposes. The Old New-Gate prison covers an area of around 5 acres and could house exactly 100 prisoners at a time during the time of its operations.
Connecticut legalized same-sex in the year 2008.
On the 12th of November in 2008, Connecticut officially legalized gay marriage. This was followed by a state court decision that found that the state’s civil unions had failed to provide those in same-sex relationships rights and privileges equal to that of marriage.
After its legalization, approximately 12,087 gay marriages occurred within the state between the years 2009 to 2018. Additionally, those in same-sex marriages have the same right to file for divorce should they wish to do so. Now there’s one for inclusive Connecticut facts.
Connecticut is also one of the 13 original colonies of the United States.
Initially, 13 US states belonged to the British colony. These 13 states included Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Georgia, Maryland, New Hemisphere, South Carolina, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and the Providence Plantations.
After the declaration of independence in 1776, these colonies officially became part of the United States.
The state of Connecticut is also the birthplace of the first practical helicopter in the world.
On September 14th, 1939, the world’s first practical helicopter took its first flight at Stratford, Connecticut. Designed by Igor Sikorsky the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Division built the aircraft as a part of the United Aircraft Corporation.
Historically, this aircraft was the first helicopter to incorporate a single main rotor and tail in its design. By the year 1940, the first completed practical helicopter was named the VS-300 and took its first successful free flight.
Connecticut can be divided into three different geographical regions.
The state of Connecticut can be divided into three major regions which consist of the Western Upland, the Central Lowland, and the Eastern Upland. The state of Connecticut also covers a portion of the southern New England area of the Appalachian Mountain system.
The state of Connecticut is also considered to be densely populated when considering the size of the state itself.
The word ‘Connecticut’ is derived from an old Native American word.
Connecticut comes from the old Native American word quinnehtukqut which translates to ‘beside the long tidal river’. This name comes from the Native Americans that already lived in the state before the settlement of the Dutchmen in the 1600s.
Originally, the name was only used for the Connecticut River, also known as ‘the great river’ at the time by the Native Americans. Other names for the river also included the Verse River and The Fresh River.
Connecticut was once known as the Arsenal of the Nation due to its gun history.
Connecticut gained a reputation for itself as the Arsenal of the Nation during the time of the American Revolution in the early 19th century. The state was known at the time for mass-producing firearms with interchangeable parts and components.
Today, the state of Connecticut is considered to be a Licensed Open Carry state which allows residents to carry around firearms openly or concealed in any location within the state. Despite being known as the Arsenal of the Nation, Connecticut is no longer considered the American state with the most gun manufacturers in the country.
The oldest publicly funded library in the United States can be found in the state of Connecticut.
The Scoville Memorial Library is found in the city of Salisbury, Connecticut. Established in the year 1803, this library also holds the title of the first publicly funded library in the United States.
The Scoville Memorial Library is also the first library in the United States to be opened to the public without fees. Today, the Scoville Memorial Library houses over 35,000 book references, over 1,000 videos, and around 500 book videos in total.
The inventor of the polaroid camera was born in the state of Connecticut.
Born in the state of Connecticut on May 7th, 1909, Edwin Herbert Land founded and invented the polaroid camera in 1848. At the age of 13, Edwin Herbert Land had already patented over 500 inventions, which is more than any other American at the time apart from Thomas Edison.
Calling it Model 95, Land first sold the polaroid camera in Boston. By the 1970s, the polaroid camera had reached the height of its popularity and held around two-thirds of the instant camera market despite its strong competitors such as Kodak at the time.
The first tree planting program was conducted in the state of Connecticut.
Considered to be the first of its kind in the United States, Connecticut conducted its first tree-planting program in New Haven, Connecticut. Upon the success of the program, the city was also given the nickname “The Elm City” due to the trees being planted at the time being elms themselves.
Today, the program continues to encourage more tree planting, with the state of Connecticut establishing a tree owner’s manual to help its tree planters find good locations for planting. As of 2015, it is estimated that there are now around 806 million trees found all over the state of Connecticut.
Connecticut is one of the 6 New England states in the United States.
The other states include Maine, New Hemisphere, Vermont, Rhode Island, and the state of Massachusetts. These states fall under the region of New England, which experiences four distinct seasons throughout the year.
This also makes it a suitable destination all year round for visitors and other state locals. This new area is also nicknamed Yankeeland by the southerners and the British.
The largest lake found in the state of Connecticut is Lake Candlewood.
Candlewood Lake is a man-made lake found in the western area of Connecticut. The lake measures around 8.4 square miles or 22 kilometers², which makes it the largest lake found in the state despite being man-made.
Candlewood Lake also borders five towns in Connecticut which include New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford, Brookfield, and Danbury as well. Residents around the five cities typically visit the lake the most during warmer seasons to enjoy leisure activities such as swimming and fishing.
The state of Connecticut once had two capitals.
Between the years 1703 until 1875, the state of Connecticut had two capital cities which were New Haven and Hartford. Since then, the official capital has remained Hartford as per the decision of the Connecticut General Assembly.
The reason why the state of Connecticut originally had two capital cities in the state was due to legislators deciding that they needed two state capitol buildings to avoid potentially wasting resources. At the time, there were also not enough rooms available to use for meetings, which influenced the decision to have two capital cities in the state of Connecticut.
The first-ever speed regulation laws in Connecticut were imposed in the year 1901.
The state of Connecticut is also the first state to establish a law regulating motor vehicles and setting a speed limit when inside the city properties. To avoid any accidents and over-speeding, Connecticut mandates a speed limit of 12 mph within the cities and 15 mph on country roads .
At the time, speed limits were also imposed on electric vehicles and horse-drawn carriages that would pass by cities and towns within the state of Connecticut. These laws also mandated how cars could behave around horse-drawn vehicles in order to prevent any sudden reactions from the animal itself.
Lyme disease was first identified in the state of Connecticut.
The history of the disease began in the state of Connecticut in 1975, when several children and adults began living in the Lyme, Connecticut.
Lyme disease is typically caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Symptoms include fatigue, skin rashes, fevers, and headaches which can be treated in its early stages. If left unchecked, a patient may develop complications in the heart and nervous system.
The capital of the state of Connecticut is known as the Insurance Capital of the world.
Hartford, Connecticut is known as the Insurance Capital of the World due to the number of insurance companies that established their headquarters within the state during the 19th century. Today, insurance companies are considered as one of the biggest and most vital social and economical fabrics of the city.
Additionally, Connecticut also ranks highly in terms of employment rate within the insurance industry due to the number of established companies within the state. The insurance industry in the state of Connecticut alone provides jobs for over 60,000 individuals with additional part-time job offers as well.
The oldest newspaper print in the state of Connecticut is the Hartford Courant.
Originally known as the Connecticut Courant, the Hartford Courant was founded in the year 1764. Not only is it the oldest newspaper in the state of Connecticut, but the Hartford Courant is also the oldest publication in all of the United States.
The newspaper has an average circulation of over 92,000 copies during weekdays and over 135,000 copies on weekends. Today, the company is owned by Tribune Publishing and has also adapted to more modern platforms such as digital websites and archives for its subscribers.
The first telephone book was issued in the state of Connecticut.
The first-ever telephone directory was placed on a single sheet of cardboard which contained the contact information of 50 businesses and offices in the city of New Haven, Connecticut. The directory was first publicly issued on the 21st of February in 1878 with no other known copies in existence.
The telephone book was brought to the state by an American inventor named Alexander Graham Bell who also invented the telephone. How’s that for interesting Connecticut facts?