Hartford

Hartford is the capital of Connecticut and sits on the western bank of the Connecticut River, with government offices, museums, and residential neighborhoods at about 18 meters elevation. The downtown area spreads across several blocks with wide streets, paved squares, and green spaces scattered between office towers and older brick buildings.

Dutch traders built a trading post in 1633, and English settlers from Massachusetts arrived two years later, naming their new settlement after a town in England. During the 19th century, the area became a center for the insurance industry, shaping its economy for generations to come.

Residents gather in neighborhood cafés and bookshops where literary readings and community meetings take place throughout the week. Local farmers bring produce to open-air markets on weekends, while families spend afternoons in the parks along the riverfront watching sailboats and joggers pass by.

Public buses run regularly between neighborhoods, and Union Station offers train connections to other cities in the region. Bradley International Airport lies to the north and can be reached by shuttle or rental car.

The house where writer Samuel Clemens lived on Farmington Avenue still stands with its original rooms and Victorian furnishings from the years when he wrote some of his most famous novels. Its curved porch and dark red exterior walls make the building easy to spot from the street.

Location: Capitol Planning Region

Location: Hartford County

Inception: 1849

Elevation above the sea: 18 m

Shares border with: Windsor, East Hartford, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Bloomfield, Newington, South Windsor

Website: http://hartford.gov

GPS coordinates: 41.76458,-72.69085

Latest update: December 14, 2025 23:44