Bloomfield, Connecticut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bloomfield, Connecticut
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Capt. Oliver Filley House
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 Hartford County and Connecticut Capitol Planning Region and Connecticut |
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| Country |  United States |
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| U.S. state |  Connecticut |
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| County | Hartford | |
| Region | Capitol Region | |
| Settled | 1660 | |
| Incorporated | May 28, 1835 | |
| Communities | Bloomfield Blue Hills Cottage Grove North Bloomfield |
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| Government | ||
| • Type | Council-manager | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 26.3 sq mi (68.0 km2) | |
| • Land | 26.1 sq mi (67.6 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2) | |
| Elevation | 125 ft (38 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 21,535 | |
| • Density | 825.1/sq mi (318.6/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) | |
| ZIP Code |
06002
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| Area code(s) | 860/959 | |
| FIPS code | 09-05910 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0213392 | |
| Highways |      |
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Bloomfield is a suburb of Hartford in the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, United States. The town's population was 21,535 at the 2020 census, Bloomfield's highest ever decennial census count. Bloomfield is best known as the headquarters of healthcare services company Cigna.
Contents
History
Originally land of the Poquonock Native Americans, the area was first settled in 1660 as part of Windsor, organized as the Parish of Wintonbury in 1736. Wintonbury comes from three names from neighboring towns Windsor, Farmington, and Simsbury. It was finally incorporated as the town of Bloomfield by the Connecticut General Assembly on May 28, 1835. Initially, the town's local economy was agriculturally based, mostly in shade tobacco, remaining as such until it developed as a postwar suburb of Hartford starting in the 1950s. Today, Bloomfield's local character varies. While the town's southern and eastern fringes are more densely populated and developed, the northern and western sections maintain a more rural feel with meadows, woods, and some remaining farmland.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.3 square miles (68.0 km2), of which 26.1 square miles (67.6 km2) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km2), or 0.63%, is water.
Bloomfield is bordered by Windsor to the northeast, East Granby to the north, Simsbury and Avon to the west, and West Hartford and Hartford to the south.
The northern border of Bloomfield is formed by the Farmington River. The west side of the town is flanked by Talcott Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in Bloomfield include Penwood State Park and the Tariffville Gorge of the Farmington River, on the borders of East Granby, Simsbury, and Bloomfield. The 51-mile (82 km) Metacomet Trail traverses the ridge.
Transportation
The major east–west throughway in Bloomfield is Route 218, which starts at the Simsbury Road/Hall Boulevard split at the West Hartford line and inches north toward Cottage Grove Road before heading eastbound. Bloomfield also has two major north–south highways: Blue Hills Avenue (Route 187) and Bloomfield/Tunxis Avenues (Route 189). These highways merge when approaching the Windsor line but before returning to Bloomfield.
Eleven bus routes in Connecticut Transit's Hartford Division serve Bloomfield: 36, 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 72, 74, 76, 92, and 153.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,412 | — | |
| 1860 | 1,401 | −0.8% | |
| 1870 | 1,473 | 5.1% | |
| 1880 | 1,346 | −8.6% | |
| 1890 | 1,308 | −2.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,513 | 15.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,821 | 20.4% | |
| 1920 | 2,394 | 31.5% | |
| 1930 | 3,247 | 35.6% | |
| 1940 | 4,309 | 32.7% | |
| 1950 | 5,746 | 33.3% | |
| 1960 | 13,613 | 136.9% | |
| 1970 | 18,301 | 34.4% | |
| 1980 | 18,608 | 1.7% | |
| 1990 | 19,483 | 4.7% | |
| 2000 | 19,587 | 0.5% | |
| 2010 | 20,486 | 4.6% | |
| 2020 | 21,535 | 5.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 7,599 | 6,863 | 6,927 | 38.80% | 33.50% | 32.17% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 10,445 | 11,518 | 11,434 | 53.33% | 56.22% | 53.09% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 33 | 38 | 41 | 0.17% | 0.19% | 0.19% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 250 | 382 | 476 | 1.28% | 1.86% | 2.21% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 8 | 3 | 0.02% | 0.04% | 0.01% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 43 | 49 | 144 | 0.22% | 0.24% | 0.67% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 496 | 479 | 813 | 2.53% | 2.34% | 3.78% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 718 | 1,149 | 1,697 | 3.67% | 5.61% | 7.88% |
| Total | 19,587 | 20,486 | 21,535 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Economy
Top employers
According to Bloomfield's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Cigna | 4,520 |
| 2 | Kaman Corporation | 2,002 |
| 3 | HomeGoods | 1,001 |
| 4 | Trader Joe's | 951 |
| 5 | Town of Bloomfield | 765 |
| 6 | Seabury | 620 |
| 7 | Duncaster Retirement Community | 498 |
| 8 | Deringer-Ney | 400 |
| 9 | Jacobs Vehicle Systems | 400 |
| 10 | Pepperidge Farms | 400 |
Schools
Bloomfield is home to three secondary schools: the public Bloomfield High School, the inter-district Global Experience Magnet School (serving grades 6–12), and the Metropolitan Learning Center, a CREC school serving grades 6–12.
Bloomfield Public Schools (Connecticut) also has:
- Pre-K3–K The Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School
- K–2 Laurel Elementary
- 3–4 Metacomet Elementary
- 5–6 Carmen Arace Intermediate
- 7–8 Carmen Arace Middle School
Sports
Bloomfield-based amateur soccer team 3rd Eye FC play in the [[United Premier Soccer League#Division 1[11]|United Premier Soccer League Division 1]] New England Conference.
Notable people
- Clarence H. Adams (1905–1987), commissioner of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and president of the Boston Celtics
- George Ansbro (1915–2011), radio announcer
- LeRoy Bailey Jr. (born 1946), pastor and author
- Edward C. Banfield, political scientist
- James G. Batterson (1823–1901), founder of Travelers Insurance Company
- Julia Brace (1807–1884), deaf/blind woman of 19th Century
- Lawrence Clay-Bey (born 1965), professional heavyweight boxer, born in town
- Marcus Cooper (born 1990), cornerback for Chicago Bears
- Joe D'Ambrosio (born 1953), sports broadcaster and play-by-play announcer
- Edgar Eno, state assemblyman for Wisconsin
- Oliver Filley (1806–1881), mayor of St. Louis from 1858 to 1861
- Dwight Freeney, NFL All-Pro defensive end for Indianapolis Colts, attended Bloomfield High School
- Bobby Gibson, educator and member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Edward H. Gillette (1840–1918), congressman for Iowa, born in town
- Jessica Hecht (born 1965), actress
- Jaimoe, drummer for Allman Brothers Band
- K.C. Jones (1932–2020), NBA Hall of Fame basketball player
- Charles Kaman (1919–2011), aeronautical engineer, businessman, inventor and philanthropist
- Ellie Kanner, film and television director and former casting director
- Joža Karas (1926–2008), musician and teacher who made public music composed by inmates of Theresienstadt concentration camp during World War II
- Noella Marcellino (born 1951), Benedictine nun who earned doctorate in microbiology from University of Connecticut
- Richard P. McBrien (1936-2015), Catholic theologian and author of landmark work 'Catholicism'.
- Lewis Rome (1933–2015), state senator representing Bloomfield (1971–1979); long-time resident
- Anika Noni Rose (born 1972), singer and actress, born in town
- Nykesha Sales (born 1976), WNBA basketball player, born in town
- Franz Schurmann (1926–2010), sociologist and historian
- Johann Smith (born 1987), soccer player
- Joseph M. Suggs Jr. (born 1940), politician, Bloomfield mayor, and Connecticut State Treasurer (1993–1995)
- James Thorpe (1915–2009), Princeton University professor and academic; lived his later years and died in town
- David Ushery (born 1967), television news anchor
- Douglas Wimbish (born 1956), bass player
On the National Register of Historic Places
- Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (Cigna) Headquarters
- Capt. Oliver Filley House
- Francis Gillette House
- Old Farm Schoolhouse
- Southwest District School
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Cigna Headquarters
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Francis Gillette House
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Old Farm Schoolhouse
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Southwest School District
Places of interest
- The New England Muscle Bicycle Museum, with 120 bicycles from the 1960s and 1970s, is open by appointment
- The First Cathedral, the largest non-denominational church in New England
See also
In Spanish: Bloomfield (Connecticut) para niños
