Borough (Connecticut) facts for kids

In the U.S. state of Connecticut, a borough is a special part of a town. Think of it like a smaller community or neighborhood that has its own mini-government. Even though it has its own government, a borough is still part of the larger town and follows the town's main rules.

For example, Fenwick is a borough inside the town of Old Saybrook. Boroughs provide some important services to the people who live there. These can include things like local police and fire services, garbage collection, street lighting, and keeping cemeteries tidy. They also help make sure building codes are followed. Any services not handled by the borough are provided by the main town.

Boroughs in Connecticut are a bit like villages in New York. People living in a borough get to vote for their borough leaders every two years, on the first Monday in May, in odd-numbered years.

How Boroughs Started in Connecticut

The very first borough in Connecticut was Bridgeport, which is now a big city. It was created around 1800 or 1801 as a smaller part of the town of Stratford. Many more boroughs were formed after that, mostly during the 1800s. They were created to help manage local needs in different communities.

By 1850, there were 18 boroughs in Connecticut, and by 1910, there were 26! Over time, most of these boroughs either stopped being boroughs (they "disincorporated") or they grew into cities. For instance, Willimantic was once a borough in the Town of Windham. It became a city in 1893 and then, in 1983, it stopped being a city and became a special service area within Windham, managed by the town.

Current Boroughs in Connecticut

As of 2016, there are nine boroughs still active in Connecticut. Four of these boroughs share the same name as the town they are in. One borough, Naugatuck, has joined completely with its town, meaning the borough and town governments are now one. Interestingly, Litchfield is the only town that has two different boroughs within its borders.

Below is a list of boroughs that have existed in Connecticut, ordered by when they were first created. The boroughs that are still active today are shown in bold letters.

See also

In Spanish: Borough (Connecticut) para niños