Monroe is a town located in eastern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It's part of the Greater Bridgeport Planning Region. In 2020, about 18,825 people lived there.

Many people who live in Monroe travel to nearby cities for work. These cities include New York City, New Haven, and Bridgeport.

History of Monroe

The land that is now Monroe was once part of the town of Stratford. In 1656, the Court of the Colony of Connecticut said Stratford owned the land. This area stretched about 12 miles (19 km) inland from Long Island Sound.

Later, in 1662, leaders from Stratford bought this large area from the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation. This land included what we now know as Monroe, Trumbull, and Shelton. In 1671, Stratford bought even more land from the Paugusset Indians. This was called "The White Hills Purchase."

Monroe officially became its own town in 1823. It was named after James Monroe, who was the fifth President of the United States.

In August 2024, Monroe experienced a severe flash flood. Over 10 inches (25 cm) of rain fell, causing many roads to flood. Some roads were even washed away, leaving people stranded. A bridge on Route 34 near Lake Zoar was completely destroyed and closed for a long time.

Geography and Nature

Monroe covers about 26.3 square miles (68.1 km²). Most of this area, about 26.1 square miles (67.7 km²), is land. A small part, about 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²), is water.

The Pequonnock River starts its journey in Monroe, specifically in Wolfe Park. Monroe also borders Lake Zoar. This lake is a reservoir (a large, artificial lake used to store water) on the Housatonic River. It was formed by the Stevenson Dam.

Neighborhoods in Monroe

Monroe is made up of several smaller areas, or neighborhoods. These include:

East Village
Midtown
Monroe Center
North Central
Stepney
Stevenson
Upper Stepney
Whitney Farms
Zoar

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	1,522	—
1840	1,351	−11.2%
1850	1,442	6.7%
1860	1,382	−4.2%
1870	1,226	−11.3%
1880	1,157	−5.6%
1890	994	−14.1%
1900	1,043	4.9%
1910	1,002	−3.9%
1920	1,161	15.9%
1930	1,221	5.2%
1940	1,728	41.5%
1950	2,892	67.4%
1960	6,402	121.4%
1970	12,047	88.2%
1980	14,010	16.3%
1990	16,896	20.6%
2000	19,247	13.9%
2010	19,479	1.2%
2020	18,825	−3.4%
2021 (est.)	18,764	−3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

According to the 2020 United States Census, 18,825 people lived in Monroe.

About 84.6% of the people were White.
About 2.4% were African American.
About 6.2% were Asian.
About 4.9% were from two or more races.
About 6.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

Arts and Culture

Monroe has several interesting places to visit.

Places to See

Stepney Cemetery: This old cemetery was started in 1794. It is located near the Stepney Green.
Monroe Green: This is a private park in Monroe Center. It is surrounded by churches and town buildings.
The Warrens' Occult Museum: This museum has a collection of unusual artifacts.
Village Square Shopping Center: This used to be a popular spot for the Classic Nights Car Club.

Historic Places

Several places in Monroe are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

Daniel Basset House – 1024 Monroe Turnpike (added in 2002)
Monroe Center Historic District – CT 110 and CT 111 (added in 1977)
Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant – CT 34 (added in 2000)
Thomas Hawley House – 514 Purdy Hill Rd. (added in 1980)

Places of Worship

Humphrey Bogart's former home in Monroe now belongs to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

Monroe has eleven different places of worship for various faiths:

Beacon Hill Evangelical Free – Evangelical Free Church of America
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church – Lutheran
Faith World Outreach – non-denominational Christian
Monroe Congregational Church – Congregationalist
Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel – Roman Catholic
Pilgrims Pathway Wesleyan Church – Wesleyans
Saint Jude Church – Roman Catholic
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church – Episcopal
Stepney Baptist Church – Baptist
United Methodist Church of Monroe – United Methodist
Islamic Community of Fairfield County – Islamic

Education in Monroe

Monroe Public Schools manages public education in the town. About 4,000 students attend these schools.

Monroe has:

Three elementary schools: Fawn Hollow, Monroe Elementary, and Stepney Elementary.
Two middle schools: Jockey Hollow and STEM Academy.
One high school: Masuk High School.

In 2011, the STEM Academy opened at Masuk High School. It offers another middle school option for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders in Monroe.

Chalk Hill Middle School used to house 5th and 6th graders from 1969 to 2011. It closed due to changes in student numbers and budget issues. From 2012 to 2016, Chalk Hill was used by Sandy Hook Elementary School from Newtown.

Local Media

Monroe has its own FM radio station, WMNR, which is owned and operated by the town.

The Monroe Courier used to be the town's weekly newspaper, but it closed in October 2018. Now, people can read local news from two online newspapers: the Monroe Patch and the Monroe Sun.

Town Infrastructure

Monroe has a good network of roads and public transportation.

Roads and Highways

Several important roads run through Monroe:

Connecticut Route 25: This road, also called Main Street, goes through Monroe from Upper Stepney to the Trumbull town line. It connects to Interstate 95 in Trumbull.
Connecticut Route 34: This route passes through the Stevenson part of Monroe. It connects Newtown to New Haven.
- The Stevenson Dam is part of Route 34. It holds back Lake Zoar and acts as a bridge over the Housatonic River.
Connecticut Route 59: This road starts in Monroe and goes south through Easton and Fairfield, ending in Bridgeport.
Connecticut Route 110: This route begins in Monroe and travels through Shelton before ending in Stratford.
Connecticut Route 111: Known as Monroe Turnpike, this road starts in Monroe and runs south to Trumbull, where it ends near the Merritt Parkway.

Bus and Train Services

The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority provides bus service for Monroe residents.

There are also two train stations close to Monroe:

Bridgeport: About 10.7 miles (17.2 km) away. It is served by Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak.
Derby–Shelton: About 6.4 miles (10.3 km) away. It is served by Metro-North Railroad.

Both stations are easy to reach by bus or car. The New Haven Railroad used to serve the town directly.

Parks and Recreation

The Monroe Parks and Recreation Department manages the town's parks and fun activities.

Webb Mountain Park: This town park has hiking trails and places to camp.
William E. Wolfe Park: Located on Cutlers Farm Road, this park has a public swimming pool, four baseball fields, a football field, a basketball court, and a playground. It also has a hiking trail that leads to Great Hollow Lake. There's a barbecue area and a pavilion.
Housatonic Railway Trail: This is a five-mile (8 km) trail for walking and biking. It runs from Great Hollow Lake in Wolfe Park to the Newtown town line.

Emergency Services

Monroe has dedicated emergency services to keep everyone safe.

Fire Department

Monroe is protected by three volunteer fire departments. They operate from six fire stations.

The first volunteer fire company, the Stepney Volunteer Fire Company, was formed in 1916. In 1923, they built their own firehouse. The Monroe Volunteer Fire Department was also started in 1923.

Emergency Medical Services

The Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service (EMS) has been helping people since 1977. They provide medical help in emergencies.

Police Department

The Monroe Police Department was officially started in 1952. They work out of the Monroe Town Hall.

Famous People from Monroe

Some well-known people have lived in Monroe:

Mike Gminski: A former college and NBA basketball player.
Stephen Kellogg: A musician.
Mary O'Hara: The author of My Friend Flicka and other books. She lived in Monroe for almost 20 years.
Ed and Lorraine Warren: Famous paranormal investigators and authors.
Ed Wojna: A former Major League Baseball pitcher.