Naugatuck River Valley facts for kids

The Naugatuck River Valley is a special area in western Connecticut. It's the land around the Naugatuck River. This valley stretches across parts of Litchfield, New Haven, and Fairfield counties.

You can travel through the valley using Route 8 or the Waterbury Branch of the Metro-North train line. Many towns are located right along the river. In the past, during the 1800s and 1900s, this area was a major center for factories in New England. Many towns here were known as busy "mill towns."

Exploring the Naugatuck Valley

Map of Connecticut showing the regions of the Naugatuck River Valley. Green is the Valley, yellow is the Greater Waterbury area, and blue is the Litchfield Hills region.

The Naugatuck Valley is often divided into smaller parts. This helps us understand its history, culture, and geography better.

Upper Naugatuck Valley

This part is also called the Litchfield (Northwest) Hills. It centers around the city of Torrington. The West Branch and East Branch of the Naugatuck River join together in Torrington to form the main river.

Towns in this upper valley area include Goshen, Harwinton, Litchfield, Morris, New Hartford, Norfolk, Torrington, and Winchester.

Central Naugatuck Valley

This region is often called the Greater Waterbury area. It focuses on the city of Waterbury.

Towns in this central valley area include Thomaston, Plymouth, Bristol, Bethlehem, Watertown, Woodbury, Wolcott, Waterbury, Middlebury, Cheshire, Prospect, Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, and Oxford. Sometimes, Naugatuck, Beacon Falls, and Oxford are also grouped with the lower valley.

Lower Naugatuck Valley

This area focuses on the city of Derby.

Towns in the lower valley include Shelton, Seymour, Woodbridge, Ansonia, and Derby. As mentioned, the towns of Beacon Falls, Oxford, and Naugatuck are sometimes included here too.