Shelton, Connecticut Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Shelton, Connecticut

City

View from the Shelton River Walk

Seal

Motto(s):

"Vision To See, Faith To Believe, Courage To Do"

Fairfield County and Connecticut

Naugatuck Valley Planning Region and Connecticut

Country

United States

Region

Naugatuck Valley

Incorporated (town)

1789

Incorporated (city)

1915

Government

• Type

Mayor-board of aldermen

Area

• Total

31.90 sq mi (82.63 km²)

• Land

30.63 sq mi (79.33 km²)

• Water

1.27 sq mi (3.29 km²)

Elevation

62 ft (19 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

40,869

• Density

1,334/sq mi (515.2/km²)

• Summer (DST)

06484

203/475

09-68100

GNIS feature ID

0210800

Major highways

Commuter rail

Shelton is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. In 2020, about 40,869 people lived there.

History of Shelton
Geography of Shelton
- Shelton's Neighborhoods
Population of Shelton
Nature and Environment in Shelton
Education in Shelton
Shelton Fire Department
Recreation in Shelton
Companies in Shelton
Famous People from Shelton
Historic Places in Shelton
Media in Shelton
Images for kids
See also

History of Shelton

How Shelton Began

Shelton was first settled by English people in 1639. It was part of a larger town called Stratford. In 1662, leaders from Stratford bought a large area of land from the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation. This land now includes Shelton, Trumbull, and Monroe.

In 1789, Shelton became its own town, separate from Stratford. It was first named Huntington after Samuel Huntington. The name "Shelton" came from a manufacturing village that started in the 1860s. This village was named after the Shelton Company.

Shelton grew quickly and became a city in 1915. In 1919, the city of Shelton and the town of Huntington joined together to form the Shelton we know today.

Changes in Shelton's Industry

In 1975, a very large fire happened in Shelton. It destroyed the Sponge Rubber Products plant. This fire was one of the biggest arson fires in U.S. history. After this, many factories in Shelton closed or moved away. This was because it became cheaper to operate businesses in other places. In 1995, Sikorsky Aircraft also closed a plant in Shelton.

New Businesses Come to Shelton

After Route 8 was finished, many new offices and businesses came to Shelton. They liked that Shelton was in Fairfield County but had lower business costs than other cities like Stamford. Big companies like Tetley Tea, Sikorsky Aircraft, and General Electric opened offices here. Over 2 million square feet of office space was built in Shelton.

Making Downtown Shelton Better

People in Shelton have been working to fix up old buildings downtown. Some buildings that were too old were taken down. In their place, a Veteran's Memorial and a farmer's market were built. A park called Riverwalk Park was also created where the old Sponge Rubber Plant used to be.

Other streets downtown have been improved. Sidewalks were rebuilt with brick, trees were planted, and power lines were moved underground. This made the downtown area look much nicer. In 2008, the state of Connecticut gave $2 million to help with more improvements.

Other Fun Facts

In November 2007, a tree from Shelton was chosen to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City.
In May 2008, a movie called All Good Things filmed a scene in downtown Shelton.
In July 2009, a small tornado hit Shelton. It blew down many trees but no one was hurt.
In November 2013, another tree from Shelton was picked to be the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.

Geography of Shelton

Shelton covers about 31.9 square miles. Most of this area is land, and a small part is water.

Shelton's Neighborhoods

Downtown
Coram Gardens
White Hills
Soundview Avenue
South End
Booth Hill Road
Bridgeport Avenue
Huntington
Pine Rock Park
Long Hill

Population of Shelton

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	2,742	—
1800	2,792	1.8%
1810	2,770	−0.8%
1820	2,805	1.3%
1830	1,371	−51.1%
1840	1,326	−3.3%
1850	1,301	−1.9%
1860	1,477	13.5%
1870	1,527	3.4%
1880	2,499	63.7%
1890	4,006	60.3%
1900	5,572	39.1%
1910	6,545	17.5%
1920	9,475	44.8%
1930	10,113	6.7%
1940	10,971	8.5%
1950	12,694	15.7%
1960	18,190	43.3%
1970	27,165	49.3%
1980	31,314	15.3%
1990	35,418	13.1%
2000	38,101	7.6%
2010	39,559	3.8%
2020	40,869	3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 38,101 people living in Shelton. There were about 14,190 households. The average household had about 2.65 people.

Nature and Environment in Shelton

Shelton wants to protect at least 15% of its land as open space. This means areas like parks, forests, and farms that are kept natural. As of 2009, about 13% of the city is protected open space. This includes land owned by the city, protected farms, and land held by the Shelton Land Conservation Trust.

Shelton has over 15 miles of hiking trails. One of these is part of the Paugussett "Blue Blazed" trail. This trail is part of a larger 800-mile network of trails across Connecticut. You can go fishing, boating, hiking, walking, and biking in Shelton's open spaces. Dogs are welcome on trails if they are on a leash.

Education in Shelton

Shelton Public Schools has several schools for different age groups:

Shelton High School for grades 9-12.
Shelton Intermediate School for grades 7-8.
Perry Hill School for grades 5-6.
Five elementary schools for pre-kindergarten through fourth grade: Elizabeth Shelton Elementary, Mohegan Elementary School, Long Hill Elementary School, Booth Hill Elementary School, and Sunnyside Elementary School.

Shelton Fire Department

The City of Shelton is protected by an all-volunteer fire department. It has 246 members. There are four fire companies: Echo Hose Hook & Ladder Co. 1, Huntington Co. 3, Pine Rock Co. 4, and White Hills Co. 5. These companies operate from four fire stations around the city.

Recreation in Shelton

Shelton has two private golf courses. The Highland Golf Club of Shelton was founded in 1900. It is a 9-hole course. Brownson Country Club is an 18-hole course. The two clubs have a yearly competition for the "Mayor's Trophy."

Companies in Shelton

Many well-known companies have offices or operations in Shelton:

Bic Corporation (known for pens and lighters)
Cartier SA (luxury goods)
Hubbell Incorporated (electrical products)
NEC Unified Solutions (business phone systems)
PerkinElmer, Inc. (scientific instruments)
Pitney Bowes (mailing and shipping solutions)
Prudential Annuities (financial services)
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (helicopter parts)
Charter Arms Firearms (revolvers)

Famous People from Shelton

Helen Barnes (1895–1925), a famous Ziegfeld Follies dancer.
Dan Debicella (born 1974), a State Senator from Shelton.
Peter Leo Gerety (1912–2016), a Roman Catholic bishop.
Doug Henry (born 1969), a Motocross Hall of Famer.
Isaac Hull (1773–1843), a Commodore in the U.S. Navy. He commanded the USS Constitution.
Dan Orlovsky (born 1983), a former NFL Quarterback who grew up in Shelton.
Sean Desai (born 1983), a defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, also grew up in Shelton.
Stephen C. Smith (born 1955), an economist and professor.

Historic Places in Shelton

Several places in Shelton are on the National Register of Historic Places:

Commodore Hull School: 130 Oak Ave. (added in 1983)
Huntington Center Historic District: An area along Church and Huntington Sts. (added in 2000)
Plumb Memorial Library: 65 Wooster St. (added in 1978)

Media in Shelton

The Valley Independent Sentinel is an online news website that started in 2009.
The Shelton Herald is a weekly newspaper.
The Connecticut Post and the New Haven Register are daily newspapers that also cover Shelton news.

Images for kids

Plumb Library, c. 1905
The birthplace of Isaac Hull
Indian Well State Park boat launch at Sunset

Shelton, Connecticut facts for kids

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