Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, centrally located between New Haven and Hartford, and Boston and New York City. The town is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 44,396 at the 2020 census. The community was named after Wallingford, in England.

History
Education
- Private schools
Geography
- Principal communities
Demographics
Economy
- Top employers
Transportation
- Mass transit
- Airports
Municipal Electric Utility
Sports
Notable people
Points of interest
- National Register of Historic Places
See also

History

The Connecticut General Assembly created the town on October 10, 1667. This original plot of land near the Quinnipiac River is now considered Main Street. Starting on May 12, 1670, there were 126 people who lived in temporary housing, and five years later in 1675 there were 40 permanent homes.

In 1697 Wallingford was the site of the last witchcraft trial in New England. Winifred Benham was thrice tried for witchcraft and acquitted all three times.

The 1878 Wallingford tornado struck on August 9 of that year. It killed at least 29 and possibly as many as 34 people in Wallingford, the most by any tornado event in Connecticut history.

Wallingford is home to a large variety of industries and major corporations spanning the spectrum of medical, healthcare, service, hi-tech specialty manufacturing and research development. The development of the Barnes Industrial Parks, Casimir Pulaski Industrial Park, Centract Park and MedWay Industrial Park have greatly contributed to a diversified tax base. An Interchange Zone which permits restrictive commercial development of office parks, research and development centers and hotels was created at the intersection of interstate 91 and Route 68. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, the town's largest taxpayer, has established a research and development facility in Wallingford's MedWay Industrial Park. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company moved out in 2017 and the structures were demolished in 2018.

In terms of Wallingford's manufacturing and design history, silver-producing companies like Hall, Elton & Co., Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. and R. Wallace & Sons are of particular note. Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. as well as Wallingford's Watrous Manufacturing Co. later became part of the International Silver Company, which was headquartered in the neighboring city of Meriden.

New York Insulated Wire Company, 1910.
Library and Marlborough House, c. 1909.
Bridge and falls at Quinnipiac River in Wallingford, 1907.

Education

The Wallingford Public School System consists of eight elementary schools: Cook Hill, E. C. Stevens, Highland, and Moses Y. Beach Elementary Schools covering Pre-K to second grade and Parker Farms, Pond Hill, Rock Hill, and Mary G. Fritz Elementary Schools covering grades three to five; two middle schools, Dag Hammarskjöld and James H. Moran; and two high schools, Lyman Hall and Mark T. Sheehan.

Choate Rosemary Hall Campus

Private schools

Choate Rosemary Hall, a private, co-educational, college-preparatory boarding school
Heritage Baptist Academy
Holy Trinity School

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.9 square miles (103.3 km²), of which 39.0 square miles (101.1 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²), or 2.16%, is water.

The town of Wallingford sits astride the Quinnipiac River in northern New Haven County, roughly 90 miles northeast of New York City. It is 5 miles (8 km) south of Meriden and about 13 miles (21 km) north of New Haven. Towns bordering Wallingford are Cheshire, Durham, Hamden, Meriden, Middlefield, North Branford and North Haven. Situated in the Hartford-New Haven-Springfield corridor, Wallingford is traversed by U.S. Route 5, Interstate 91, and State Highways Route 15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway), Route 68, Route 71 and Route 150.

Principal communities

East Wallingford
Quinnipiac (partly in North Haven)
Tracy
Wallingford Center
Yalesville

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	2,237	—
1850	2,595	—
1860	3,206	23.5%
1870	3,676	14.7%
1880	4,686	27.5%
1890	6,584	40.5%
1900	9,001	36.7%
1910	11,155	23.9%
1920	12,010	7.7%
1930	14,278	18.9%
1940	14,788	3.6%
1950	16,976	14.8%
1960	29,920	76.2%
1970	35,714	19.4%
1980	37,274	4.4%
1990	40,822	9.5%
2000	43,026	5.4%
2010	45,135	4.9%
2020	44,396	−1.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of 2022, Wallingford is home to approximately 44,446 residents. The racial makeup leans white (80.2%), with a notable Hispanic presence (11.6%) and smaller proportions of Asian (4.4%) and other groups. The median age sits at 44.3, indicating a blend of families and young professionals. Family households comprise 63% of the total, with 24% having children under their roof.

Wallingford’s 2022 median household income was $98,456, and the median family income was $120,823. The average household and family income was $115,652 and $139,258, respectively. Compared to the national average, Wallingford's median income is significantly higher, putting it in the top 25% of U.S. households.

Economy

Top employers

Top employers in Wallingford according to the town's 2022 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Town of Wallingford	1,478
2	Anthem BC/BS	1,225
3	Gaylord Hospital	529
4	Community Health Network of CT	438
5	Masonic Healthcare Center	417
6	Choate Rosemary Hall	299
7	Ulbrich Stainless Steels & Special Metals, Inc.	215
8	BYK	197
9	Thurston Foods Inc	169
10	Fosdick Fulfillment Corp	157

Transportation

Wallingford train station is served by the Hartford Line and Amtrak

Mass transit

Wallingford is also located on the New Haven–Springfield Line, with daily passenger service to points north and south, providing direct access to New York City along with Boston via a connection in New Haven. It is served at Wallingford station by the CT Rail (Connecticut Department of Transportation) Hartford Line trains and by Amtrak's Hartford Line, Northeast Regional, and Valley Flyer.

Airports

Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) in East Haven, Westchester County Airport in Westchester County, and Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks are the closest commercial airports to Wallingford.

Municipal Electric Utility

Wallingford is one of the relatively few communities in the state with its own electricity provider, independent of major power companies.

The Wallingford Electric Division provides electricity to the vast majority of residents in Wallingford. Sparked by the need for electric lights in the late 1890s, Wallingford's journey with power began with a privately run company. The town took the reins in 1927, birthing the Wallingford Electric Division. Growing demand led to steam plants and acquisitions, solidifying its regional role. Embracing the 21st century's green shift, the Division now leads in renewables and smart grid technologies, illuminating not just homes but a sustainable future for the town.

Sports

In 1943 and 1944 the Boston Braves held spring training in Wallingford at Choate's Winter Exercise Building. The town is the home of the Connecticut Bearcats, a New England Football League team.

Notable people

Erich Auerbach, German philologist
Moses Yale Beach, American inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist and publisher, who started the Associated Press, and is credited with originating print syndication
William Yale Beach, early banker of Wallingford, real estate developer in the city, son of Moses Yale Beach
Stephen R. Bradley, United States Senator
Michael Buckley, YouTuber
Mary Atwater Choate, cofounded Choate Rosemary Hall
William Gardner Choate, American judge, cofounded Choate Rosemary Hall
Bates Cooke, US Congressman
D.J. Cotrona, actor
Pasquale DeBaise (1926–2022), businessman and Connecticut state legislator
Beverly Donofrio, author
Morton Downey, singer, businessman
Morton Downey, Jr. (1932–2001), talk show host
Lauren Geremia, interior designer
Robert Gober, influential contemporary artist
Lyman Hall, an American Founding Father, physician, clergyman, statesman, and Declaration of Independence signatory
Dorothy Kosinski, art scholar
Raoul Lufbery, World War I flying ace
John A. McGuire, member of the United States House of Representatives
Art Nugent, cartoonist, creator of Uncle Art's Funland
Jay Allen Sanford, author and cartoonist
Samuel Simpson, silversmith industrialist and entrepreneur
Hilton Valentine (1943–2021), musician associated with The Animals, moved to Wallingford in 1977
Theophilus Yale, captain, magistrate and early settler of Wallingford
Elihu Yale, captain, pioneer bayonet manufacturer in Connecticut
Charles Dwight Yale, Connecticut State Senator, businessman, co-proprietor of Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co.
Thomas Yale, one of the cofounders of Wallingford, son of Capt. Thomas Yale

Points of interest

Paul Mellon Arts Center, designed by I. M. Pei.

Choate Rosemary Hall
Oakdale Theatre
Paul Mellon Arts Center
Yalesville Underpass

National Register of Historic Places

Ten buildings and districts in Wallingford are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:

Center Street Cemetery, added August 1, 1997
Franklin Johnson House, added November 23, 1998
John Barker House, added August 3, 1974
Joseph Blakeslee House, added April 13, 1998
Nehemiah Royce House, added August 24, 1998
Samuel Parsons House, added April 12, 1982
Samuel Simpson House, added June 18, 1986
Theophilus Jones House, added January 30, 1992
Wallingford Center Historic District, added December 2, 1993
Wallingford railroad station, added November 19, 1993

Wallingford, Connecticut facts for kids

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