Weston, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Weston, Connecticut
Town
The Onion Barn, where community bulletins are posted
Flag Seal Logo
Fairfield County and Connecticut  Western Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Fairfield
Region	Western CT
Incorporated	1787
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
Area
• Total	20.7 sq mi (53.6 km2)
• Land	19.8 sq mi (51.3 km2)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2)
Elevation	315 ft (96 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,354
• Density	491.7/sq mi (189.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes	06883, 06829
Area code(s)	203/475
FIPS code	09-83430
GNIS feature ID	213531

Weston (pronounced WES-tən) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. In 2020, about 10,354 people lived there. Weston is known for having the highest median income in Connecticut. It is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.

The town is served by Route 57 and Route 53. These roads both run through the town's center. About 19% of the people who work in Weston travel to New York City. New York City is about 45 miles (72 km) southwest of Weston.

In 2017, SafeWise said Weston was the safest town in Connecticut. It was also ranked the sixth safest town in the entire country.

Weston is the closest town in Connecticut to New York City that does not have a train station. There are only a few stores in the town center. Most of Weston is residential, with large two-acre (0.8 ha) lots for homes. A large part of the Devil's Den Preserve is in Weston. This nature reserve is 1,746 acres (707 ha) and gets about 40,000 visitors each year.

History of Weston

Town sign for Weston (front)

In the 1600s, the first English settlers in Weston were mostly farmers. They lived in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut. Weston was part of Fairfield until the late 1700s.

The Norfield Parish was created in the area that is now Weston and Easton. In 1787, the area officially became the Town of Weston. People believe it was named after Weston-super-Mare. This was a small fishing village in England surrounded by farmland. Many early British farmers came from there. In 1845, the Town of Easton separated from Weston.

A meteor exploded over Weston on December 14, 1807. Six pieces of the meteor were found. They weighed a total of 28 pounds (13 kg). Scientists studied these pieces and wrote a report. This event helped people learn more about meteors.

Even though the soil was rocky, farmers in Weston grew apples, onions, and potatoes. Mills were built to process grain, make cider, cut lumber, and prepare cloth. By 1850, the town had nine factories. However, only the Bradley Edge Tool Company was still doing well twenty years later. That factory burned down in 1911.

Weston never had a railroad built through it, unlike other nearby towns. This slowed down the growth of businesses that were not farming-related. Between the Civil War and the Great Depression, Weston's population dropped. It went from about 1,000 people to a low of 670 by 1930.

In the 1930s, artists, writers, and actors from New York started moving to Weston. The construction of the Merritt Parkway in 1938 also helped the town's population grow.

Geography of Weston

Weston covers a total area of 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²). Of this, 19.8 square miles (51.3 km²) is land. The remaining 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²), or 4.39%, is water.

The Saugatuck River starts north of Weston in Redding. It flows through Weston and ends in Long Island Sound. This is in the neighboring town of Westport.

Weston shares borders with several towns:

• Westport to the south
• Wilton to the west
• Redding to the north
• Easton to the east
• Fairfield to the southeast

Main Areas in Weston

Weston has several important communities and areas:

• Georgetown (part of it)
• Lyons Plains
• Weston Center (which includes the Norfield Historic District)
• Aspetuck

Other smaller areas include Devil's Den, Norfield, Upper Parish, and Valley Forge.

Population of Weston

In 2010, there were 10,025 people living in Weston. There were 3,289 households and 2,811 families. The town had about 506 people per square mile (195/km²).

About 95.75% of the people were White. Other groups included African American (0.88%), Native American (0.11%), and Asian (1.94%). About 2.05% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, 49.8% of households had children under 18. Most households (78.4%) were married couples. The average household had 3.03 people. The average family had 3.28 people.

The population was spread out by age:

• 31% were under 18
• 4% were 18 to 24
• 31% were 25 to 49
• 23% were 50 to 64
• 11% were 65 or older

The average age in Weston was 42 years.

In 2017, the average household income in Weston was $219,868. The average income for a person in the town was $95,534. About 2.6% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Weston Town Center

Weston's commercial area is small and located in the Town Center. This area is at the intersection of Weston Road and Norfield Road.

The Town Center has a few important businesses:

• A grocery store
• A community bank
• A liquor store
• A casual restaurant
• A dry cleaner
• A real estate office
• A gas station
• A pharmacy
• A post office

Historic Places in Weston

Several places in Weston are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important for their history or architecture.

• Bradley Edge Tool Company Historic District: This area includes Lyons Plains Road, north and south of White Birch Road. It was added in 1995.
• Kettle Creek Historic District: This area includes Weston and Old Weston Roads, north of Broad Street. It was added in 1995.
• Norfield Historic District: This area is around the junction of Weston and Norfield Roads, extending northeast to Hedgerow Common. It was added in 1991.

Education in Weston

Weston Intermediate School entrance

The Weston Public Schools district has four public schools. All of them are located on School Road:

• Weston High School (WHS): This school is for grades 9–12. It has about 800 students. Most seniors from Weston High School go on to attend good colleges and universities. The high school recently had a big expansion. This included new science classrooms and playing fields. The school's auditorium was also updated in 2008.
• Weston Middle School (WMS): This school is for grades 6–8. It has about 600 students.
• Weston Intermediate School (WIS): This school is for grades 3–5. It has about 600 students. It opened in September 2005 and is the town's newest school.
• Hurlbutt Elementary School (HES): This school is for pre-kindergarten through grade 2. It has about 600 students.

In June 2012, 24/7 Wall St. ranked Weston as the second wealthiest school district in the United States.

In 2013 and 2014, U.S. News & World Report ranked Weston High School as the third best high school in Connecticut. It was also ranked the 240th best high school in the United States.

Weston High School earned a gold medal for its high student performance. This ranking looks at how students do on tests. It also checks how many students take Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. AP programs are offered in many subjects. Sixty percent of WHS students take part in them.

In August 2015, Newsweek magazine ranked Weston High School number 47 for America's Top High Schools. This included both public and private schools.

In April 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Weston High School the second best high school in Connecticut. It was also the 169th best high school in the country out of 17,245 schools. Weston High School was also ranked 65th in STEM High Schools. The town's graduation rate is 100%. U.S. News gave Weston a score of 99.02% out of 100. These rankings show how well public schools prepare all students for college.

The Connecticut State Department of Education has ranked Weston schools in District Reference Group A. This group includes the nine wealthiest school districts in Connecticut. These districts need less extra help.

Several pre-schools in Weston are run by churches. These include Emmanuel Nursery School and Norfield Nursery School.

Parks and Open Spaces

Weston is known for its many open spaces. Almost a quarter of the town is set aside as permanent open space. These areas include:

• Devil's Den Preserve: This preserve has many different plants and animals. It has 20 miles (32 km) of trails. These trails connect to the larger 70-mile (110 km) Saugatuck Valley Trails System.
• Bisceglie Park: This park has baseball fields and a swimming hole. It also has a 2-mile (3 km) jogging trail with fitness stations. It is located along the west branch of the Saugatuck River.
• Morehouse Farm Park: This park has eight baseball fields that partly overlap.
• Sixteen preserves of the Aspetuck Land Trust: These preserves cover a total of 645 acres (2.6 km²). They are spread out all around the town.
• Katherine Ordway Preserve: This preserve has 62 acres (0.25 km²) of woodland. It has 3 miles (5 km) of trails and an arboretum (a tree garden).
• Keene Park: This 6-acre (0.02 km²) park has a small playground. It is located along the east branch of the Saugatuck River.
• Lachat Town Farm
• Open land around the Saugatuck Reservoir: This area has trails and places for fishing.

Notable People from Weston

Many famous people have lived in Weston:

See also

In Spanish: Weston (Connecticut) para niños