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Woodbridge, Connecticut
Official seal of Woodbridge, Connecticut
Seal
Location in New Haven County, Connecticut
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County New Haven
Metropolitan area New Haven
Incorporated 1784
Government
 • Type Selectman-town meeting
Area
 • Total 19.2 sq mi (49.7 km2)
 • Land 18.8 sq mi (48.8 km2)
 • Water 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2)
Elevation
348 ft (106 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 9,087
 • Density 473.3/sq mi (182.84/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
06525
Area code(s) 203/475
FIPS code 09-87700
GNIS feature ID 0213539

Woodbridge is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,087 at the 2020 census. The town center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Woodbridge Green Historic District. Woodbridge is part of the Amity Regional School District #5, rated the #1 school district in New Haven County and the 10th best school district in CT by Niche in 2021. As of 2019 Woodbridge has the 7th highest median household income in CT.

Due to restrictive zoning regulations, 99.8% of the town's area only permits single-family housing.

In the Fall of 2021 the Woodbridge Town Planning and Zoning Commission changed town regulations and now allow applications for two family or multi family housing on all lots in Woodbridge.

History

Woodbridge was originally called "Amity", having been carved out of land originally belonging to New Haven and Milford as an independent parish in 1739. In 1742, the Rev. Benjamin Woodbridge was ordained in Amity, and it is after him that the modern town was named.

In 1661, the town was the location of one of the hideouts of the "Regicides" — three of the judges who signed the death warrant for King Charles I of England. The ruins of their hideout can be found on the nearby West Rock ridge, which runs along the town's eastern border.

Thomas Darling (1720–1789), a tutor at Yale College and later an entrepreneur in New Haven, moved to town in 1774. His home is now the Darling House Museum, operated by the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Association. The original farms of Woodbridge were located in the area of the West River Valley known as "The Flats".

In the modern era, Woodbridge has undergone significant suburbanization.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.2 square miles (50 km2), of which 18.8 square miles (49 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) is water. The total area is 2.03% water.

Woodbridge is informally divided into two distinct parts—central Woodbridge, which occupies the western hilly side of town, and the area known as The Flats, which occupies the eastern slice of town bordering the less wealthy West Rock and the New Haven neighborhood of Westville.

Neighboring towns are Bethany to the north, Hamden to the east, New Haven to the southeast, Orange to the south, and Derby, Ansonia, and Seymour to the west.

Parks and hiking trails

Alice-newton-park-woodbridge-ct
Below Wepawaug Falls in Woodbridge

Woodbridge is home to several organizations that protect undeveloped land and historic sites, including the Woodbridge Land Trust and the Woodbridge Park Association. The town has an extensive system of preserved hiking trails open to the public, notably the 93-acre (380,000 m2) Alice Newton Street Memorial Park and the 22-acre (89,000 m2) Wepawaug Falls area. Some of the land has been donated by residents.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1820 1,988
1850 912
1860 872 −4.4%
1870 829 −4.9%
1880 926 11.7%
1890 926 0.0%
1900 852 −8.0%
1910 878 3.1%
1920 1,170 33.3%
1930 1,630 39.3%
1940 2,262 38.8%
1950 2,822 24.8%
1960 5,182 83.6%
1970 7,673 48.1%
1980 7,761 1.1%
1990 7,924 2.1%
2000 8,983 13.4%
2010 8,990 0.1%
2020 9,087 1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2020, there were 9,087 people, 2,897 households, and 2,353 families in the town. The population density was 477.0 people per square mile (184.2/km2). There were 3,476 housing units at an average density of 169.3 per square mile (65.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 74.5% White, 3.07% African American, 0.17% Native American, 13.3% Asian, 0.033% Pacific Islander, 1.91% from other races, and 6.99% from two or more races. 6.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Out of 2,897 households, there were 2,353 families in which 70% were married couple family households, 13.9% female householder with no spouse present, and 10.5% male householder with no spouse present. 36% of households have one or more person under the age of 18. 61.1% of the population is actively married. 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average family size was 3.31. 5.8% of the population was under the age of 5, 23.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 76.8% of the population was 18 years and over, and 24.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $157,610, and the median income for a family was $166,546. As of 2010, males had a median income of $105,632 versus $70,286 for females. The per capita income for the town was $69,179. 3.5% of the population and 1.4% of families were below the poverty line. 3.3% of those under the age of 18 and 4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 27, 2020
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters
Republican 1,305 119 1,424
Democratic 2,645 243 2,888
Unaffiliated 2,627 431 3,058
Minor Parties 95 9 104
Total 6,672 802 7,474

Other

  • The sulfur match was invented in Woodbridge by Samuel Beecher and Thomas Sanford in 1835.
  • Woodbridge is often mentioned on the CW show Gilmore Girls as a rival of Stars Hollow, a fictional Connecticut town.
  • Because of its proximity to Yale and its good school district, Woodbridge is considered one of the most educated towns in Connecticut. Woodbridge has one of the highest percentages of residents with graduate or professional degrees in Connecticut.

Notable locations

On the National Register of Historic Places

Education

Elementary school

Beecher Road School is the town's pre Kindergarten-Grade 6 school.

Middle school

As part of the Amity school system, Woodbridge shares a middle school with the town of Bethany, which is located north of Woodbridge.

High school

Woodbridge also shares the Amity Regional High School with the neighboring towns of Bethany and Orange. The high school is located in Woodbridge's town center area.

Woodbridge is home to Ezra Academy, a regional Jewish day school whose students reside in 21 towns throughout New Haven and Fairfield counties.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Woodbridge (Connecticut) para niños

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