Overview

Introduction to New Britain, Connecticut

The city of New Britain, located at the geographic center of Connecticut, is part of Hartford County. Considered a suburb of Hartford by some, New Britain lies only about 9 miles southwest of the Connecticut state capital. Serviced by U.S. Route 6 and Connecticut State Highways 9 and 72, the city is afforded direct access to Interstate Highways I-84 and I-91 and is about two hours away from both Boston and New York. New Britain is home to Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and Charter Oak State College.

Incorporated as a city in 1871, New Britain saw its industrial identity defined in the late 19th century when Frederick Stanley incorporated The Stanley Works and was soon followed by Corbin Locks and other major manufacturers. By the early 20th century, New Britain became known as the "Hardware City," having become America's largest hardware manufacturing center. Still the home of the Stanley Works, New Britain today retains its economic focus on manufacturing but supplements it with an eye towards technology.

New Britain Attractions

The New Britain Museum of American Art, founded in 1903, carries the distinction as the first museum of strictly American art in the country. Its large catalogue of American works of art is housed in the comfortable spaces of a 1907 residence. The New Britain Youth Museum, founded in 1956, encourages children and their families to learn Connecticut history and explore aspects of state and world cultures. The New Britain Industrial Museum chronicles the development of New Britain industry and houses a collection of its products, such as tools, ball bearings, kitchen appliances, and architectural hardware dating back to 1812. The Copernican Observatory and Planetarium at CCSU offers a variety of shows themed around planets, stars, constellations, and other astronomical topics.

New Britain is also home to a variety of creative, performing and visual arts. Some examples of these are:

  • New Britain Chorale
  • Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
  • New Britain Symphony Orchestra
  • Black Box Theatre at CCSU
  • Hole in the Wall Theater
  • Repertory Theatre of New Britain
  • Greater New Britain Opera Association
  • Thaddeus L. Torp Theatre at CCSU

Sports fans in New Britain can treat themselves to quality professional baseball. The city is home to the New Britain Rock Cats, a Minor League Baseball Double-A team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins. The Rock Cats play their Eastern League games at the friendly confines of the Willow Brook Park Sports Complex. Only minutes away is the city of Hartford, home to hockey's Hartford Wolf Pack, an American Hockey League (AHL) team affiliated with the National Hockey League's New York Rangers. Baseball fanatics can find even more of their sport by traveling a half-hour south to New Haven, home of the New Haven Cutters, an independent team in the Can-Am (Canadian-American Association of Pro Baseball) League. New Haven is also home to Yale University and the Yale Bulldogs athletic teams.

Demographics

People

Total Population72,839
Male Share of the Population48.9%
Female Share of the Population51.1%
Senior Citizens12.8%
Employed Population 16+32,287
Age of the Population34

Families

% of people married35.3%
Average household size2

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher19.4%
Median Earnings25+$36,420
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$23,203
Median Earnings With High School Degree$34,831

Wealth

Median Family Income$53,714
% Above Poverty Level78%
% Below Poverty Level22%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time20 minutes
% Working from Home2.7%
% Walking and Biking to Work2.5%
% Using Public Transportation3.5%

Housing

People Living Alone32.7%
Median Gross Rent$978
Median House Value$159,300

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)52.7%
Polish15.5%
Italian8.6%
Irish6.4%
French Except Basque3.3%
German3.2%
English2.1%
West Indian1.9%
Jamaican1.5%
Canadian1.4%
African1.4%
Arab1.1%
Ukrainian1%
Portuguese0.9%
Swedish0.7%
Scottish0.5%
Lithuanian0.5%
Czech0.4%
Russian0.4%
Greek0.3%
Austrian0.3%
Slovak0.2%
Cape Verdean0.2%
Liberian0.2%
Sudanese0.2%
Hungarian0.2%
US/American0.2%
Trinidad Tobago0.2%
Swiss0.1%
Moroccan0.1%
Haitian0.1%
Albanian0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
Welsh0.1%
Ghanaian0.1%
Danishn0.1%
Norwegian0.1%
New Zealand0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Romanian0.1%
Dutch0.1%
Guyanese0.1%
Brazilian0.1%
Nigerian0.1%
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New Britain Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyHartford County
Standard Zip Codes06053, 06051, 06052
P.O. Box Zip Codes6050
Phone Area Codes860
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude41.69
Approximate Longitude-72.79

New Britain Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationMIDDLETOWN 4 W (MERIDEN)
Distance8.4 miles
Jan Temp20 to 36 F
Apr Temp39 to 59 F
Jul Temp63 to 84 F
Oct Temp43 to 62 F
Annual Precip52.3 inches
StationBAKERSVILLE
Distance17.9 miles
Jan Temp14 to 33 F
Apr Temp33 to 58 F
Jul Temp58 to 81 F
Oct Temp37 to 60 F
Annual Precip54.5 inches
StationWIGWAM RESERVOIR
Distance18.3 miles
Jan Temp13 to 34 F
Apr Temp33 to 58 F
Jul Temp58 to 83 F
Oct Temp36 to 62 F
Annual Precip51 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Bristol60,308$83,646
Hartford123,628$39,453
Meriden59,864$75,370
Middletown46,473$91,130
Waterbury108,672$51,737

New Britain Public Libraries

New Britain Public Library
20 HIGH ST.
New Britain, Connecticut
(860) 224-3155

library logo

More Information for Librarians

New Britain Hospitals

The Hospital Of Central Connecticut
(Non-profit)
100 Grand Street
(860) 224-5011

New Britain Public Schools

Alternative Center School
505 South Main Street
ZIP: 6051
High
Total Enrollment 50
Chamberlain Elementary School
120 Newington Avenue
ZIP: 6051
Primary
Total Enrollment 528
New Britain High School
110 Mill Street
ZIP: 6051
High
Total Enrollment 2457
Northend School
160 Bassett Street
ZIP: 6051
Primary
Total Enrollment 274
Roosevelt Middle School
40 Goodwin Street
ZIP: 6051
Smalley Academy
175 West Street
ZIP: 6051
Primary
Total Enrollment 702
Smith School
142 Rutherford Street
ZIP: 6051
Primary
Total Enrollment 696
Climb
183 Steele Street
ZIP: 6052
High
Total Enrollment 29
Lincoln School
145 Steele Street
ZIP: 6052
Primary
Total Enrollment 725
Slade Middle School
183 Steele Street
ZIP: 6052
Middle
Total Enrollment 776
Vance School
183 Vance Street
ZIP: 6052
Primary
Total Enrollment 513
E. C. Goodwin Technical High School
735 Slater Road
ZIP: 6053
High
Total Enrollment 628
Frank J Diloreto School
732 Slater Road
ZIP: 6053
Primary
Total Enrollment 771
Gaffney School
322 Slater Road
ZIP: 6053
Primary
Total Enrollment 569
Holmes School
2150 Stanley Street
ZIP: 6053
Primary
Total Enrollment 506
House Of Arts Letters And Science (hals) Academy
370 Osgood Avenue
ZIP: 6053
Middle
Total Enrollment 159
Jefferson School
140 Horse Plain Road
ZIP: 6053
Primary
Total Enrollment 442
New Britain Transition Center
757 Farmington Avenue
ZIP: 6053
Other
Total Enrollment 50
Pulaski Middle School
757 Farmington Avenue
ZIP: 6053
Middle
Total Enrollment 769

New Britain Private Schools

St Matthews Lutheran School
87 Franklin Sq
ZIP: 6051
Elementary
Total Enrollment 37
Mountain Laurel Sudbury School
147 W Main St
ZIP: 6052
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 3
Pope John Paul Ii
221 Farmington Ave
ZIP: 6053
Elementary
Total Enrollment 133
Sacred Heart School
35 Orange St
ZIP: 6053
Elementary
Total Enrollment 214
Sources :
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