Bloomfield is a
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
in
Hartford County
Hartford County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. According to the 2020 census, the population was 899,498, making it the second-most populous county in Connecticut. Hartford County contains the ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The town's population was 21,535 at the
2020 census.
Bloomfield is best known as the
headquarters
Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...
of
healthcare
Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health profe ...
services company
Cigna
Cigna is an American multinational managed healthcare and insurance company based in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Its insurance subsidiaries are major providers of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and se ...
.
History
Originally land of the Poquonock
Native Americans, the area was first settled in 1660 as part of Windsor, organized as the Parish of Wintonbury in 1736. Wintonbury comes from three names from neighboring towns Windsor, Farmington, and Simsbury. It was finally incorporated as the town of Bloomfield by the
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. Th ...
on May 28, 1835. Initially, the town's local economy was agriculturally based, mostly in shade tobacco, remaining as such until it developed as a postwar suburb of Hartford starting in the 1950s. Today, Bloomfield's local character varies. While the town's southern and eastern fringes are more densely populated and developed, the northern and western sections maintain a more rural feel with
meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...
s, woods, and some remaining farmland.
Geography
![Farmingtonriver gorge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Farmingtonriver_gorge.jpg)
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.63%, is water.
Bloomfield is bordered by
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
to the northeast,
East Granby to the north,
Simsbury
Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670.
History
Early history
At the beginning of the 17th century, th ...
and
Avon to the west, and
West Hartford
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
and
Hartford
Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...
to the south.
The northern border of Bloomfield is formed by the
Farmington River
The Farmington River is a river, U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 in length along its main stem, located in northwest Connecticut with major tributaries ex ...
. The west side of the town is flanked by
Talcott Mountain
Talcott Mountain of central Connecticut, with a high point of , is a long trap rock mountain ridge located west of the city of Hartford. The ridge, a prominent landscape feature, forms a continuous line of exposed western cliffs visible across ...
, part of the
Metacomet Ridge
The Metacomet Ridge, Metacomet Ridge Mountains, or Metacomet Range of southern New England is a narrow and steep fault-block mountain ridge known for its extensive cliff faces, scenic vistas, microclimate ecosystems, and rare or endangered plants. ...
, a mountainous
trap rock
Trap rock, also known as either trapp or trap, is any dark-colored, fine-grained, non-granitic intrusive or extrusive igneous rock. Types of trap rock include basalt, peridotite, diabase, and gabbro.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A ...
ridgeline that stretches from
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
to nearly the
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in Bloomfield include
Penwood State Park
Penwood State Park is a public recreation area located on Talcott Mountain in the town of Bloomfield, Connecticut. The state park's are contiguous with the north end of Talcott Mountain State Park. Both parks are managed by the Connecticut De ...
and the Tariffville Gorge of the Farmington River, on the borders of East Granby, Simsbury, and Bloomfield. The
Metacomet Trail
The Metacomet Trail is a '' Blue-Blazed'' hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of central Connecticut and is a part of the newly designated New England National Scenic Trail. Despite being easily accessible and close to large populatio ...
traverses the ridge.
Transportation
The major east–west throughway in Bloomfield is
Route 218, which starts at the Simsbury Road/Hall Boulevard split at the
West Hartford
West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census.
The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The C ...
line and inches north toward Cottage Grove Road before heading eastbound. Bloomfield also has two major north–south highways: Blue Hills Avenue (
Route 187
The following highways are numbered 187:
Japan
* Japan National Route 187
United States
* U.S. Route 187 (former)
* Alabama State Route 187
* Arizona State Route 187
* Arkansas Highway 187
* California State Route 187
* Colorado State Highwa ...
) and Bloomfield/Tunxis Avenues (
Route 189). These highways merge when approaching the
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
line but before returning to Bloomfield.
Eleven bus routes in
Connecticut Transit
CTtransit (styled as CT ''transit'') is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Connecticut Department of Transportation, Department of Transportation. CTtransit provides bus service vi ...
's Hartford Division serve Bloomfield: 36, 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 72, 74, 76, 92, and 153.
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
2000 Census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2010, there were 20,486 people, 8,554 households, and 5,343 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 8,195 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 35.7%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 57.5%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.03%
Native American, 1.9%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.70% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 5.6% of the population.
There were 8,554 households, out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.8% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.4% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.9 years. For every 122 females there were 100 males. For every 130 females age 18 and over, there were 100 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $73,519, and the median income for a family was $84,735.
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000. Males had a median income of $42,860 versus $36,778 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $28,843.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, About 5.8% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
Bloomfield has a
Town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
government. The Town Council elects a Chair, who is designated as Mayor, two weeks after the election. Mayor Danielle Wong began her first term as Mayor in November 2022.
Economy
Top employers
According to Bloomfield's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town are:
Schools
Bloomfield is home to three secondary schools: the public
Bloomfield High School, the inter-district Global Experience Magnet School (serving grades 6–12), and the
Metropolitan Learning Center, a CREC school serving grades 6–12.
Bloomfield Public Schools (Connecticut)
The Bloomfield Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from Bloomfield, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.
As of the 2021–22 school year, ...
also has:
*Pre-K3–K The Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School
*K–2 Laurel Elementary
*3–4 Metacomet Elementary
*5–6 Carmen Arace Intermediate
*7–8 Carmen Arace Middle School
Notable people
*
Clarence H. Adams
Clarence H. Adams (November 1, 1905 – May 10, 1987) was an American government official and businessman who served as a commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 1952 to 1956.
Early life
Adams was born on November 1, ...
(1905–1987), commissioner of
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
and president of the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
*
George Ansbro (1915–2011), radio announcer
*
LeRoy Bailey Jr. (born 1946), pastor and author
*
Edward C. Banfield, political scientist
*
James G. Batterson
James Goodwin Batterson (February 23, 1823 – September 18, 1901) was an American designer and builder, the owner of New England Granite Works from 1845 and a founder in 1863 of Travelers Insurance Company, both in Hartford, Connecticut. He ...
(1823–1901), founder of Travelers Insurance Company
*
Julia Brace
Julia Brace (June 13, 1807 – August 12, 1884) was a deafblind woman who enrolled at the American School for the Deaf, in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1825 and remained there as an employee after her graduation.
Biography
Julia Brace was born to a ...
(1807–1884), deaf/blind woman of 19th Century
*
Lawrence Clay-Bey
Lawrence Marvin Clay-Bey (born December 14, 1965) is an American former professional boxer who fought at heavyweight. As an amateur he was a two-time winner (1995 and 1996) of the United States National Championships as well as a bronze medalis ...
(born 1965), professional heavyweight boxer, born in town
*
Marcus Cooper
Marcus Cooper Sr. (born February 1, 1990) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football for Rutgers University. Cooper has also ...
(born 1990), cornerback for
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
*
Joe D'Ambrosio
Joe D'Ambrosio (born July 19, 1953 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American sports broadcaster and play-by-play announcer.
Career
Known as “the Voice of the Huskies,” D'Ambrosio was the play-by-play announcer for the University of Connecticut ...
(born 1953), sports broadcaster and play-by-play announcer
*
Edgar Eno, state assemblyman for Wisconsin
*
Oliver Filley
Oliver Dwight Filley (May 23, 1806August 21, 1881) was an American businessman, abolitionist, and politician who served as the 16th mayor of St. Louis, Missouri from 1858 to 1861.
Early life
Filley was born on May 23, 1806 in Bloomfield, Connec ...
(1806–1881), mayor of St. Louis from 1858 to 1861
*
Dwight Freeney
Dwight Jason Freeney (born February 19, 1980) is an American former football player who played as a defensive end and outside linebacker for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Syracuse University, whe ...
,
NFL All-Pro defensive end for
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, attended Bloomfield High School
*
Bobby Gibson
Bobby Gibson is an American politician and educator serving as a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 15th district. He assumed office on January 12, 2018.
Early life and education
Gibson was born in Bloomfield, Connect ...
, educator and member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives
The Connecticut State House of Representatives is the lower house in the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The house is composed of 151 members representing an ...
*
Edward H. Gillette
Edward Hooker Gillette (October 1, 1840 – August 14, 1918) was a nineteenth-century Populism, populist politician and editor from Iowa. He was elected on the United States Greenback Party, Greenback Party ticket to represent Iowa's 7th con ...
(1840–1918), congressman for Iowa, born in town
*
Jessica Hecht
Jessica Hecht is an American actress and singer who played Gretchen Schwartz on '' Breaking Bad'', Susan Bunch on ''Friends'', and Carol on '' The Boys''. She has also made numerous Broadway appearances.
Early life and education
Hecht was born ...
(born 1965), actress
*
Jaimoe
John Lee Johnson (born July 8, 1944), frequently known by the stage names Jai Johanny Johanson and Jaimoe, is an American drummer and percussionist. He is best known as one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band.
Johanson played ...
, drummer for
Allman Brothers Band Allman may refer to:
Music
*The Allman Brothers Band, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame southern rock band, formed by Duane and Gregg Allman
*The Allman Joys, an early band formed by Duane and Gregg Allman
*The Gregg Allman Band
People
*Allman (surname) ...
*
K.C. Jones
K. C. Jones (May 25, 1932 – December 25, 2020) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He is best known for his association with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with whom he won 11 of his 12 ...
(1932–2020),
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
Hall of Fame basketball player
*
Charles Kaman (1919–2011), aeronautical engineer, businessman, inventor and philanthropist
*
Ellie Kanner
Ellie Kanner, sometimes credited as Ellie Kanner-Zuckerman, is an American film and television director and former casting director.
Career
Kanner grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut. From a young age, she wanted to move to Los Angeles and purs ...
, film and television director and former casting director
*
Joža Karas
Josef "Joža" Karas (May 3, 1926 – November 28, 2008) was a Polish-born, Czech-American musician and teacher who located and made public music composed by inmates who worked at the Nazi concentration camp Theresienstadt during World War II. He ...
(1926–2008), musician and teacher who made public music composed by inmates of
Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...
during World War II
*
Noella Marcellino (born 1951),
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
nun who earned doctorate in microbiology from
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
, became Roman Catholic nun at Benedictine
Abbey of Regina Laudis
The Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis was founded in 1947 by Mother Benedict Duss, O.S.B. and Mother Mary Aline Trilles de Warren, O.S.B. in Bethlehem, Connecticut. This monastic foundation was one of the first houses of contemplative Benedictin ...
in town; she won
Fulbright scholarship
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...
to France to collect and examine native strains of fungi, with an emphasis on ''
Geotrichum candidum
''Geotrichum candidum'' is a fungus which is a member of the human microbiome, notably associated with skin, sputum, and faeces where it occurs in 25–30% of specimens. It is common in soil and has been isolated from soil collected around the w ...
'', from traditional cheese caves and stayed an additional three years, analyzing samples on grant from French government
*
Lewis Rome
Lewis "Lew" B. Rome (September 12, 1933 – July 1, 2015) was an American attorney and politician who served in the Connecticut State Senate and ran unsuccessfully as the Republican Party nominee in the 1982 Connecticut gubernatorial election.
...
(1933–2015), state senator representing Bloomfield (1971–1979); long-time resident
*
Anika Noni Rose
Anika Noni Rose (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for voicing Tiana, Disney's first African-American princess, as seen in ''The Princess and the Frog'' (2009). She was named a Disney Legend in 2011.
S ...
(born 1972), singer and actress, born in town
*
Nykesha Sales
Nykesha Simone Sales (born May 10, 1976) is an American assistant coach at the University of Georgia. She is a former professional basketball player in the WNBA, as well as playing in the Bosnian league for the ZKK Mladi Krajisnik club. Her prim ...
(born 1976),
WNBA basketball player, born in town
*
Franz Schurmann
Herbert Franz Schurmann (June 21, 1926 – August 20, 2010) was an American sociologist and historian who was best known for his research and writings about Communist China during the Cold War period.
Schurmann taught at the University of Califo ...
(1926–2010), sociologist and historian
*
Johann Smith
Johann Smith (born April 25, 1987, in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward, winger, and left back.
Career Youth
Smith grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut and attended the Watkinson School, where he ...
(born 1987), soccer player
*
Joseph M. Suggs Jr. (born 1940), politician, Bloomfield mayor, and
Connecticut State Treasurer
The Connecticut State Treasurer serves the office of treasurer for the state of Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Ma ...
(1993–1995)
*
James Thorpe (1915–2009),
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
professor and academic; lived his later years and died in town
*
David Ushery
David Ushery (born June 5, 1967) is an African-American television news anchor at WNBC News 4 New York, NBC’s flagship owned and operated station.
An integral member of the NBC 4 New York News team, Ushery has covered many of the largest and m ...
(born 1967), television news anchor
*
Douglas Wimbish (born 1956), bass player
On the National Register of Historic Places
*
*
Capt. Oliver Filley House
*
Francis Gillette House
*
Old Farm Schoolhouse
*
Southwest District School
File:Connecticut General Life Insurance Company Headquarters.JPG, Cigna Headquarters
File:Francis Gillette House.JPG, Francis Gillette House
File:Old Farm Schoolhouse.JPG, Old Farm Schoolhouse
File:Southwest School District.JPG, Southwest School District
Places of interest
* The New England Muscle Bicycle Museum, with 120 bicycles from the 1960s and 1970s, is open by appointment
*
The First Cathedral
The First Cathedral, originally known as First Baptist Church, is a Black Baptist congregation in Hartford, Connecticut.
It is the fifteenth oldest historically black church founded in the city and the third congregation to be known as First B ...
, the largest non-denominational church in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
References
External links
Town of Bloomfield official websiteBloomfield Public Library
{{authority control
Towns in Hartford County, Connecticut
Towns in Connecticut
Greater Hartford