Blue Hills is a community in Hartford County, Connecticut, encompassing the northwest corner of the city 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 th ...

and the southeast corner of the town of Bloomfield. The Bloomfield portion is listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP), with a population of 2,762 at the 2020 census. Blue Hills is home to many schools and homes. Including the portion in Hartford, it has roughly 10,000 residents, and has several schools and one university located there. Its main thoroughfares are Granby Street, Blue Hills Avenue ( Route 187), Plainfield Street, Bloomfield Avenue ( Route 189) and Albany Avenue (

US 44 U.S. Route 44 (US 44) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that runs for through four states in the Northeastern United States. The western terminus is at US 209 and New York State Route 55 (NY 55) in Kerhonk ...

). Connecticut Transit operates several bus routes through the neighborhood, such as the 50, 52 and 54, which run on Blue Hills Avenue, the 56 and 58, which run up on Albany Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue, the 74, which runs through Westbrook Village on its way to Copaco Shopping Center via Granby Street, and the 76, which runs on Cornwall Street towards Bowles Park. Blue Hills has a majority of West Indian and African American people. Educational institutions include Annie Fisher ES, Mountain Laurel School (Annie Fisher School Annex), Sarah J. Rawson ES, Mark Twain ES, Martin Luther King, Jr. ES, Weaver HS, Watkinson School, and the

University of Hartford The University of Hartford (UHart) is a private university in West Hartford, Connecticut. Its main campus extends into neighboring Hartford and Bloomfield. The university attracts students from 48 states and 43 countries. The university and it ...

Geography

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 CDP portion of Blue Hills has a total area of , all land.

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 of 2000, there were 3,020 people, 1,008 households, and 782 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 1,044 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 9.80%

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 ...

, 83.11%

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...

, 0.40% Native American, 1.23% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...

, 1.49% 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 3.94% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties form ...

or Latino of any race were 4.07% of the population. In 2000, 23.9% of Blue Hills residents identified as being of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispanio ...

n heritage. This was the highest percentage of

Jamaican Americans Jamaican Americans are an ethnic group of Caribbean Americans who have full or partial Jamaican ancestry. The largest proportions of Jamaican Americans live in South Florida and New York City, both of which have been home to large Jamaican commu ...

of any place in the country. There were 1,008 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% 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, 28.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.29. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $48,859, and the median income for a family was $52,361. Males had a median income of $36,842 versus $30,972 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 CDP was $21,618. About 3.9% of families and 8.7% 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 14.6% of those under age 18 and 13.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

The main north-south roads are Granby Street and Blue Hills Avenue ( Route 187). The main east-west road is Cottage Grove Road ( Route 218). The 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 74, 76, and 92 bus routes from Connecticut Transit serve the area. There have been plans for the local railroad, the Griffin Line (which is used by freight), to be made into commuter rail. Interstate highways 91 and 291 link Blue Hills to

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

, Springfield,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, and points east of the Connecticut River.

Shopping

The main shopping center in Blue Hills is the Copaco Shopping Center off of Cottage Grove Road. It has a McDonald's, Stop and Shop, IHOP, CVS, Lowes, Boston Market, Game Stop, Burlington Coat Factory, and a Home Depot, amongst other stores.

Education

Blue Hills is home to Annie Fisher School, Mark Twain School, Weaver High School, Watkinson School, and the

Religion

Blue Hills is home to

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 ...

, New England's largest Protestant church.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Hartford County, Connecticut Neighborhoods in Connecticut Geography of Hartford, Connecticut Bloomfield, Connecticut Jamaican-American history Census-designated places in Connecticut