Greater Bridgeport is the

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

centered on the city of

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The area is located in

Southwestern Connecticut Western Connecticut is a geographic region of Connecticut located in the southwest corner of the state. Numerous towns are part of the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (or WestCOG), one 9 regional councils of governments in Connecticut ...

. In its most conservative form the area consists of the city of Bridgeport and five surrounding towns— Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and

Trumbull Trumbull may refer to: Places United States * Trumbull County, Ohio ** Trumbull Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio * Trumbull, Connecticut * Trumbull, Nebraska * Fort Trumbull, Connecticut * Mount Trumbull Wilderness in Arizona People Surname * ...

. This definition of the Bridgeport area has a population of more than 305,000 and is within the

- Stamford- Norwalk-

Danbury Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

metropolitan statistical area (Bridgeport metropolitan area), which consists of all of Fairfield County, Connecticut. The estimated 2015 county population was 948,053. The area is numbered as part of the New York-Newark metropolitan statistical area NY-NJ-CT-PA by the United States Census Bureau. The combined metropolitan area is the 4th largest of New England (behind the Boston,

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

, and Hartford areas). The area includes Connecticut's two largest cities:

and Stamford. As of 2022 the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury area has been split into two different Connecticut regions (the state equivalent to counties), the

Western Connecticut Western Connecticut is a geographic region of Connecticut located in the southwest corner of the state. Numerous towns are part of the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (or WestCOG), one 9 regional councils of governments in Connecticut ...

region (including Stamford, Norwalk and Danbury), and

Metropolitan Connecticut The Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments, or MetroCOG, is a planning organization serving six towns and cities in southwest Connecticut, United States. MetroCOG is one of nine councils of governments in Connecticut. MetroCOG also se ...

(MetroCOG), consisting of the five towns of Greater Bridgeport. The region is home to one of the largest concentration of corporate headquarters in the nation.

Definitions

Greater Bridgeport Region

The smallest official definition of Greater Bridgeport is the area under the authority of the Greater Bridgeport Regional Planning Agency, which oversees transportation, land use and economic development planning for its member towns. The region consists of the six towns indicated in the introduction. Map of Connecticut highlighting Greater Bridgeport Region

Bridgeport Labor Market Area

The Bridgeport Labor Market Area includes the core region above and also extends northeast into

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

and the Lower Naugatuck Valley (including Ansonia,

Beacon Falls Beacon Falls is a town in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It lies in the southwestern part of the state, and is bisected by the Naugatuck River. The population was 6,000 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, dow ...

, Derby, Oxford,

Seymour Seymour may refer to: Places Australia *Seymour, Victoria, a township *Electoral district of Seymour, a former electoral district in Victoria *Rural City of Seymour, a former local government area in Victoria *Seymour, Tasmania, a locality ...

, and

Shelton Shelton may refer to: Places United Kingdom *Shelton, North Bedfordshire, in the parish of Dean and Shelton, Bedfordshire *Lower Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire *Upper Shelton, in the parish of Marston Moretaine, Bedfor ...

) for a total of 13 towns.

Bridgeport-Stamford NECTA

The urbanized areas of Stamford and

are contiguous and considered by the

U.S. 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 ...

as a single urban core. The towns containing this merged urbanized area, plus surrounding towns with significant commuter interchange to the central towns, are grouped together as the ''Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk New England City and Town Area''. The area contains 25 towns and includes the Greater Bridgeport Region, the Gold Coast, the Lower Naugatuck Valley, and the additional outlying towns of

, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Southbury, and

Woodbridge Woodbridge may refer to: Places Australia *Woodbridge, Western Australia formerly called ''West Midland'' *Woodbridge, Tasmania Canada *Woodbridge, Ontario England *Woodbridge, Suffolk, the location of ** Woodbridge (UK Parliament constituency ...

. As of the 2000 census, the population of the NECTA was 892,283 A slightly smaller definition known as the ''Southwest Service Delivery Area'' consists of the Greater Bridgeport Region, the Lower Naugatuck Valley (including Oxford), the Gold Coast, and the town of Milford (20 towns).

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The MSA associated with Bridgeport is the ''Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk–Danbury MSA'' and consists of the entirety of Fairfield County with 23 towns. While statistically similar in terms of population and extent to the NECTA definition, the MSA includes the city of

and its suburbs, and excludes the Valley region.

Economy

The extended Greater Bridgeport area is home to multiple Fortune 500 companies including;

Emcor EMCOR Group is an engineering and construction company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US. It comprises 80 or more operating companies, has approximately 170 locations and employs more than 33,000 people. The company was listed as number 375 on ...

, Xerox, and Booking Holdings in Norwalk, Charter Communications, Syncrony Financial,

United Rentals United Rentals, Inc. () is the world's largest equipment rental company, with about 13 percent of the North American market share as of 2019. It owns the largest rental fleet in the world with approximately 4,700 classes of equipment totaling abo ...

, and Frontier Communications in Stamford, XPO Logistics in Greenwich, and the New England regional base of M&T Bank in

(company based in Buffalo, NY). The coastline portion of the metropolitan area, which is Fairfield County, is known as the Gold Coast, is the densest concentration of wealth in the US, being home to hedge funds, some of the wealthiest towns in the country, commuter

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for t ...

executives and wealthy WASP families. The Greater Bridgeport area, particularly Stamford, is home to WWE, NBC Sports Group, along with their studios,

CBS Sports HQ CBS Sports HQ is a streaming video sports channel operated by the CBS Sports and Paramount Streaming divisions of Paramount focused on airing sports news, highlights and scores, similar to pre-2010 ESPNews. CBS Sports HQ is co-headquartered in St ...

, A&E Networks also has a presence there, all due to Connecticut tax incentives.

Blue Sky Studios Blue Sky Studios, Inc. was an American computer animation studio based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was founded on February 22, 1987 by Chris Wedge, Michael Ferraro, Carl Ludwig, Alison Brown, David Brown, and Eugene Troubetzkoy after their e ...

was based in Greenwich until being closed by Disney in 2022. The Maury,

Jerry Springer Show ''Jerry Springer'' is an American scripted syndicated tabloid talk show that aired from September 30, 1991 to July 26, 2018. Produced and hosted by its namesake, Jerry Springer, it aired for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes. The television ...

and Steve Wilkos show are also shot in downtown Stamford. Many towns in the area were once home to heavy industry, and Bridgeport was the state's chief manufacturing city by output and value of goods. Despite a corporate exodus due to deindustrialization, (including the General Electric factory and the Colombia Pictures Processing Plant) nearby Stratford continues to be home to

Sikorsky Aircraft Sikorsky Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. It was established by aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky in 1923 and was among the first companies to manufacture helicopters for civilian and military use. Pre ...

and

home to Hubbell Incorporated. Other major well known companies in the area not listed previously include: * GXO Logistics (Greenwich) * GE Capital (Norwalk) *

GE Energy Financial Services GE Energy Financial Services (EFS), a division of GE Capital headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, United States, provides financial and technological investment in energy infrastructure projects around the world. EFS is active within industries ...

(Stamford) * Pitney Bowes (Stamford) *

Indeed.com Indeed is an American worldwide employment website for job listings launched in November 2004. It is an independent subsidiary of multinational holding Recruit Co. Ltd. It is co-headquartered in Austin, Texas, and Stamford, Connecticut, with ad ...

(Stamford) *

ITT Inc. ITT Inc., formerly ITT Corporation, is an American worldwide manufacturing company based in Stamford, Connecticut. The company produces specialty components for the aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial markets. ITT's three businesse ...

(Stamford) *

Conair Corporation Conair Corporation is an American company based in Stamford, Connecticut which sells small appliances, personal care products, and health and beauty products for both professionals and consumers. It was founded in 1959 and has since expanded to ...

(Stamford) * BlueTriton Brands (formally Nestle Waters North America * GTE (Stamford) * Gartner (Stamford) *

Kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

(Stamford) * Point72 Asset Management (Stamford) * Vineyard Vines (Stamford) *

Bigelow Tea Company The Bigelow Tea Company (formerly R.C. Bigelow, Inc.) is an American manufacturer of dried teas based in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by Ruth C. Bigelow in 1945, based on a recipe she marketed as "Constant Comment" tea. The company mar ...

(Fairfield) *

GE Wind Energy GE Wind Energy is a branch of GE Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of General Electric. The company manufactures and sells wind turbines to the international market. In 2018, GE was the fourth largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world. History ...

(Fairfield) * Vinegar Syndrome (Bridgeport) *

Subway Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to: Transportation * Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems * Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle * Subway (George Bush Interconti ...

(Milford) * CTI Electronics Corporation (Stratford) * Ethan Allen Furniture (Danbury) *

Duracell Duracell Inc. is an American manufacturer of alkaline batteries, specialty cells, rechargeables and smart power systems, owned by Berkshire Hathaway. The company has its origins in the 1920s, through the work of Samuel Ruben and Philip Mallory, ...

(Bethel) *

Bow Tie Cinemas Bow Tie Cinemas is an American movie theater chain, with 38 locations in Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. As of 2013, it is the eighth-largest movie theater chain in the United States and is the oldest, havin ...

(Ridgefield) * GE Commercial Finance (Norwalk) *

Photronics Inc Photronics, Inc is an American semiconductor photomask manufacturer. It was the third largest photomask supplier globally as of 2020. History Founded 1969 at Danbury, Connecticut as "Photronic Labs, Inc." The company has manufacturing facilities ...

(Brookfield)

Transportation

Commuter rail is served by the

Metro-North railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...

of the MTA, which connects the Connecticut suburbs to New York City, with the New Haven line passing through every station along the coast. The New Canaan Line and the Waterbury line connect northern Fairfield County and the

Naugatuck Valley The Naugatuck River Valley is the watershed area of the Naugatuck River in the western part of Connecticut. The Naugatuck Valley straddles parts of Litchfield County, New Haven, and Fairfield counties. The Route 8 corridor and Waterbury Branch o ...

to New York City. The Bridgeport and Stamford stations are also served by Shore Line East and Amtrak rail service. The metropolitan area is served by multiple different bus operators for public transit. The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority operates from downtown near the train station and serves Bridgeport and the surrounding towns of Trumbull, Stratford, Milford, Westport, Fairfield, Shelton and Monroe, which works in conjunction with the Norwalk and Milford Transit. GBT Costal Link buses connect in Norwalk to the Norwalk Transit District, which takes riders are far north as Danbury and west as Greenwich.

CT 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 Department of Transportation. CTtransit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different ...

operates a division in Stamford, which includes Greenwich, Darian, New Canaan, and

Port Chester, NY Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populat ...

. The region is currently served mainly by Bradley and New York City airports, with the regional airports nearby including Westchester County Airport (in White Plains, NY) and Tweed Airport (in New Haven), both more than a half hour away. Talks about commercial services returning to

Sikorsky Memorial Airport Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is a public airport in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, owned by the city of Bridgeport. It is three miles (6 km) southeast of downtown, in the town of Stratford. It was formerly Bridgeport M ...

have been going on for years. Built in the 1920s on Avon Field, located in Stratford and previously owned by the City of Bridgeport (until bought by the Connecticut Airport Authority), the airport ceased commercial flights in 1999, along with the demolition of the passenger terminal.

Higher education

Universities and full-time colleges

* Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, founded 1903 * University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, founded 1927 *

Fairfield University Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...

in Fairfield, founded 1942 * Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, founded 1963 * The University of Connecticut in Storrs has a secondary campus in Stamford, as does Sacred Heart University.

Community colleges

* Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport *Norwalk Community Collage in Norwalk