The area of Connecticut was part of the original territory of the United States. It was chartered as a colony in 1662. In 1786, it ceded area to the United States’ government that became part of the Northwest Territory in 1787. Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788; it was the fifth of the original 13 states to join the Union. Its boundary was generally the same as the present state (excluding the Connecticut Western Reserve), although the boundary between Connecticut and Massachusetts was changed slightly in 1804.

Census data for Connecticut are available beginning with the 1790 census.

AMERICAN INDIAN AREAS

Connecticut has two federally recognized American Indian area reservations and off-reservation trust lands. There are also three state recognized American Indian area reservations.

METROPOLITAN AND MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS AND RELATED STATISTICAL AREAS

Connecticut has core based statistical areas based on both counties (metropolitan statistical areas, micropolitan statistical areas, and combined statistical areas) and county subdivisions (metropolitan New England city and town areas (NECTAs), micropolitan NECTAs, and combined NECTAs).

Connecticut has four metropolitan statistical areas, two micropolitan statistical areas, two combined statistical areas, eight metropolitan NECTAs, three micropolitan NECTAs, and four combined NECTAs.

COUNTIES

There are eight counties in Connecticut. All counties are non-functioning legal entities. In 1960, Connecticut county governments were abolished and county functions were transferred to the state government. The former county boundaries were retained for election of county sheriffs and for judicial purposes.

COUNTY SUBDIVISIONS

There are 173 county subdivisions in Connecticut known as minor civil divisions (MCDs). These county subdivisions serve as the fundamental local subdivision in the state. There are 169 towns and 4 county subdivisions not defined that consist solely of water (the portions of counties that extend into Long Island Sound). Twenty towns are coextensive with an incorporated place and have a single set of officials. The remaining 149 towns are actively functioning governmental units. Milford city and Milford town in New Haven County governmentally consolidated as the Milford consolidated city.

PLACES

Connecticut has 142 places; 30 incorporated places and 112 census designated places (CDPs). There is one consolidated city, Milford city. The incorporated places consist of 19 cities, 10 boroughs and one balance of town representing the portion of the Milford consolidated city that is outside of the incorporated place of Woodmont borough. Incorporated places are dependent within county subdivision.

CENSUS TRACTS/BLOCK GROUPS/BLOCKS

Connecticut has 833 census tracts, 2,585 block groups, and 67,578 blocks.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

For the 111^th Congress (January 2009-January 2011), Connecticut had five congressional districts. For the 113^th Congress (January 2013-January 2015), Connecticut continues to have five congressional districts as a result of reapportionment based on the 2010 Census.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Connecticut has 44 elementary school districts, 8 secondary school districts, and 115 unified school districts.

STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS

There are 36 state senate districts and 151 state house districts in Connecticut. There is also one state house district not defined and one state senate district not defined which are comprised solely of water.

URBAN AREAS

Connecticut has 17 urban areas; 9 urbanized areas and 8 urban clusters.

ZIP CODE TABULATION AREAS

There are 282 ZIP Code tabulation areas in Connecticut.

OTHER INFORMATION OF GENERAL GEOGRAPHIC INTEREST

The irregularity of the boundary in southwestern Connecticut where it abuts New York State, called the Connecticut Panhandle, is the result of territorial disputes in the late 17^th century. New York gave up its claim to this area in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield, Connecticut to the Massachusetts border and an undisputed claim to Rye, New York. The two British colonies negotiated an agreement in November 1683 establishing the New York-Connecticut border as 20 miles east of the Hudson River, north to Massachusetts.

1  Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1923
²  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, recomputation for historical county level data which relied upon aggregate county level population data with an estimated county centroid resulting in a possible error of up to one mile.
³  Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Centers of Population for States and Counties, 1974
⁴  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, recomputation from archived national block group/enumeration area data resulting in a possible error of up to 1,000 feet.
⁵  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, recomputation from archived national block group data resulting in a possible error of up to 1,000 feet.
⁶  Source:  U.S. Census Bureau, computation from national block-level data