ZIP Code 06405

Branford is a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, about 6 miles (10 km) east of downtown New Haven. The town's name is said to be derived from the town of Brentford, England. Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) Branford is home to two breweries named after local landmarks, Thimble Island Brewing Company and Stony Creek Brewing Company. Connecticut Hospice was founded in Branford, the first hospice in the U.S. in 1974. The population was 28,273 at the 2020 census, and is expected to rise to 28,500 by the end of the decade. The area was also described by Ezra Stiles as containing a "Dutch Fort", as hinted at by archaeological excavations completed in the 1990s. It has a total area of 28.0 square miles (73 km²), of which 22.0 sq miles (57 km²) are land and 6.0sq miles (16 km²): the Branford River, Queach Brook and Branford Supply Ponds. There are two harbors, the more central Branford Harbor on the east end, and one town beach at Branford Point. Much of the town's border with East Haven to the west is dominated by Lake Saltonstall, a reservoir owned by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. The southern terminus of the Metacomet Ridge, Beacon Hill, is located on the west side of Branford.

Geography

The town has a total area of 28.0 square miles (73 km²), of which 22.0 sq miles (57 km²) is land. The Branford River, Queach Brook and the Branford Supply Ponds are located in the town. Neighboring towns are North Branford, Guilford, and East Haven. The southern terminus of the Metacomet Ridge, Beacon Hill, is located in Branford. The town of Branford includes the Thimble Islands, which are part of the New Haven-Wethersfield County line. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town's population at 1,788. The population of Branfords, Connecticut, in 2010 was 1,838. The state population of Connecticut in 2010 is 1,938. the state's population is 2,071. The United States Census Bureau recorded the town as having a population of 1,989 in 2010. It is located on the Connecticut River, which flows through Branford Harbor and Stony Creek Harbor. Branford has one beach, Branford Point, and two harbors, one on the east end of the town and the other on the west end. It also has a reservoir, Lake Saltonstall, which is part of a mountain range known as the "Metacomet ridge" The town's border with East Haven to the west is dominated by the lake and Salton Stall Mountain, a mountain that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border.

History

Branford was established in 1644 by the first English settlers of New Haven. The Dutch in the New Netherland settlements set up a trading post at the mouth of the Branford River in the 17th century. In the late 18th century, the first shoreline community, Stony Creek, was settled. The railroad helped bring new business, including Branford Lockworks, Malleable Iron Fittings Company, and the Atlantic Wire Company. In 1974, Connecticut Hospice was founded in Branford. It was the first hospice in the United States. Branford became a popular resort area during the mid-19th century and shed its resort image in the early 1980s. It developed with many characteristics typically associated with northeastern suburbs. The town's name is said to be derived from the town of Brentford, England. In early maps, the town was called Brentford before being shortened to Branford, and later Branford was used as a name for the town. The name Branford is now used to refer to an area of the town that was once called Totoket, which was part of the land bought from the Mattabesech Indians in 1638. It is also known as "Dutch Wharf" and "Dutch House Quarter" because of a Dutch trading post there in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and a "Dutch Fort" in the area. It has been named after the town's first resident, William Branford who was born in 1642.

Landmarks and attractions

Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture. In total, 30 properties or districts in Branford appear in New Haven County's NRHP listings. Two breweries are named after local landmarks, Thimble Island Brewing Company and Stony Creek Brewery. The town has 20 miles (32 km) of coastline with more than 12 marinas and several town-maintained parks, including Lake Saltonstall and a stretch of Shoreline Greenway Trail. There are more than 20 historic homes and other properties that are separate from the NRHP listed districts in the town.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 28,683 people, 12,543 households, and 7,663 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,305.2 inhabitants per square mile (503.9/km²). There were 13,342 housing units at an average density of 607.1 per squaremile (234.4/ km²) The racial makeup of the town was 94.05% white, 1.35% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.72% Asian, 0.,06% Pacific Islander, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.57% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was $58,009, and $69,510 for a family. About 3.3% of families and 4.1% of residents were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 5.0% ofThose 65 and older. The town is located on the U.S.-Mexico border and was once part of the state of New Mexico. It is now part of New Hampshire and is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The U.N. campus is located in the state's largest city, which is also known as the "capital" of the United States. It was the site of a World War II-era naval base.

Principal communities in Branford

Branford Center is home to many small stores, restaurants, and coffee houses. The original site of Connecticut Hospice (now the Monastery of the Glorious Crossa semi-cloistered community of Benedictine nuns) is located in this area. The more southern section features less dense areas with woodlands and farm featuring trails that connect the Shoreline Greenway trail from New Haven to Madison. Indian Neck is in the south-central section of Branford, dominated by a peninsula bordering Branford Harbor. The Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club (P.O.C.), the Pine Brook School (formerly Wightwood School), and Francis Walsh Intermediate School are found here. Just offshore from Stony Creek is an intriguing archipelago of islands known as the Thimble Islands. The Thimbles are a jumble of glacial rocks, ranging from 17 acres (6.9 ha) down to stepping-stone size, at the mouth of the harbor. The only large working fife and fife corps in Branford is the Totoket Ancient Fife & Drum Corps, and the only working drum corps in the town is the Stoney Creek Fife and Drum Corps. The town is located on the heavily commercialized strip of U.S. Route 1, which includes the Statue of Liberty, Granite Stony D.C., and the newest building in New York City, the Granite House. It is located at the end of the western end of town in Short Beach, which was chosen to be used to be the base of the Statue. of Liberty.

Industry

Branford is known for high-technology and pharmaceutical companies such as 454 Life Sciences and Durata Therapeutics. Wilson Arms is in Branford, a company that produces small-caliber rifles and parts. Branford is currently home to three privately owned beer breweries: Stony Creek Brewery, Thimble Island Brewing Co, and Duvig Brewing Company. Within the town are also two large glazing and window construction companies, Massey's Plate Glass & Aluminum and Cherry Hill Glass. The town is also home to Autac, Inc. which has been manufacturing high quality coiled cords since 1947. It is the site of the former Malleable Iron Fittings, which was demolished and turned into housing in the 1980s and 1990s. It also is the home of American Polyfilm, Inc., which specializes in the manufacture of polyurethane film for a number of industries including industrial and high performance fabrics and medical products to name a few. The city is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, which is located on the campus of Branford High School. The school is also the location of the University of New Hampshire, where students can earn a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering and other related fields. The U.N. also has a branch of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which focuses on the development and commercialization of differentiated therapeutic solutions for physicians and providers to advance patient care in infectious disease and acute illnesses. In the town, there are two large glass manufacturing companies: Massey’s Plate Glass and Aluminum.

Education

Schools in Branford: Branford High School, John B. Sliney School, Linda Chipkin School, Mary T. Tisko School, East Shoreline Catholic Academy. Branford is home to the U.S. Open, the New York City Marathon, and the New England Aquarium. The town is also the site of the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs from New Jersey to New Jersey. The Branford School District was founded in 1883. It was named after Branford, Connecticut, a town in the town of the same name. It is now part of the Branford Unified School District, which was formed in 1887. The school district has a total of 12 schools. It also has an elementary school, middle school, and an intermediate school. The district has an additional high school, which opened in 1994. It has an enrollment of 1,856 students, with a total enrollment of 2,854. It's the largest school district in the state, followed by the New Haven School District with 1,744 students. The high school district also has a middle school and a junior high. It had a high school graduation rate of 9.7 percent in 2013. It now has a high-pupil-to-senior high school enrollment rate of 8.8 percent. The elementary school has an average enrollment of 6.2 percent, with an average of 1.4 students per grade. The middle school has a low-enrollment rate of 2.1 percent.

Transportation

The main artery through the town is Interstate 95, running along the eastern coast of the United States. The town has a station on the Shore Line East commuter rail line from New London to New Haven. The Branford Steam Railroad carries quarried trap rock from North Branford to barges at Juniper Point near Stony Creek. Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is located 3 miles (5 km) west of Branford.Connecticut Route 142 (Short Beach Road/Shore Drive) serves the community of Short Beach in the southwestern part of the town. Connecticut Route 146 is a scenic route that passes through various coastal communities and into Guilford. The section north of Route 1 is an unsigned state road (SR 740). A large number of condominium complexes are located on SR 740 or one of its side roads. The road takes a winding route over a hill popularly known as "Snake Hill", site of numerous traffic accidents, as it heads north into North Branfords. It is also located on the section known as Brushy Plain Road, which runs from Main Street into the town's north. The route runs closely parallel to the Amtrak/shore Line East railroad tracks. The area is known as the "Branford Graveyard" because of the number of accidents that have occurred on the road over the past few decades. It has been the site of a number of high-profile accidents, including the death of a man who was hit by a car while crossing the road.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut = 5.5. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 44. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Branford = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 28,273 individuals with a median age of 44 age the population grows by 1.11% in Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,000 residents per square mile of area (390/km²). There are average 2.24 people per household in the 12,820 households with an average household income of $69,829 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.80% of the available work force and has dropped -2.32% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.56%. The number of physicians in Branford per 100,000 population = 328.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Branford = 43.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 109. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 205. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 21.7 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 46, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Branford, New Haven County, Connecticut which are owned by the occupant = 64.19%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 38 years with median home cost = $232,250 and home appreciation of -2.56%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $18.96 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,687 per student. There are 14 students for each teacher in the school, 363 students for each Librarian and 359 students for each Counselor. 5.93% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 19.06% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 19.42% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).