View source for Middletown, Connecticut

{{Use American English|date=June 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Middletown
| official_name      = City of Middletown
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| image_skyline      = Middletown CT river skyline (cropped).JPG
| imagesize          = 300px
| image_caption      = Middletown skyline
| image_flag         = Flag of Middletown, Connecticut.png
| image_seal         = Middletown, CT Seal.png
| image_blank_emblem = Middletown, CT Logo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| blank_emblem_size  = 130px
| nickname           = Forest City
| image_map          = {{switcher|[[File:Middlesex County Connecticut Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Middletown Highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Middletown's location within Middlesex County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Middlesex County, Connecticut|Middlesex County]] and Connecticut|[[File:Lower Connecticut River Valley incorporated and unincorporated areas Middletown highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Middletown's location within the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut|Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region]] and Connecticut|default=1}}
| image_map1         = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=280|frame-height=200|frame-coord=SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q49192}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|33|44|N|72|39|3|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:10;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q49192;Q779;Q30|type2=shape|fill2=#ffffff|fill-opacity2=SWITCH:0;0.1;0.1|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|stroke-opacity2=SWITCH:0;1;1|switch=Middletown;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|33|44|N|72|39|3|W|region:US-CT_type:city(48,000)|display=inline,title}}
<!-- location -->| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Connecticut]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Middlesex County, Connecticut|Middlesex]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut|Lower CT River Valley]]
| established_title  = Incorporated (town)
| established_date   = 1651
| established_title2 = Incorporated (city)
| established_date2  = 1784
| established_title3 = Consolidated
| established_date3  = 1923
| named_for          = Being halfway between [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]] and [[Old Saybrook, Connecticut|Saybrook]] on the [[Connecticut River]]
| government_type    = [[Mayor-council]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Eugene P. Nocera ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
| leader_title1      = Council President
| leader_name1       = Jeanette Blackwell (D)
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_km2     = 109.72
| area_total_sq_mi   = 42.37
| area_land_km2      = 106.24
| area_land_sq_mi    = 41.02
| area_water_km2     = 3.49
| area_water_sq_mi   = 1.35
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 135
| population_footnotes = <ref>[http://www.city-data.com/city/Middletown-Connecticut.html Middletown, Connecticut (CT)], city-data.com</ref>
| population_total   = 47717
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_density_km2 = 449.14
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset         = −05:00
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST     = −04:00
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Codes]]
| postal_code        = 06457, 06459
| area_codes          = [[Area codes 860 and 959|860/959]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 09-47290
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 02378281<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2378281}}</ref>
| blank2_name        = Interstates
| blank2_info        = [[File:I-91.svg|25px|link=Interstate 91 in Connecticut]]
| blank3_name        = U.S. Highways
| blank3_info        = [[File:Connecticut Highway 3.svg|25px|link=Connecticut Route 3]] [[File:Connecticut Highway 9.svg|25px|link=Connecticut Route 9]] [[File:Connecticut Highway 17.svg|25px|link=Connecticut Route 17]] [[File:Connecticut Highway 66.svg|25px|link=Connecticut Route 66]] [[File:Connecticut Highway 155.svg|25px|link=Connecticut Route 155]] [[File:Connecticut Highway 217.svg|25px|link=Connecticut Route 217]]
| website            = {{URL|https://www.middletownct.gov/}}
| population_density_sq_mi = 1163.26
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_09.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 2, 2020}}</ref>
}}

'''Middletown''' is a city in [[Middlesex County, Connecticut]], United States. Located along the [[Connecticut River]], in the central part of the state, 16 miles (25.8&nbsp;km) south of [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]]. Middletown is the largest city in the [[Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut|Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region]]. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settlers as a town under its original Native American name, [[Mattabeseck]], after the local [[Wangunk]] village of the same name. They were among many tribes along the Atlantic coast who spoke [[Algonquian languages]]. The colonists renamed the settlement in 1653.

When [[Hartford County, Connecticut|Hartford County]] was organized on May 10, 1666, Middletown was included within its boundaries. In 1784, the central settlement was incorporated as a city distinct from the town. Both were included within newly formed Middlesex County in May 1785. In 1923, the City of Middletown was consolidated with the Town, making the city limits extensive.

Originally developed as a sailing port and then an industrial center on the Connecticut River, it is now largely residential. Its downtown, based on Main Street, serves as a popular retail, dining, and bar district near [[Wesleyan University]]. Middletown was the county seat of [[Middlesex County, Connecticut|Middlesex County]] from its creation in 1785 until the elimination of county government in 1960. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the city had a total population of 47,717. Middletown, Connecticut is considered the southernmost city in the [[Hartford-Springfield]] ''Knowledge Corridor'' Metropolitan Region, which features a combined metro population of 1.9 million. Middletown is largely a politically [[Progressivism in the United States|progressive]] city, and is home to one of the largest [[Pride parade|pride events]] in all of Connecticut.<ref name="Middletown Press pride enent">{{cite news |url=https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Middletown-prepares-for-Connecticut-s-largest-17213598.php |title=Middletown prepares for Connecticut's largest Pride celebration |last=Day |first=Cassandra |date=June 1, 2022 |newspaper=[[The Middletown Press]] |access-date=August 25, 2022}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Connecticut - Middletown - NARA - 23936493 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Middletown-Portland Bridge, 1938]]
{{See also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Middletown, Connecticut}}

The land on the western bank of the Connecticut River where Middletown now lies was home to a village of the [[Wangunk]], a tribe of [[Algonquian languages|Algongquian]]-speaking [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. The village was named [[Mattabesset]] (also spelled ''Mattabesett, Mattabesec,'' ''Mattabeseck,'' and ''Mattabesek''); the area they inhabited—now Middletown and the surrounding area—was named after it. When the primarily-English European settlers arrived in the region the Mattabesset were a part of the Wangunk, a large tribe in the Connecticut Valley, at the time under a sachem named Sowheag.<ref name="W1">Warner,  Elizabeth. ''A Pictorial History of Middletown.'' Greater Middletown Preservation Trust. Donning Publishers. Norfolk, Virginia, 1990.</ref><ref name="W">Middlesex County Historical Society and Wesleyan University Library's Special Collections Archives. ''The History of Middletown'' "Part I: 1650–1800." Prepared by Jeff Harmon. Cited from the [http://www.cityofmiddletown.com/History/history_of_middletown.htm City of Middletown website] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20060515183359/http://www.cityofmiddletown.com/History/history_of_middletown.htm |date=May 15, 2006 }} January 1, 2007.</ref>

Plans for the colonial settlement were drawn up by the General Court in 1646; the first migrants came from nearby Connecticut colonies in 1650. On September 11, 1651, the General Court of Connecticut established the town of "Mattabesett". A couple of years later in November 1653, the settlement was renamed as Middletown. This name was chosen because the site was approximately halfway between Windsor and [[Saybrook, Connecticut|Saybrook]] on the Great River. Life was not easy for these early colonial [[Puritans]]; clearing the land and building houses, and tending farms in the rocky soil of New England was a labor-intensive ordeal. They had a strict society; offenses legally punishable by death in the Connecticut colonies included "witchcraft, blasphemy, cursing or smiting of parents, and incorrigible stubbornness of children."<ref name="W1"/><ref name="W"/>

The [[Pequot]] [[Mohegan]], at that time traditional allies of the English colonists and enemies of the Wangunk, arrived in the Middletown area in the latter half of the 17th century; conflict between them and local Native American tribes ensued. The inhabitants of Mattabesett and others referred to the Mohegan as "destroyers of men." Sowheag hoped that the colonists would intervene. They did not. [[Smallpox]] epidemics caused high mortality, reducing their ability to resist and disrupting their cohesion as a tribe. Records show that, over time, Sowheag was forced to sell off most of Mattabesett to the local colonists; by 1676 the Puritans owned all but {{convert|300|acre|km2}} of the former territory.<ref name="W"/> Native Americans suffered similar fates of illness and dispossession at other colonial sites in 17th-century [[New England]].<ref>Cronin, William. ''Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England.'' 2003, Hill and Wang, New York.</ref>

During the 18th century, Middletown became the largest and most prosperous settlement in Connecticut. By the time of the [[American Revolution]], Middletown was a thriving port, where one-third of its residents were involved in merchant and maritime activities. Some settlers held enslaved Africans as workers in the early economy of Middletown; they worked as domestic servants, laborers, and in shipping. [[Slavery in the United States|African slaves]] were imported by the English in 1661 from [[Barbados]] in the Caribbean. By 1756 Middletown had the third-largest African slave population in the state of Connecticut—218 slaves to 5,446 whites.<ref name="W"/>

Middletown merchant traders pushed for the clearance of the Saybrook Bar at the mouth of the Connecticut River, and later sought the creation of Middlesex County in 1785. The name 'Middlesex' was chosen because the intention was to make Middletown the head of a long river port, much as London was at the head of its long river port on the Thames in Middlesex County, England. The same persons also established the Middlesex Turnpike (now [[Route 154 (Connecticut)|Route 154]]) to link all the settlements on the western side of the Connecticut, again with the intent of creating one long port.

After the American Revolution, Connecticut and most northern states abolished slavery. The port's decline began in the early 19th century during the period of strained American-British relations and resulting trade restrictions, which led to the [[War of 1812]]. The port never recovered from the restrictions of the war. The city's men distinguished themselves in the war effort, as Middletown's Commodore [[Thomas Macdonough]] led American forces to the victory on [[Lake Champlain]] in 1814 which ended British hopes for an invasion of New York. After the war, migration of New England families continued west to New York and, later, to the Midwest around the Great Lakes, where more land was available.

In the 19th century, Middletown became a major center for firearms manufacturing. Numerous gun manufacturers in the area supplied the majority of [[pistol]]s to the United States government during the War of 1812. After that war, however, the center of this business shifted to [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], Massachusetts; and [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], and [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], Connecticut. (See also [[Connecticut#History of Connecticut industry|History of Connecticut industry]].)

In 1831 [[Wesleyan University|Wesleyan College]] was established. It became one of the United States' leading [[liberal arts college|liberal arts universities]]. The college replaced an earlier educational institution on the same site, Partridge's American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It had moved to [[Norwich, Vermont]] and later developed as [[Norwich University]].

The two main buildings of the original campus were built by the people of Middletown in order to attract an academic institution to the city. In 1841, Middletown established the state's first public high school, which at first enrolled all students from age nine through age sixteen who had previously attended district schools.<ref>Clifford J. Dudley (1981), [http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/cthistory/81.ch.02.x.html "The History of Public Education in Connecticut"], Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, Curriculum Unit 81.ch.02</ref>

[[File:PostcardMiddletownCTGovWeeksHome12Nov1909.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Home of Governor Frank Weeks, decorated for "Wesleyan Taft Day", 1909]]
During the mid-19th century, manufacturing replaced trade as Middletown's economic mainstay. But industrial growth was limited after railroad operators bypassed Middletown in their construction of a railway between Hartford and New Haven. There had been an ambitious plan to build a railroad [[suspension bridge]] in the White Rock, Middletown to Bodkin Rock, Portland vicinity, which was seen as an unpractical solution.

Middletonians played an active role in the American Civil War. General [[Joseph K. Mansfield]] was a Union general at the [[Battle of Antietam]], where he died in action in 1862. Another casualty at Antietam was Brigadier General [[George W. Taylor (general)|George Taylor]], who had been educated at a private military academy in Middletown. The popular Civil War marching song "[[Marching Through Georgia]]" was written by [[Henry Clay Work]], a Middletown resident. Some residents were active in the [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionism]] movement, and the city was a hub along the [[Underground Railroad|underground railway]].

[[File:Smith & Bishel Hardware Store in Middletown, CT - January 2024.jpg|thumb|180px|Smith & Bishel Hardware on Main Street, founded in 1898<ref>{{cite news |last1=Day |first1=Cassandra |title=Oldest family-run business on Middletown's Main Street, Smith & Bishel marks 120 years |url=https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Oldest-family-run-business-on-Middletown-s-Main-12979874.php |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=The Middletown Press |date=June 8, 2018}}</ref>]]
In the latter half of the 19th century, manufacturing was the mainstay of the city's economy, especially finely made metal parts, such as marine hardware (Wilcox, Crittendon & Co.) and typewriters (Royal Typewriters). There were also several machine tool & die manufacturers in the city. Middletown was the site of a major unit of [[Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company|Goodyear]]. In addition, there was the pioneer [[automobile]] manufacturer [[Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Company]].<ref>Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p.51.</ref> Other manufacturers included in national expositions and now museum collections include the Middletown Plate Company (silver),<ref>(May 16, 2016). [https://www.artdesigncafe.com/middletown-plate-company-design-catalogues" Middletown Plate Company design catalogues and historical documentation]. ''artdesigncafe''. Retrieved April 26, 2020.</ref> Middletown Silver Co.<ref>(October 17, 2018). [https://www.artdesigncafe.com/middletown-silver-company Middletown Silver Co. - designs in collections, at auction, in exhibitions, design catalogues and historical information]. ''artdesigncafe''. Retrieved April 26, 2020.</ref> and I. E. Palmer (hammocks).<ref>(December 20, 2018). [https://www.artdesigncafe.com/i-e-palmer-co-middletown-ct5526 I. E. Palmer Co. historical information]. ''artdesigncafe''. Retrieved April 26, 2020.</ref>

[[File:PostcardMiddletownCTMainStNorthfrCHall1912.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Main Street, looking north from City Hall, about 1912]]
Middletown also briefly was the home of a major-league baseball team, the [[Middletown Mansfields]] of the [[National Association of Professional Base Ball Players|National Association]].

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the city underwent a demographic transformation, after having been settled primarily by Protestant people from the British Isles. First the Irish, in response to the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Great Famine]], and then large numbers of Italian immigrants arrived to work in Middletown's factories and farms. Many of the Italians were immigrants from [[Melilli]], [[Sicily]].<ref name="melilli_middletown">{{Cite news|url=http://palermo.repubblica.it/dettaglio/melilli-fiato-sospeso-per-i-compaesani-emigrati-si-attende-la-lista-dei-feriti-di-middletown/1853340 |publisher=La Repubblica Palermo |language=it |access-date=February 8, 2010 |date=February 8, 2010 |title=Melilli, fiato sospeso per gli emigrati si attende la lista dei feriti di Middletown}}</ref> Both groups were primarily Roman Catholic. 
[[File:Amato's Toy and Hobby Store in Middletown, CT - January 2024.jpg|thumb|180px|Amato's Toy and Hobby Store on Main Street, founded in 1940<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hushin |first1=Adam |title=82-year-old Amato's Toy and Hobby in Middletown not closing |url=https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/82-and-strong-Amato-s-Toy-and-Hobby-in-16763784.php |access-date=January 29, 2024 |work=The Middletown Press |date=January 10, 2022}}</ref>]]

[[File:PostcardMiddletownCTBroadStFromWashingtonStLookingSouth.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Looking South on Broad Street from Washington Street, 1910 postcard]]
Polish and German arrivals followed, and many of these immigrants were also Catholic. By 1910 the population had swelled to nearly 21,000. Meanwhile, the number of African Americans dwindled to 53 persons. Employers chose to hire white immigrants. Later in the century, more African Americans from the South migrated to the area for its industrial jobs and better social conditions. They were part of the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Migration]] during the 20th century, up to 1970.

In the early 1980s, two Wesleyan professors arranged to bring a small group of [[Cambodia]]n refugees to Middletown, who were exiled following the US involvement in Southeast Asia in the [[Vietnam War]]. They developed a thriving Cambodian community, as have later migrants from [[Tibet]]. Middletown also attracted [[Hindu]] immigrants from [[India]] and other parts of Southeast Asia, who established the first Hindu temple in Connecticut in Middletown.

Over the decades the new immigrants stimulated the rise of a range of cuisines offered by restaurants. This has become one of the most well-known aspects of the city.

[[File:Arrigoni Bridge from the ground in Middletown, CT - February 2024.jpg|thumb|[[Arrigoni Bridge]]]]
Middletown was hit by floods in 1927 and 1936, and by [[New England Hurricane of 1938|The Great New England Hurricane]] in 1938. The [[Arrigoni Bridge]] was completed over the Connecticut River in 1938. It replaced an earlier bridge to connect Middletown to [[Portland, Connecticut|Portland]] and points east.

During the 1950s, as the prevalence of the automobile increased, government officials approved the construction of a highway that effectively separated Middletown from the Connecticut River, which had long supported its development. Highway construction demolished historic neighborhoods, including many buildings from the 18th century. New suburban developments were built outside older neighborhoods, attracting the people with money to buy new. In the mid-20th century, Middletown and similar towns lost heavy industry and manufacturing jobs that moved offshore, resulting in a general decline in population. An alternate economy began to develop by the 1990s.

During this period, the city tore down many older buildings in the name of '[[urban renewal]]', but sometimes new development was delayed for years. Downtown area had large flat parking lots, or buildings were abandoned and left empty. With high unemployment and limited opportunities, and increasing problems with drugs, crime increased. During the 1960s, [[Pratt & Whitney]] opened a large aircraft engine plant in the Maromas section of Middletown. Concurrently, developers bought much of the city's remaining farms, including most of Oak Grove Dairy, to redevelop as residential suburbs for local workers and commuters to surrounding cities.

During the 1970s, [[Oddfellows Playhouse]] was established. The theater attracts hundreds of young people every year from around the state to perform in plays and other performances. The playhouse is one of the few youth theaters in the state of [[Connecticut]]. It is located on 128 Washington Street, around the corner from Middletown's Main Street.

During the 1990s, a partnership between the city, the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, and Wesleyan University invested substantially in Middletown's Main Street, improving urban design and supporting new businesses. Their actions helped the revival of downtown Middletown. Crime decreased, and new restaurants and shops opened.

{{anchor|Samuel Harris House}}<!--- [[Samuel Harris House (Middletown, Connecticut)]] redirects to here --->

=== 21st century ===
In recent decades, Middletown has focused on balancing the needs and comforts of its residents with the commercial development required to help fund services. These efforts date at least from 1931, when the city was one of the first in America to establish a planning board. Progress continued under the leadership of Democratic mayor, Domenique S. Thornton, who served a record eight years (four terms) as mayor. The city attracted a 12-screen movie theater and numerous restaurants and other businesses to the downtown area, the city provided free [[Wi-Fi]] service along Main Street and the historic Inn at Middletown a luxury four and half star boutique hotel transformed the former vacant National Guard Armory. On November 8, 2005, Republican [[Sebastian Giuliano]] won the mayor's office, replacing Thornton, whom he criticized for raising taxes and for the awarding of a contract for the construction of a new high school to [[Tomasso Group|Tomasso Brothers, Inc.]], a firm that had been the target of a federal corruption probe. During Giuliano's three terms in office, Middletown's Main Street became a hub for small businesses, and the city began investing heavily in the arts. Democrat Daniel T. Drew defeated Giuliano in 2011. Drew has pushed for increased development in the city's North End, an area that has been plagued by poverty and crime in recent decades. In November 2012, voters approved a $37 (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=37000000|start_year=2012}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) Million initiative to move Middletown's wastewater to the Mattabassett Sewer District treatment plant in nearby [[Cromwell, Connecticut|Cromwell]]. Previously, the city had operated its own sewage treatment plant on the banks of the [[Connecticut River]]. The city has made plans to tear down this older plant and develop the riverfront property on which it sits. Middletown continues to support manufacturing and small business.

Middletown has remained an important government administrative center. From the creation of Middlesex County in 1798 until the elimination of county government in 1965 Middletown was the county seat. Middletown today retains Middlesex Superior Court, and the Judicial District remains that of the former county court. Other county functions were either centralized to the state or transferred to the towns. The former county building has been removed, but there are other state agency buildings elsewhere in the city, such as the Dept. of Social Services on Main Street Ext. Middletown's Probate Court district includes the towns of Cromwell, Portland, Middlefield and Haddam. The city is also the site of the controversial State Juvenile Training Center.

[[File:Middletown, CT - Arrigoni Building 01.jpg|thumb|Arrigoni Building (former Arrigoni Hotel, now low-income housing) and others in Middletown's North End]]
Culturally and politically, Middletown is in the midst of an effort to revitalize its historically disadvantaged North End. Economic development projects recently completed in the North End include Wharfside Commons, a 96-unit mixed income apartment block, and the new Community Health Center (completed in 2012 at the corner of Main and Grand Streets<ref>{{Cite news |last=BEALS |first=SHAWN R. |title=Health Care Center In Middletown Expands |language=en-US |work=Courant Community |url=http://www.courant.com/community/middletown/hc-middletown-community-health-center-0404-20170501-story.html |access-date=October 9, 2017}}</ref>). The Green Street Arts Center, founded by Wesleyan and a coalition of community groups in 2000, is a pioneering attempt to attract residents and businesses to the neighborhood by promoting arts education and outreach. For decades, the famous [[O'Rourke's Diner]] has done much to bring some stability to the North End. A fire on August 31, 2006, gutted much of the historic structure. The Middletown community held many fundraising events to raise money for the diner's rebuilding. Reconstruction began in September 2007, and [[O'Rourke's Diner]] re-opened in February 2008. [[Daniel Drew (politician)|Mayor Daniel Drew]] (2011–2019) supported citizen-oriented efforts to revitalize the North End, such as the local nonprofit NEAT (North End Action Team). In 2012, the City of Middletown and NEAT partnered to form the "I Heart the North End" initiative, which plans to raise public awareness of the economic and cultural opportunities available in the area.

[[File:Oddfellows Playhouse, Middletown, Connecticut 01.jpg|thumb|left|Oddfellows Playhouse]]
Middletown is the only location of a well-known youth theater group, [[Oddfellows Playhouse]], which is located on Washington Street and pulls in children of all ages from all over the state to learn theater skills. Oddfellows also runs the Children's Circus of Middletown where children learn circus skills and put on a free show for close to a thousand people.

Middletown is also host to the [http://www.kidcitymuseum.com Kidcity Children's Museum] located in a renovated and recently expanded former home of Judge Elmer, which was moved {{convert|400|ft|m}} down Washington Street to its current location.
Kidcity is a hands-on playspace where children ages 1 through 8 come with parents and other significant adults to learn through play.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Emergency Room.jpg|right|thumb|The new emergency room at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown]] -->
The Downtown Business District continues to revitalize the downtown area. [[Pratt & Whitney|Pratt and Whitney]], Aetna, Middlesex Hospital, Connecticut Valley Hospital, [[Liberty Bank]], and [[Wesleyan University]] are major employers. Located on the western border of the city, in an area known as Westlake, is an 84 house community known as [https://web.archive.org/web/20060719025125/http://farmsatwestfield.com/ The Farms]. This architectural award-winning community was developed in 1969 by George Achenbach, and was one of the first communities in Connecticut designed for ''cluster living'', with open areas designated as ''common land''.

There are also many parks and nature trails including the [[Middletown Nature Gardens]], Wadsworth Falls State Park and [[Smith Park (Middletown, Connecticut)|Smith Park]], and {{convert|100|acre|km2}} of open property at the Guida Farm Conservation Area for families to enjoy. Harbor Park is a {{convert|2.6|acre|m2|adj=on}} recreation area on the Connecticut River, featuring a boardwalk, restaurant/nightclub, fishing, seasonal boat excursions, and the Middletown High School and Wesleyan University crew boathouses. July 4 festivities, as well as the head of the Connecticut Regatta event in October are conducted from Harbor Park.

Middlesex Hospital<ref>{{cite web |title=Middlesex Hospital Connecticut: Advanced Surgery & Robotic Technology |url=http://www.midhosp.org |website=Midhosp.org}}</ref> a major employer in Middletown and throughout Middlesex County, is spending $31 million to build a new emergency department. The new [[emergency department]] opened on March 24, 2008. Along with the new department, a helipad will be added along with 70 new parking spaces for patients.{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}}

{{Main|2010 Connecticut power plant explosion}}

At 11:17&nbsp;a.m.<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna35283135 5 dead in Conn. power plant blast | NBC News]. NBC News (February 7, 2010). Retrieved on August 2, 2013.</ref> on February 7, 2010, a large explosion occurred at a [[power station|power plant]] under construction in Middletown.<ref>[http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/middlesex_cty/middletown-power-plant-explosion Power plant explosion in Middletown], WTNH-TV website, February 7, 2010</ref>[[File:Samuel-Harris-Home-Front-LowRes.jpg|right|thumb|Samuel Harris House, at 612 Middle St., well outside downtown]]There are numerous [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Middletown, Connecticut|houses, buildings and historic districts in Middletown listed on the National Register of Historic Places]], and two are further designated as [[National Historic Landmarks]].  The [[Samuel Wadsworth Russell House]] on High Street, built in 1827, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001. The [[Richard Alsop IV House|Alsop House]], also located on High Street, and built in 1840, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2009. Both buildings are part of the Wesleyan campus.

The [[Saltbox architecture|saltbox]] '''Samuel Harris House''', built in 1686 and not listed on the National Register, may be the oldest surviving house in Middletown.<ref name="CCC">{{Cite web |author=John E. Reynolds |date=September 1978 |title=Historic Resources Inventory: Samuel Harris House |url=https://www.middletownct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12730/612-Middle-Street---Samuel-Harris-House--Residence--1686-MHAR-Card-Number-197-PDF |website=State of Connecticut Cultural Commission |publisher=Connecticut Cultural Commission}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Middletown, CT - Historic Cedar Restoration |url=https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/middletown-ct-historic-cedar-restoration-pj-vj~6629027 |access-date=April 16, 2023}} Includes multiple photos.</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Higbymountain.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Higby Mountain]] Middletown sits on the west bank of the Connecticut River, in the south-central portion of the state. Running alongside the river, [[Route 9 (Connecticut)|Route 9]] bisects the city. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 42.3&nbsp;square miles (109.6&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), of which 40.9&nbsp;square miles (105.9&nbsp;km{{sup|2}})  is land and 1.4&nbsp;square miles (3.7&nbsp;km{{sup|2}})  is water. The total area is 3.36% water. Middletown shares borders with the neighboring towns of [[Cromwell, Connecticut|Cromwell]], [[Portland, Connecticut|Portland]], [[East Hampton, Connecticut|East Hampton]], [[Haddam, Connecticut|Haddam]], [[Durham, Connecticut|Durham]], [[Middlefield, Connecticut|Middlefield]], [[Berlin, Connecticut|Berlin]], and [[Meriden, Connecticut|Meriden]]. Of all the neighboring towns, Portland and East Hampton are the only ones that do not have any land boundaries, as they are located on the eastern side of the Connecticut River.

The west side of Middletown is flanked by the [[Metacomet Ridge]]—a mountainous [[trap rock]] ridgeline that stretches from [[Long Island Sound]] to nearly the [[Vermont]] border. Notable mountains of the Metacomet Ridge in Middletown include [[Higby Mountain]] and the north side of [[Lamentation Mountain]]. The {{convert|50|mi|km|adj=on}} [[Mattabesett Trail]] traverses the ridge. [[The Nature Conservancy]] manages the summit and ledges of Higby Mountain. Major bodies of water include the [[Connecticut River]] along the towns eastern boundary, the [[Mattabesset River]] along its northern boundary, Crystal Lake in the southern end of town, and [[Pameacha Pond]] along South Main Street. The [[Higby Mountain#Geography|Mount Higby and Adder]] reservoirs also fall along its western boundary with Middlefield.

===Principal communities===
* Highland – The westernmost neighborhood of Middletown. It is the only section of the city that Interstate 91 passes through within its total distance through Middletown.
{{anchor|Westfield}}
* Westfield – Formerly a village, now a mostly residential neighborhood located in the northwestern corner of the city, lying just south of the border with Cromwell.
* Miramichi – A mostly residential neighborhood located in the southwest corner of the city, lying just north of the border with Middlefield.
* Newfield Heights – A commercial-neighborhood with many businesses and restaurants located just to the north of the city center.
* Bretton Heights – A mostly residential neighborhood located a few miles west from the city center.
* Lakeridge Heights – A semi-industrial neighborhood located just below the South Farms area, and just above the Durham town-line.
* South Farms – A mostly residential area lying just to the south of the city center.
* Maromas – A largely industrial and mostly-uninhabited neighborhood, located in the southeastern part of the city. [[Pratt & Whitney]] has one of its offices located in this area.

==Demographics==
{{See also|List of Connecticut locations by per capita income}}
{{US Census population
|1810= 2014
|1820= 2618
|1830= 3123
|1840= 3511
|1850= 4211
|1860= 5182
|1870= 6923
|1880= 6826
|1890= 9013
|1900= 9589
|1910= 11851
|1920= 13638
|1930= 24554
|1940= 26495
|1950= 29711
|1960= 33250
|1970= 36924
|1980= 39040
|1990= 42762
|2000= 43167
|2010= 47648
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
|2020=47717}}

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date= July 24, 2023|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2020, there were 47,717 people, and 20,089 households residing in the city, with an average household size of 2.14. The population density was {{convert|1,163.26|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 21,549 housing units at an average density of {{convert|508.59|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}} and a vacancy rate of 7%. Owner occupied housing made up 54% of the units and the average value of owner occupied housing units was $240,700.

The racial makeup of the city was 66.2% White only, not Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (U.S. Census)|African American]], 10.9% [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]], and 5.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]. The foreign born population made up 11.9% of residents.

15.5% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years.

The median income for a household in the city was $62,022. Males had a median income of $49,846 versus $37,412 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $39,845. 12.3% of the population below the [[poverty line]].

==Government==
{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 31, 2024<ref>{{cite web |url=https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/sots/electionservices/2024/2024-registration-and-enrollment-statistics/2024_november_reg-party_enrollments.pdf?rev=6ea82a0b09e84203a63f918ff7741019&hash=CBA24E0CAAF8D5CB4062E3DE0BE6B6DA|title=Connecticut Secretary of the State : Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 31, 2024|website=Portal.ct.gov|access-date=March 8, 2025}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Active Voters
! Inactive Voters
! Total Voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 12,313
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,386
| style="text-align:center;"| 14,699
| style="text-align:center;"| 43.2%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 4,694
| style="text-align:center;"| 616
| style="text-align:center;"| 5,310
| style="text-align:center;"| 16.5%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Third party (United States)|Minor parties]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 468
| style="text-align:center;"| 116
| style="text-align:center;"| 584
| style="text-align:center;"| 1.6%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent voter|Unaffiliated]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 11,001
| style="text-align:center;"| 2,549
| style="text-align:center;"| 13,550
| style="text-align:center;"| 38.7%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! style="text-align:center;"| 28,476
! style="text-align:center;"| 5,667
! style="text-align:center;"| 34,143
! style="text-align:center;"| 100%
|}

==Infrastructure==
The headquarters of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, previously the Connecticut Department of Public Safety,[24][25][26] is located in Middletown.[27]

The United States Postal Service operates the Middletown Post Office.[28]

==Economy==
===Top employers===
Top employers in Middletown according to the town's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.middletownct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/26254/2023-Annual-Comprehensive-Financial-Report-PDF|title=City of Middletown Comprehensive Annual Financial Report For the Fiscal Year July 1, 2022- July 30, 2023|publisher=City of Middletown|access-date=July 11, 2025}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! #
! Employer
! # of Employees
|-
|1
|[[Middlesex Hospital (Connecticut)|Middlesex Health Systems]]
|3,126
|-
|2
|[[Pratt & Whitney]]/[[RTX Corporation]]
|2,350
|-
|3
|[[FedEx]]
|1,561
|-
|4
|[[Connecticut Valley Hospital]]
|1,669
|-
|5
|Middletown Board of Education 
|1,237 
|-
|6
|[[Wesleyan University]]
|1,050
|-
|7
|[[Liberty Bank]]
|497
|-
|8
|City of Middletown
|492
|-
|9
|Jarvis Products Corporation
|279
|-
|10
|[[Kaman Corporation]]
|218
|}

==Education==
{{See also|Middletown Public Schools (Connecticut)}}
Middletown operates public schools, including [[Middletown High School (Connecticut)|Middletown High School]].

The city has one Roman Catholic elementary school, Saint John Paul II Regional Catholic School,<ref>[https://www.jpii.org/ Home]. Saint John Paul II School. Retrieved on June 4, 2018. "St. John Paul II School 87 S. Main St. | Middletown, CT 06457"</ref> and two Roman Catholic high schools, [[Xavier High School (Connecticut)|Xavier High School]] for boys and [[Mercy High School (Connecticut)|Mercy High School]] for girls.

Middletown also has one technical high school, Vinal Technical High School.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vinal.cttech.org/|title=Homepage|website=Vinal Technical High School}}</ref>

Post-secondary institutions include [[Wesleyan University]] and [[Middlesex Community College (Connecticut)|Middlesex Community College]].

[http://russelllibrary.org Russell Library] is the public library of Middletown. It has books, newspapers, magazines, informational databases of full-text newspaper and magazine articles, classes, computer training, workshops, concerts, and meeting spaces.

==Media==
Middletown has three regular news outlets.
The Middletown Press is a daily broadsheet which covers news in the Middletown area.
The Hartford Courant is a daily broadsheet which includes a Middletown story in every issue.
Three radio stations are licensed to Middletown: WMRD 1150 AM (variety), WESU 88.1 FM (Wesleyan University) and WIHS 104.9 FM (religious).

==Transportation==
[[Estuary Transit District|River Valley Transit]] provides public transportation services throughout Middletown as well as service between Middletown and Old Saybrook, which, along with New Haven, provides connections to [[Amtrak]] intercity trains and [[Shore Line East]] [[commuter rail]] service. The [[Connecticut Transit New Britain and Bristol|New Britain Transportation Company]] provides connecting service to New Britain and the surrounding area; and [[Connecticut Transit]] provides local and express service to Hartford as well as express service to New Haven.

[[Bradley International Airport]] ([[Bradley International Airport|BDL]]) in [[Windsor Locks, Connecticut|Windsor Locks]] and [[Tweed New Haven Airport]] ([[Tweed New Haven Airport|HVN]]) in [[East Haven, Connecticut|East Haven]] are the closest commercial airports to Middletown.
[[Meriden Markham Municipal Airport]], in [[Meriden, Connecticut|Meriden]], and [[Goodspeed Airport]], in [[East Haddam, Connecticut|East Haddam]], each offer [[general aviation]] services as well and are open to the public.

==In popular culture==
Middletown's riverfront and bridges were featured extensively in the [[music video]] for [[Billy Joel|Billy Joel's]] [[Hit single|hit song]] "[[The River of Dreams]]". [[TLC (TV network)|TLC]]'s reality series ''[[90 Day Fiancé]]'' (2017–2020) documented [[Darcey Silva]]'s relationships.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|title=90 Day Fiancé's Darcey Learns That Boyfriend Georgi Is Still Married in Darcey & Stacey Sneak Peek|url=https://people.com/tv/90-day-fiance-darcey-learns-boyfriend-georgi-still-married/|access-date=October 5, 2021|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en}}</ref> On June 29, 2020, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' announced that Silva and her sister Stacey are getting their own [[Reality television|reality show]] called ''[[Darcey & Stacey]]''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title='90 Day Fiancé' stars Darcey and Stacey Silva share exclusive details on spin-off series|url=https://ew.com/tv/90-day-fiance-stars-darcey-stacey-silva-spin-off-series/|access-date=July 29, 2020|website=EW.com|language=EN}}</ref> Three seasons of ''Darcey & Stacey'' have been filmed in Middletown.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Darcey & Stacey: Twins Face Relationship Problems in New Trailer &mdash; 'This Is Not Real Love'|url=https://people.com/tv/darcey-and-stacey-season-2-trailer-twins-face-relationship-problems/|access-date=October 5, 2021|website=PEOPLE.com|language=en}}</ref>

==Notable organizations==
<!--PLEASE ADD NAMES IN ALPHA ORDER... THANKS!-->
* [[Artists For World Peace]], Nonprofit International Peace Organization

==Notable people==
<!--PLEASE ADD NAMES IN ALPHA ORDER... THANKS!-->
This notable people list is divided into three sections: people born in Middletown, people who currently live in Middletown, and people who once lived in Middletown at some point in their lives.

The following notable people were born in Middletown:
* [[Dean Acheson]] (1893–1971), 51st [[United States Secretary of State]]<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/acheson-dean-gooderham |title = Dean Gooderham Acheson - People - Department History - Office of the Historian}}</ref>
* [[Joseph Wright Alsop IV]], politician and insurance executive; father of [[Joseph Alsop]]
* [[Jules Dassin]], film director
* [[Reginald De Koven]], music critic and composer
* [[Bill Denehy (baseball)|Bill Denehy]], [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) pitcher
* [[Samantha Johnson]], soccer player
* [[Joey Logano]], [[NASCAR]] driver, [[2018 NASCAR Cup Series|2018]], [[2022 NASCAR Cup Series|2022]], and [[2024 NASCAR Cup Series]] champion
* [[Mark MacDonald (Vermont politician)|Mark MacDonald]], member of the [[Vermont House of Representatives]] and [[Vermont Senate]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2018/14608 |title=Biography, Senator Mark A. MacDonald |author=Secretary of the Vermont Senate |work=Vermont State Senate |location=Montpelier, VT |publisher=Vermont General Assembly |access-date=February 21, 2017 |ref={{sfnRef|"Biography, Senator Mark A. MacDonald"}}}}</ref>
* [[Samuel Mattocks]], officer in the [[American Revolution]] and [[Vermont State Treasurer]]<ref>Connecticut Town Birth records, entry for Samuel Mattocks, 1854, page 14</ref><ref>Vermont Secretary of State, Legislative Directory, 1981, page 105</ref>
* [[Peter Parcek]], [[blues rock]] guitarist, singer, and songwriter<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-parcek-mn0000713167/biography|title=Peter Parcek {{pipe}} Biography & History|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Tony Pastor (bandleader)|Tony Pastor]], band leader, singer
*[[Eli Pemberton]] (born 1997), basketball player in the [[Israeli Basketball Premier League]]
* [[Willie Pep]], boxer, two-time World Featherweight Champion
* [[Marco Rafalà]], Novelist and Game Writer<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 17, 2019 |title=Interview: Marco Rafalà, author of How Fires End |url=https://suanneschaferauthor.com/interview-marco-rafala-author-of-how-fires-end/ |access-date=February 4, 2024 |website=Author Suanne Schafer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Scribbler |date=February 3, 2022 |title=Debut Author Series: Marco Rafal, Author of HOW FIRES END |url=https://www.goscribbler.com/blogs/scribbler-blog/debut-author-series-marco-rafal-author-of-how-fires-end |access-date=February 4, 2024 |website=Scribbler |language=en}}</ref>
* [[William Ranney]], 19th century Western artist
* [[James Riley (captain)|James Riley]], captain of the United States merchant ship ''[[Commerce (1815 ship)|Commerce]]''
* [[Adelaïde Alsop Robineau]], American potter
* [[Maurice Rose]], U.S. Army Major General, highest-ranking American killed by enemy fire in Europe during World War II
* [[Jordan Russolillo]], professional soccer player
* [[Bill Rutan]], racing driver
* [[Bozoma Saint John]], cast member on ''[[The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills]]'' and former CMO of [[Netflix]]
* [[Darcey Silva]], television personality, former beauty queen and businesswoman
* [[Amari Spievey]], professional football player for the [[Detroit Lions]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL)
* [[Duke Thomas (American football)|Duke Thomas]], professional football player for the [[Dallas Cowboys]] of the NFL
* [[Alton Tobey]], artist
* [[Nicholas Tucci]], actor
* [[Will Tye]], professional football player for the [[New England Patriots]] of the NFL
* [[Edward Burr Van Vleck]], mathematician
* [[John Hasbrouck Van Vleck]], physicist and mathematician, co-recipient of the 1977 [[Nobel Prize in Physics]]
* [[Bill Watrous]], jazz musician and band leader
* [[Allie Wrubel]], composer and songwriter
* [[Walter Wriston]], American banker and former chairman and CEO of Citicorp

The following notable people were not born in Middletown but lived there at some point in their lives:
* [[Jeff Bagwell]], [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Fame]] MLB baseball player
* [[Horatio Strother]], historian and educator
* [[Andre Drummond]], American professional basketball player for the [[Chicago Bulls]] of the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]
* [[Anthony Fantano]], music critic and YouTuber
* [[William Raymond Manchester]], American author, biographer, and historian

==Sister City==
* {{flagdeco|Italy}} [[Melilli]], Italy<ref name="melilli_middletown" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Connecticut|New England|Cities}}
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Middletown, Connecticut]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources ==
* ''History of Middlesex County 1635–1885: With Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men.'' Pratt & Read Co. New York: J. B. Beers & Co., 1884.
* ''History of Middlesex County, Connecticut'', Whittemore, (New York, 1884)
* ''Middletown Upper Houses: A History of the North Society of Middletown from 1650 to 1800'', C.C. Adams, (New York, 1908)

==Further reading==
* Dyson, Stephen L. "Material culture, social structure, and changing cultural values: the ceramics of eighteenth-and nineteenth-century Middletown, Connecticut." in ''Archaeology of Urban America'' (Academic Press, 1982) pp.&nbsp;361–380.
* Hall, Peter Dobkin. ''Middletown--streets, commerce, and people, 1650–1981'' (Sesquicentennial papers, 1981)
* Schatz, Ronald W. "The Barons of Middletown and the Decline of the North-Eastern Anglo-Protestant Elite." ''Past & Present'', no. 219, (2013), pp.&nbsp;165–200. {{JSTOR|24543604}}. [[White Anglo-Saxon Protestants|WASP]] loss of control of Middletown in late 1930s.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Middletown, Connecticut}}
{{wikivoyage|Middletown (Connecticut)|Middletown, Connecticut}}
* {{official website|https://www.middletownct.gov/}}
* [http://dunhamwilcox.net/0_twn-his.htm Middletown Town History]

{{Middletown, Connecticut}}
{{Connecticut}}
{{Middlesex County, Connecticut}}
{{Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut}}
{{Greater Hartford}}
{{Connecticut River}}
{{Northeast Megalopolis}}
{{Connecticut county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Middletown, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:1643 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Cities in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Cities in Middlesex County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Greater Hartford]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1643]]
[[Category:Connecticut populated places on the Connecticut River]]
[[Category:Underground Railroad in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Cities in Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut]]