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Capital of Connecticut · Hartford County · capital since 1875 · 41.8°N 72.7°W
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford shared the title of Connecticut capital with New Haven for 174 years before becoming the sole capital in 1875. It is the state's fourth-largest city, behind Bridgeport, Stamford and New Haven.
Where Hartford is
Hartford lies on the west bank of the Connecticut River at 41.77°N, 72.67°W, roughly in the center of the state's northern half. The river here is tidal and navigable, and the city was founded in 1635 by Thomas Hooker's congregation at the head of practical navigation. Springfield, Massachusetts, is 25 miles north up the river; New Haven and Long Island Sound are about 40 miles south. Interstates 84 and 91 cross in the city center. Hartford County has no county government, as Connecticut abolished county administration in 1960, and the county is now only a geographic and statistical unit.
How it became the capital
Connecticut Colony was governed from Hartford from its founding; the Fundamental Orders were adopted here in 1639. When the colony absorbed New Haven Colony, the legislature agreed in 1701 to alternate sessions between the two towns, and that arrangement lasted through statehood. Keeping two capitols became expensive, and in 1873 voters chose Hartford as the single capital. The change took effect in 1875 when the new capitol opened.
Population
Hartford had 121,054 residents in 2020, well below Bridgeport, the state's largest city, at 148,654. Stamford and New Haven are also larger. The city itself covers only 18 square miles, but the Hartford metropolitan area, which spans Hartford, Tolland and Middlesex counties, has about 1.2 million people and is the largest in the state.
The capitol
The Connecticut State Capitol in Bushnell Park was designed by Richard M. Upjohn and completed in 1878. It is a High Victorian Gothic building of marble and granite with a gold-leafed dome 257 ft high, unusual among American capitols, most of which are neoclassical. The legislature meets there in the House and Senate chambers; the Legislative Office Building next door was added in 1988. Hartford is on Eastern Time.
Distances to other cities
| City | Direction | Road distance |
|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | south | about 40 mi |
| Boston, MA | northeast | about 100 mi |
| New York, NY | southwest | about 115 mi |
Related maps
- Connecticut map — the whole state with borders, cities and counties.
- Connecticut county map · blank Connecticut map · printable Connecticut map.
- All 50 state capitals on one map, and the state capitals quiz.
- Northeast region · New England division · Eastern Time Zone.