Stamford, Connecticut

Stamford is a city located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 117,083. The city is the birthplace of U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman.

The downtown area of Stamford has a cluster of modern commercial buildings, some of which are corporate headquarters. International Paper and Purdue Pharma are some of the companies headquartered downtown. Pitney Bowes has its headquarters in South End, WWE and Clairol on the East Side and Xerox on Long Ridge Road, several miles north of downtown. Interstate 95 (also known as the Connecticut Turnpike) runs along the southern areas of the city. The Merritt Parkway runs through the northern part of Stamford. Connecticut Transit buses run throughout Stamford and connect the city to Darien, Norwalk, Greenwich and Port Chester, New York.

In addition, Stamford houses branches of the University of Connecticut, University of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University. University of Connecticut is located in a large glass-covered building in downtown. The other two are in office parks in Springdale. All are commuter campuses.

Stamford's public library, The Ferguson Library, is one of the largest in Connecticut. In addition to the main library downtown, it has branches in South End, Springdale and the Turn of River sections of the city. The Turn of River branch, officially called the Harry Bennett Branch, is the largest library branch in the state.

Downtown also has a shopping mall, the Stamford Town Center, opened 1982. Ridgeway Center, located about a mile north of downtown, is one of the oldest shopping centers of its type, having been built in the 1940's. It was renovated in 1998.

The Stamford railroad station is served by Metro North Railroad and Amtrak and the Glenbrook and Springdale stations are served only by Metro North.

Housing in Stamford is varied. The downtown area and the neighborhoods immediately north of it, especially along Strawberry Hill Avenue, have numerous high-rise apartment and condo buildings. Condos dominate in Glenbrook and The Cove, while Westover, Shippan and North Stamford are almost exclusively covered by expensive single-family housing. Urban decay in Stamford is nowhere close to what has been achieved in other Connecticut cities; however, parts of the South End, the West Side and Waterside are known for poverty and overcrowded housing.

Some residents commute to jobs in New York City, mostly by way of rail. There are plans to also run a ferry between the two cities in the future.

According to a 2004 FBI report, Stamford is the 4th safest city in the United States with population over 100,000. It must be noted, however, that Thousand Oaks, California; Simi Valley, California; and Amherst, New York are not nearly as urbanized or diverse as Stamford is. The low crime rate has been contributed to effective policing.

Stamford was settled in the year 1641 and incorporated as a city in 1893. Despite its age, Stamford has very few historic buildings. This can be contributed to a massive urban redevelopment campaign during the 1970's that changed the face of the downtown. The few historic buildings include Old Town Hall (1905, currently unoccupied) and Hoyt Barnum House (1699).

Italians form the largest ethnic group in Stamford.

Table of contents

1 Historical Populations

Historical Populations

1756 - 2,768
1774 - 3,563
1782 - 3,834
1800 - 4,352
1810 - 4,440
1820 - 3,284
1830 - 3,707
1840 - 3,516
1850 - 5,000
1860 - 7,185
1870 - 9,714
1880 - 11,297
1890 - 15,700
1900 - 18,839
1910 - 28,836
1920 - 40,067
1930 - 56,765
1940 - 61,215
1950 - 74,293
1960 - 92,713
1970 - 108,798
1980 - 102,453
1990 - 108,056
2000 - 117,083
2002 - 119,850 (estimate)

Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 134.9 km² (52.1 mi²). 97.8 km² (37.8 mi²) of it is land and 37.1 km² (14.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 27.52% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 117,083 people, 45,399 households, and 28,964 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,197.5/km² (3,101.9/mi²). There are 47,317 housing units at an average density of 484.0 persons/km² (1,253.6 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 69.79% White, 15.39% African American, 0.21% Native American, 5.00% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.50% from other races, and 3.07% from two or more races. 16.77% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 45,399 households out of which 28.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% are married couples living together, 11.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 36.2% are non-families. 28.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.54 and the average family size is 3.13.

In the city the population is spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $60,556, and the median income for a family is $69,337. Males have a median income of $48,386 versus $36,958 for females. The per capita income for the city is $34,987. 7.9% of the population and 5.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 8.7% are under the age of 18 and 9.7% are 65 or older.

Elected Officials

Mayor	Dannel P. Malloy (D)
City and Town Clerk	Donna M. Loglisci (R)
Judge of Probate	Gerald M. Fox Jr. (D)