Newtown, Connecticut
Town
Main Street Edmond Town Hall Town Center
Flag Seal
Fairfield County and Connecticut  Western Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut
Show Newtown Show Connecticut Show the United States
Coordinates: 41°24′48″N 73°18′32″W / 41.41333°N 73.30889°W / 41.41333; -73.30889
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Fairfield
Region	Western CT
Incorporated	1711[1]
Government
• Type	Select board
• First selectman	Bruce Walczac (D)
• Selectman	Dan Cruson Jr. (D)
• Selectman	Michelle Embree Ku (D)
Area [2]
• Total	57.66 sq mi (149.3 km2)
• Land	57.66 sq mi (149.3 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	397 ft (121 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	27,173
• Density	471.3/sq mi (182.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	06470, 06482
Area codes	203/475
FIPS code	09-52980
GNIS ID	0213475
Website	www.newtown-ct.gov

Newtown ( NOO-town) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Greater Danbury area as well as the New York metropolitan area. Newtown was founded in 1705, and later incorporated in 1711. As of the 2020 census, its population was 27,173.^[3] The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.

In 1705, English colonists purchased the Townsite from the Pohtatuck Indians, a branch of the Pasgussett. It was originally known as Quanneapague. Settled by migrants from Stratford and incorporated in 1711, Newtown residents had many business and trading ties with the English. It was a stronghold of Tory sentiment during the early Revolutionary War. Late in the war, French General Rochambeau and his troops encamped there in 1781 during their celebrated march on their way to the siege of Yorktown, Virginia, which ended the Revolution.^[4]

An important crossroads throughout its early history, the village of Hawleyville briefly emerged as a railroad center. The town's population grew to over 4,000 c. 1881. In the following decades, the population dwindled to a low of 2,635 in 1930 before again growing.^[5]

Local industry has included the manufacture of furniture, tea bags, combs, fire hoses, folding boxes, buttons, and hats, as well as farming, and mica and feldspar mining. The game of Scrabble was developed here by James Brunot.^[6]

From the period of highway development and suburbanization following World War II, the town has developed as a suburb of Danbury, with many people also commuting to Norwalk, Stamford, and Bridgeport.

The northeastern border of the town is a natural border that follows the Housatonic River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.1 sq mi (153 km²), of which 57.8 sq mi (150 km²) is land and 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km²), or 2.22%, is water. Newtown is located in northern Fairfield County, about 45 mi (72 km) southwest of Hartford and about 42 mi (68 km) northeast of New York City.^[10] The state's fifth largest town in area, it is bordered by Bethel, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Easton, Monroe, Oxford, Redding and Southbury.

As of the 2020 census, the total population was 27,179 in 9,934 households.^[12] As of the census of 2000, there were 25,031 people, 8,325 households, and 6,776 families residing in the town. The population density was 433.4/sq mi (167.3/km²). There were 8,601 housing units at an average density of 148.9/sq mi (57.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.14% White, 1.75% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.36% of the population.

There were 8,325 households, out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.3% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.6% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.5 males.

In 2007, the median income for a household in the town was $101,937 and the median income for a family was $119,175. About 2.2% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

The town of Newtown offers many programs for area residents. Numerous parks and fields offer playgrounds, swimming, tennis, softball, baseball, volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, as well as a nature center and trails. Prominent Newtown parks include Treadwell Park, Dickinson Park, and Collis P. Huntington State Park. Treadwell Park, named after former selectman Timothy Treadwell, contains recreation facilities and the town pool. Dickinson park used to contain a swimming pool, which was a large asphalt-lined bowl-shaped depression surrounded by a grass "beach". It was a uniquely safe design for children because there was no "deep end"; however, it lacked a formal filtration system and required attendants to periodically row out and manually add chlorine to the water. The asphalt was removed and the pond pool filled with earth in 2006.

In Connecticut politics, the town of Newtown is required to have both a Democratic and a Republican Town Committee.^[14][15] The Town Committee members vote on which candidates to endorse for public elections. Elected to a two-year term, the Board of Selectmen supervise the administration of the affairs of the town, except those matters which by the General Statute or Town Charter are exclusively committed to the Board of Education or other departments. They are led by a First Selectman, who is the Chief Executive and Administrative Officer of the town. The Board of Selectmen, with the assistance of the departments and boards and commission, prepares the annual budget for the town in February. The Board of Education prepares and passes an education budget for the town schools at the same time. Both budgets then proceed to the Board of Finance, who reviews the town budget and education budget before being sent to the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council of 12 members (elected to the same two-year terms) acts as the legislative body of the town and has the power to pass ordinances and approve budgets for referendums. Final budget approval is subject to a town-wide referendum. These procedures are set forth in the Town Charter adopted and reviewed by the citizens.

The Borough of Newtown occupies about 1,252 acres (5.07 km²) (or roughly two square miles) in the central part of town. Incorporated in 1824 by an act of the Connecticut General Assembly, it is one of only nine boroughs in the state. The borough adopted zoning for the town center long before the rest of the community. The lot sizes are smaller than the minimum 1-acre (4,000 m²) lots of the rest of the community. The borough also has running public water provided by the Water & Sewer Authority.^[16] Much of the borough is sewered, whereas most of the rest of the town have wells and septic systems.

The Newtown Public Schools district operates four elementary schools (Hawley Elementary School, Head O'Meadow Elementary School, Middle Gate Elementary School, and Sandy Hook Elementary School) serving grades K–4, Reed Intermediate School serving grades 5–6, Newtown Middle School serving grades 7–8, and Newtown High School serving grades 9–12.^[21]

Newtown also has several private and parochial schools, including St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic School, the Fraser-Woods Montessori School, and the Housatonic Valley Waldorf School.^[22] In 2010, six educators made the top salary list in Newtown, Connecticut.^[23]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Newtown, Connecticut.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Newtown, Connecticut.

• Town of Newtown official website