1877 Hartford Map

After Dutch traveler Adriaen Block arrived in modern Hartford in 1614, fur traders from New Netherlands colonies established a Goede Hoop (Good Hope) settlement and commercial fort there in 1623, located on the confluence of Connecticut and Park River. However, the presence of traders in Goede Hoop was not long, as they left the fort on 1954. The first English settlers came to the region in 1635, establishing the Newton colony. However, it was renamed two years later at Hartford, in honor of the British city of Hertford, where one of the newcomers, Samuel Stone, came from.

Leading the founding group of the city, Pastor Thomas Hooker, who is from the current Cambridge in Massachusetts, delivered a sermon that inspired the population to write a document Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (ratified on January 14, 1639), saying that power is based on individual rights. The Hooker concept of self-determination was the basis for the Constitution of the State of Connecticut, and also had a major impact on the nature of the United States Constitution. This is where one of Connecticut's nicknames, called the "Country of the Constitution", came from.

Post and customs building in 1903. On the left the headquarters of the state authorities, built in 1882

On December 15, 1814, delegates from various New England districts gathered in Hartford at a special convention to discuss possible secession from the United States. In the late 19th century, the city was the center of the abolitionist movements. Their supporters included Hartford resident Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of the famous novel Uncle Tom's Cottage.

On April 12, 1909, the Connecticut River reached record high water levels, causing a flood that destroyed the city. On July 6, 1944, a large fire devoured the Ringling Bros Circus building. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The course of the event was as follows: Several thousand viewers gathered in the audience. Most of them were children and young people. The circus skull was impregnated with a flammable blend of paraffin and gasoline to protect against blurring. As a result of a small call for fire, the whole structure suddenly stood in flames. 167 people died and 487 were injured. This event was considered the most tragic circus fire in the history of the United States.

In the 1980s, Hartford experienced an economic boom; at that time, several projects to build new skyscrapers were submitted to the city’s authorities. However, the recession in the early 1990s has thwarted several projects. In addition, in 1987, Carrie Saxon Perry, the first African-American woman in this position among major American cities, became mayor of the city.

Since the 1950s, the suburbs of Hartford have experienced growth, while the population of the center has not increased or even declined. The reason for this is largely the construction of motorways (headed by I-84 and I-91), which pass through the downtown, forcing the population to move to peaceful suburban areas. At the beginning of the 21st century, Hartford had an average of more than 22 minutes on the way to work, a little less than the national average.

Topography

Panorama of Hartford seen from Heublein Tower

According to data from the United States Census Bureau, the city covers a total area of 47 km², of which 45 km² is land, and 1.8 km² (3.67%) is water.

Hartford is surrounded by cities: West Hartford, Newington, Wethersfield, East Hartford, Bloomfield, South Windsor and Windsor. The Connecticut River forms a natural boundary between Hartford and East Hartford.

River Park originally divided Hartford into northern and southern sections, making a significant element of Bushnell Park. However, this part of the river was drained or buried during the implementation of flood protection projects in the 1940s. Traces of the ancient Park River run are visible on some roads built in the bed site, such as Jewell Street and Conlin-Whitehead Highway.

Climate

City flooded by the floods of 1936

Hartford lies in the humid continental climate (Köppen - Dfa classification). Summer periods are usually hot and steamy, while winter is cold, with frequent snowfall.

The average annual amount of precipitation is around 1180 mm, which is spread quite evenly across all seasons. In the winter period, on average, about 124 cm of snow falls; record precipitation was recorded in winter 1995-96, when 293 cm of snow was observed in Hartford. The first snow usually occurs in the second half of November, and the last rainfall occurs at the end of March; however, it happened that snow appeared also in mid-october and mid-may.

In the summer the temperature exceeds 32°C (90°F) on average 17 days a year, although the record is 38 days at this temperature in 1983. On the other hand, the temperature drops below -18°C (0°F) during four nights a year. Thunderstorms are a common phenomenon during the summer months, as a result of the shifting of the border between tropical and cold air masses over the city. Storms can be accompanied by strong winds and hail, but tornadoes are a rare phenomenon. The remains of these storms in extremely rare cases may be tropical hurricanes and winds. Hartford suffered heavily during the hurricanes of 1938 and 2011, among others.

Little Rock's highest recorded temperature was 39°C (103°F) on July 22, 2011, and its lowest temperature was -32°C (-26°F) on January 22, 1961.

According to the 2010 census data, Hartford was inhabited by 124,775 people, 27,171 families and 44,986 households. The population density at the time was 2711.8/km² and the density of 50 644 residential buildings was 129.6/km². According to the racial criterion, the 2005-2007 study showed that 18.7% of the population was white (down from 63.9% in 1970), 40.05% black, 45.52% were Latino, 0.54% Indians, 1.54% 62% had Asian roots and 0.11% were arrivals from the Pacific islands. 28.51% of the population were of a different race, with a further 5.44% representing at least two breeds. After World War II and for several years thereafter, immigrants from Puerto Rico began to flow to Hartford; at present, 40.56% of the population declare their Puerto Rican origin. It is therefore the second largest concentration of people with Puerto Rican roots in the United States, giving way only to Holyoke in Massachusetts.

44,986 households were in the city, of which 34.4% were inhabited by children under the age of 18, 25.2% were marriages living together, 29.6% were led by women (without their husband) and 39.6% were non-family. 33.2% of all households were inhabited by individuals, of which 9.6% by single people over the age of 65. The average household size was 2.58 and the family size was 3.33.

Taking into account the age breakdown, 30.1% of the city's population was under 18, 12.6% were in the range 18-24, 29.8% at 25-44, the population in the range 45-64 was 18% and 9.5% of the population was at least 65 years old. The average age oscillated around 30 years. Every 100 women had 91.4 men, and every 100 women over 18 had 86 men.

The average household income was $20,820 and the family income was $22,051. Men generated income of $28,444, and women generated $26,131; per capita income was $13,428. 30% of the population lived below the relative poverty line. This is the second largest poverty indicator in the United States; The taller is only found in Brownsville, Texas.

Hartford is a historic international center of the insurance industry; This is where companies such as Travelers, Aetna, The Hartford, The Phoenix Companies, Enterprise and Hartford Steam Boiler come from, while Lincoln National Corporation has its headquarters. United Technologies headquarters and a firearms factory are located in the city.

Built in 1963, the Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Building was the world's first two-sided building

From the 19th to the mid-20th century, Hartford was an important industrial center. During the industrial revolution, the city of the Connecticut valley introduced many innovations in industrial manufacturing processes. However, over the years, industry in these areas has started to slow down; as a result, a large part of the factories were closed down, moved to other sites or reduced their activity.

Hartford center seen from the air

Despite the great tradition of Hartford as the center of the insurance industry, several companies have left the city in recent years, moving either to other towns or to suburban areas. The local tax structure and the shortage of parking places have pushed MetLife to leave its existing offices in CityPlace, the largest skyscraper of Connecticut clouds, and to create a new branch in Bloomfield. Lincoln Financial has reduced its staff base in Hartford, while Travelers has decided to build a new facility in the nearby Windsor. In addition, the Fortune 100 MassMutual has moved regional offices in Connecticut from Hartford to Enfield.

At the same time, the economic flourishing is experienced by the central business district of Hartford and neighboring districts. In 2010, Aetna transferred nearly 3.5,000 jobs from Middletown to her headquarters in Hartford. Several new Travelers offices were also established downtown. In 2008, Sovereign Bank opened its regional branch in Connecticut in Hartford center. In 2009, Northeast Utilities, the Fortune 500 corporation and the largest power company in New England announced its intention to open its headquarters in downtown. In the same year, the AI Technology Center, the future headquarters of this company, began construction. This is the first commercial structure in Connecticut, marked by a platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certificate. Other companies that have settled in Hartford's business district in recent years include: GlobeOp Financial Services, S.H. Smith and CareCentrix.

According to data from the Brookings Institute in 2011, Hartford had the highest per capita GDP of all the largest metropolitan areas in the world, with 75,086 dollars.

• Bradley International Airport

• Hartford Wolf Pack - hockey club
• Hartford Whalers - former hockey club

•   Poland: Bydgoszcz
•   Puerto Rico: Caguas
•   Italy: Florida
•   Sierra Leone: Freetown
•   England: Hertford
•   Portugal: Mangualde
•   Jamaica: Morant Bay
•   Ireland: New Ross
•   Nicaragua: Ocotal
•   Greece: Thessaloniki

• Wikivoyage: Hartford ()
• Hartford in city-data.com (pl)
• Official website of the city of Hartford (a)
• Official website of the Urban Tourist Office (Tour)