Middletown, Connecticut

Middletown
City
City of Middletown
Middletown skyline
Seal Logo
Nickname:  Forest City
Middlesex County and Connecticut  Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region and Connecticut
Show Middletown Show Connecticut Show the United States
Coordinates: 41°33′44″N 72°39′3″W / 41.56222°N 72.65083°W / 41.56222; -72.65083
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	Middlesex
Region	Lower CT River Valley
Incorporated (town)	1651
Incorporated (city)	1784
Consolidated	1923
Named for	Being halfway between Hartford, and Saybrook on the Connecticut River
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Mayor	Benjamin D. Florsheim (D)
• Deputy mayor	Vincent J. Loffreddo (D)
Area [1]
• Total	42.37 sq mi (109.72 km2)
• Land	41.02 sq mi (106.24 km2)
• Water	1.35 sq mi (3.49 km2)
Elevation [2]	135 ft (41 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	47,717
• Density	1,163.26/sq mi (449.14/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	06457
Area code(s)	860/959
FIPS code	09-47290
GNIS feature ID	02378281[2]
Interstates
U.S. Highways
Website	www.middletownct.gov

Middletown is a city in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is 16 miles (26 kilometers) south of Hartford. Middletown is the largest city in the 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 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 from its creation in 1785 until the elimination of county government in 1960. As of the 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 progressive city, and is home to one of the largest pride events in all of Connecticut.^[4]