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Wilton, Connecticut

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Wilton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 17,633.

Settled in the early eighteenth century, Wilton became an independent town in 1802. Today, Wilton, like many other Fairfield County towns, is an expensive residential community with open lands (a testament to its colonial farming roots), historic architecture and extensive town services. Residents commonly commute to Stamford, New York City and White Plains, although there are a number of office buildings in town.

Its town center contains a Starbucks, a Gap, a Stop & Shop, and a Crown Cinema. However, some of these stores were added around the year 2000. These new stores were built adjacent to the old Wilton Center. The old Wilton Center consists of the Wilton Library, Old Post Office Square, the Village Market. The selling of packaged alcohol is illegal in Wilton.

Wilton, Like its neighbors, is one of the most affluent small communities in the United States.

History

See: History of Wilton, Connecticut Wilton has won more state championships in lacrosse than any other town in Connecticut. Wilton, New Canaan and Darien comprise "The Big Three" in Connecticut lacrosse.

Housing stock and land use

Wilton has, by some estimates, more than 500 restored 18th and 19th century homes.

"Teardowns have become quite an issue in town," Marilyn Gould, Wilton's second selectman and director of the Wilton Historical Society, told a reporter for the New York Times last year. "People aren't taking down historic houses but the more modest homes that were built in the 50's and 60's," she said. "What that's doing is changing the affordability of the town and the demographic of the town. Wilton used to have a wide demographic of people who worked with their hands - artisans, builders, mechanics. Now it's management and upper management.","[1] From 1999 to 2005, the town's voters have endorsed spending $23 million through municipal bonds to preserve land.[2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 70.9 km² (27.4 mi²). 69.8 km² (27.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (1.50%) is water, including the South Norwalk Reservoir.

The latitude of Wilton is 41.201N. The longitude is -73.438W.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 17,633 people, 5,923 households, and 4,874 families residing in the town. The population density was 252.6/km² (654.3/mi²). There were 6,113 housing units at an average density of 87.6/km² (226.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.55% White, 0.60% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.69% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.53% of the population.

There were 5,923 households out of which 46.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.4% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 15.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.25.

The age distribution is 31.5% under the age of 18, 2.8% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median home income is the fourth highest in the nation. The median income for a household in the town was $141,428, and the median income for a family was $158,415. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $61,611 for females. The per capita income for the town was $65,806. About 1.3% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Neighborhoods

Four designated historic districts exist in Wilton and feature examples of early American homes. Stately traditional houses and impressive contemporaries as well as luxury condominiums are integrated among historic structures. One- and two-acre lots help give many parts of the town a pastoral character.

Schools

Public Schools

Modern facilities include two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, which features accelerated classes for gifted students, music and visual arts courses and a well-appointed resource center. An innovative language laboratory encourages foreign language studies, including French, German, Spanish, Russian and Latin.

The Town of Wilton has 4,151 students who attend pre-K, three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. Wilton's three elementary schools have class sizes ranging from 18 to 22 and a 19 to 1 student/ teacher ratio. The junior high school is for grades 6-8 and features interdisciplinary instruction teams in languages and science, mathematics, social studies, computers, art, and gifted student instruction. Class sizes range from 20 to 22 students with a student/teacher ratio of 13 to 1. Over 91% of Wilton High School graduates in the past five years have gone on to colleges and universities. The mean SAT scores at Wilton High are 584 verbal and 598 math.

Private Schools

There are three private elementary schools in town:

  • The Connecticut Friends School, a Quaker school, Kindergarten through eighth grade.
  • Our Lady of Fatima, a Catholic school, preschool through eighth grade.
  • Montessori School, preschool through sixth grade.

Transportation

Commute times

  • Hartford: 90 Minutes
  • LaGuardia Airport (LGA): 50 Minutes
  • Manhattan: 70 Minutes
  • Stamford: 20 Minutes
  • White Plains, NY: 40 Minutes
  • JFK 60 minutes

Airports

Railroad

The town has two Metro North railroad stations, called Wilton and Cannondale. It takes about an hour from the train stations to get to New York City.

Highways

Although no highways run through Wilton, there are several which run through neighboring towns.

Among them:

Originally, Route 7 was intended to be a four lane divided highway from I-95 in Norwalk to I-84 in Danbury (the so-called Super 7), passing through Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding in addition to Norwalk and Danbury. While there is a four lane section from I-95 through Norwalk to close to the Wilton border, the road becomes a normal surface road in Wilton, sometimes two lanes and sometimes four lanes, with frequent stop lights, and continues as such through Ridgefield and Redding (near the border of the two towns, often crossing back and forth), until the road resumes its status as a divided highway about two miles after the Danbury/Ridgefield border. Route 7 was not expanded into a highway because of concerns about wetlands and other environmental issues, and as a measure to reduce growth in the outer suburbs. However, high average housing costs (Wilton's average house costs $791,558 according to CNN) have pushed more and more people into the distant suburbs, and Route 7 now carries over 30,000 cars and trucks per day, resuling in significant traffic delays. It is the only major north-south road running through Fairfield county, although some commuters use alternative residential streets in an attempt to beat the traffic.

Famous residents, past and present

Clubs and organizations

Clubs and civic organizations in town include a Newcomers Club, League of Women Voters, Kiwanis Club, youth coalition, senior meal delivery and the Wilton Family Y. Cultural amenities include the historical society, a Library Association, an Arts Council, Audubon Society and the Wilton Playshop.

Events in town

  • Minks to Sinks is an huge, twice-a-year flea market that benefits the local Family and Children's Services Agency.
  • Cannon Grange, "a kind of 4-H club for adults,"[3] hosts an annual fair.

References

  1. ^ The New York Times, "Living in/Wilton, Connecticut: A Playground For Preservationists," by Debra West, Dec. 4, 2005, Page accessed on 22 June, 2006
  2. ^ The New York Times, "Living in/Wilton, Connecticut: A Playground For Preservationists," by Debra West, Dec. 4, 2005, Page accessed on 22 June, 2006
  3. ^ The New York Times, "Living in/Wilton, Connecticut: A Playground For Preservationists," by Debra West, Dec. 4, 2005, Page accessed on 22 June, 2006

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