Burlington, Connecticut


Burlington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. Situated at the foot of the Berkshires and bordering the Farmington River, it is a scenic hill town, rural in nature, located west of Hartford. Incorporated in 1806, the population was 9,519 at the 2020 census. The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region.

History

The area that includes present-day Burlington was originally inhabited by the Tunxis tribe.
The town was once part of larger Farmington Plantation. In 1785, it split away and became a part of the town of Bristol. On June 16, 1806, Burlington became a town in its own right. Cottage industries flourished in the early decades of the town, including multiple clock-making operations. Upon the completion of the Farmington Canal in 1829, many industries ceased operations or moved to neighboring towns.
In 1968, the remainder of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad branch that originally went to Hartford, Connecticut|New Hartford] and passed through Burlington was abandoned due to The Collins Company shutting down nearby factory operations in 1966. The existing railway has since been converted into a multi-use paved rail trail that is a part of the New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 2.19%, is water. Almost half of the land in the town is owned by three public water supply companies and the State of Connecticut.
Burlington is home to the State of Connecticut Fish Hatchery, Nassahegon State Forest, the Nepaug Reservoir, and Sessions Woods [Wildlife Management Area]. Johnnycake Mountain is the highest point in the town at 1,165 ft. The Tunxis Trail runs through the town north to south.
Burlington presently borders the municipalities of Avon, Bristol, Canton, Farmington, Harwinton, New Hartford, and Plymouth.

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Burlington has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Burlington was on July 21–22, 1991, July 23, 2011, and June 24, 2025, while the coldest temperature recorded was on February 14, 2016.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 9,326 people, 3,303 households, and 2,691 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 96.5% White, 0.6% African American, 0.0% Native American, 1.5% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.6% of the population.
There were 3,303 households, out of which 40.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.4% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.5% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.0% under the age of 19, 6.4% from 20 to 29, 10.2% from 30 to 39, 20.6% from 40 to 49, 23.7% from 50 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.5 years.
Economic figures for the town include a median income for a household at $105,250, and the median income for a family at $114,544. About 2.3% of families have incomes under $15,000/year and 11.9% of families have incomes over $200,000/year.

Economy

Burlington has a central business district which primarily runs along Spielman Highway. In hopes of further developing the central business district, a Library Lane Advisory Commission was formed in June 2021 to help provide concepts for the use of the property. The Library Lane Advisory Commission presented a final report in January 2022 to the Board of Selectmen that focused on types of development, resident survey results, architecture and design, infrastructure improvements, and traffic studies.

Parks and recreation

Burlington has four recreation facilities with the newest being Johnnycake Mountain Park that was established in 2024. The other recreation facilities include Foote Road Recreation Complex, Malerbo Recreation Complex, and Nassahegan Recreation Complex which consist of playgrounds, soccer fields, lacrosse fields, baseball fields, and softball fields.

Sports

Burlington has annual road and trail races road that pass through the community, such as the Burlington to Collinsville Classic 10K that begins at Burlington's Lake Garda Elementary School and runs along the Farmington River on the New Haven and Northampton Canal Greenway and finishing in Collinsville.
The Tunxis Trail Races, which are organized by the Burlington Land Trust throughout the year, typically include 5K, 8K, 30K, and 60K distances that pass through notable landmarks.

Government and politics

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 31, 2024
PartyPartyActive votersInactive votersTotal votersPercentage
Republican2,142972,23929.40%
Democratic1,872751,94725.56%
Unaffiliated3,0851893,27442.98%
Minor parties142161582.07%
TotalTotal7,2413777,618100%

YearDemocraticRepublicanThird Parties
202448.01% 2,78250.37% 2,9191.62% 94
202049.72% 3,09948.68% 3,0341.60% 100
201643.68% 2,35251.49% 2,7734.83% 260
201246.23% 2,35752.63% 2,6831.14% 58
200852.08% 2,71646.14% 2,4061.78% 93
200448.84% 2,50149.58% 2,5391.58% 81
200049.26% 2,13745.30% 1,9655.44% 236
199645.51% 1,74740.32% 1,54814.17% 544
199237.03% 1,51135.73% 1,45827.25% 1,112
198844.07% 1,41354.96% 1,7620.97% 31
198433.84% 99465.99% 1,9380.17% 5
198035.81% 95347.69% 1,26916.50% 439
197645.08% 97254.55% 1,1760.37% 8
197238.53% 72260.09% 1,1261.39% 26
196843.81% 64846.65% 6909.54% 141
196466.26% 86033.74% 4380.00% 0
196048.28% 64451.72% 6900.00% 0
195630.35% 30569.65% 7000.00% 0

Education

In 1779, the Congregational Church laid out nine school districts, each with its own schoolhouse. In 1948, Burlington Consolidated School opened to replace these schoolhouses. By 1962, the Regional School District #10 was established to serve Burlington and Harwinton.
The four current schools within the district are;
The Burlington Consolidated School is currently used as Town Hall by Burlington after it was closed 1965.

Infrastructure

Airports

Johnnycake Mountain Meadows Airfield was an airport in the northwestern corner of Burlington and was sometimes referenced as "Mountain Meadows". The airport had a 2,400 ft northwest to southwest runway with a flight school and fuel depot that closed on April 1, 2004 after the owner no longer wanted an airport on his property.
On September 2, 2023, a single-engine plane made an emergency landing in the cornfield slightly south of the airport with no casualties.

Emergency services

The Burlington Volunteer Fire Department provides fire, rescue and emergency medical services to Burlington. The fire department operates four stations;
  • Station 1 - Headquarters - 719 George Washington Turnpike
  • Station 2 - Chippens Hill - 120 West Chippens Hill Road
  • Station 3 - Whigville - 354 Jerome Avenue
  • Station 4 - Lake Garda - 87 Monce Road

Notable locations

Notable people