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Hamden (CT)

Hamden, Connecticut
Town
Hamden Connecticut's Sleeping Giant Mountain from the Quinnipiac river.
Hamden Connecticut's Sleeping Giant Mountain from the Quinnipiac river.
Official seal of Hamden, Connecticut
Seal
Motto: "Land Of The Sleeping Giant"
Location in New Haven County, Connecticut
Location in New Haven County, Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°23′52″N 72°55′18″E / 41.39778°N 72.92167°E / 41.39778; 72.92167Coordinates: 41°23′52″N 72°55′18″E / 41.39778°N 72.92167°E / 41.39778; 72.92167
Country United States
State Connecticut
NECTA New Haven
Region South Central Region
Incorporated 1786
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
 • Mayor Curt Balzano Leng (D)
Area
 • Total 33.3 sq mi (56.2 km2)
 • Land 32.8 sq mi (84.9 km2)
 • Water 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km2)
Elevation 184 ft (56 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 60,960
 • Density 1,800/sq mi (1,100/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 06514, 06517, 06518
Area code(s) 203/475
FIPS code 09-35650
GNIS feature ID 0213440
Website www.hamden.com

Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." The population was 60,960 at the 2010 census. Hamden is a suburb of the city of New Haven.

The town of Hamden ranked #53 in the CNN Money list of "America's best small cities" in 2012. In 2008, Fortune Magazine and CNN Money picked Hamden as #33 on their "Best Place to Live and Launch" list, citing Hamden's great blend of urban and suburban lifestyles. The article also pointed out Hamden's exceptional education system as well as its "New England Charm".

Originally settled by Puritans as part of the town of New Haven, Hamden was purchased by William Christopher Reilly and the Reverend John Davenport in 1638 from the local Quinnipiack Native American tribe. It remained a part of New Haven until 1786 when 1,400 local residents incorporated the area as a separate town, naming it after the English statesman John Hampden.

Largely developed as a nodal collection of village-like settlements (which remain distinct today), including Mount Carmel (home to Quinnipiac University), Whitneyville, Spring Glen, West Woods, and Highwood, Hamden has a long-standing industrial history. In 1798, four years after Eli Whitney began manufacturing the cotton gin in New Haven, he made arms for the U.S. government at a mill site in Hamden, where a waterfall provided a good source of power. At that site, Whitney introduced the modern era of mass production with the concept of interchangeable parts.


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