Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city of 114,869 people in Connecticut, founded in 1686.
Why visit Waterbury
Townapedia lists 53 museums and landmarks, 81 parks and trails, 60 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 22 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sheffield Street Bridge, Washington Avenue Bridge, Bank Street Historic District and Elton Hotel.
Weather in Waterbury
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Waterbury
Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 Census. The city is 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Hartford and 77 miles (124 km) northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the largest city in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region and second-largest city in New Haven County.
From the Wikipedia article Waterbury, Connecticut (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do22
Sheffield Street Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic lenticular truss bridge spanning Hancock Brook in Waterbury, Connecticut
Washington Avenue Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Road bridge in Waterbury, United States of America
Mount Southington
Ski area · 6.0 mi
Ski area in Plantsville, Connecticut
Quassy Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 6.2 mi
Amusement park
10 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks53
Bank Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Listed on the NRHP
Elton Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic building in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
Hillside Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
Overlook Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Connecticut, United States
Palace Theater
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Movie theater in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
100 East Main Street, Waterbury
Salem School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New Haven County, Connecticut
124 Meadow St., Naugatuck
Barnes-Frost House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.8 mi
Historic house in Connecticut, United States
Benedict-Miller House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Connecticut, United States
Beth El Synagogue
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Synagogue in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA
Bishop School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic school building in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States
Bronson B. Tuttle House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.5 mi
Historic house in Connecticut, United States
David Hotchkiss House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house museum at 61 Waterbury Road in Prospect, Connecticut
41 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds81
Hamilton Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Oldest city park in Waterbury, Connecticut
Lewis Fulton Memorial Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Park in Waterbury, United States of America
Country Club Of Waterbury
Golf course · 2.5 mi
Private, Members Or Owners Only
1 Oronoke Road, Waterbury
69 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes60
Mary's Diner
Restaurant · Breakfast, American · 1.4 mi
579 Watertown Avenue, Waterbury
Mo-Su 06:00-15:00
DaDa Deli
Cafe · Pizza, Burger, Coffee Shop, Chicken · 2.2 mi
757 Meriden Road, Waterbury
Mo-Su 08:00-22:00
Bliss Vybz West Indian Restaurant
Restaurant · 0.6 mi
928 North Main Street, Waterbury
Mo-Th 07:00-22:00; Fr 07:00-24:00; Sa 00:00-03:00,07:00-24:00; Su...
Mad River Creamery & Deli
Ice cream · 3.7 mi
605 Wolcott Road, Wolcott
Tu-Su 10:00-21:00
48 more on the map.
History
The land was originally inhabited by the Algonquin bands. According to Samuel Orcutt's history, some Puritan residents of nearby Farmington "found it expedient to purchase the same lands from different tribes, without attempting to decide between their rival claims." The original settlement of Waterbury in 1674 was in the area now known as the Town Plot section. In 1675, the turbulence of King Philip's War caused the new settlement to be vacated until the resumption of peace in 1677. A new permanent location was found across the river to the east along the Mad River. The original Native American inhabitants called the area "Matetacoke" meaning "the interval lands." Thus, the settlement's name was Anglicized to "Mattatuck" in 1673. When the settlement was admitted as the 28th town in the Connecticut Colony in 1686, the name was changed to Waterbury in reference to the numerous streams that emptied into the Naugatuck River from the hills on either side of the valley. At that time, it included all or parts of what later became the towns of Watertown, Plymouth, Wolcott, Prospect, Naugatuck, Thomaston, and Middlebury.
From the History section of Waterbury, Connecticut on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Churches and places of worship71
Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Church · Roman Catholic
74 West Main Street, Waterbury
First Congregational Church of Waterbury
Church · Congregational · 0.4 mi
222 West Main Street, Waterbury
Our Lady of Loreto Church
Church · Catholic · 2.2 mi
12;635 Ardsley Road;Bunker Hill Avenue, Watertown;Waterbury
Saint Michael's Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 2.8 mi
62 Saint Michael Drive;Street Michaels Drive, Waterbury
Shopping16
Gas and EV charging23
Schools, colleges and libraries96
Healthcare9
Saint Mary's Medical Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
1981 East Main Street, Waterbury
Map of Waterbury
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
The county has had 27 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-10-24: Hawthorne Fire (Fire)
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2024-08-21: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2021-10-30: Remnants Of Hurricane Ida (Hurricane)
- 2021-08-22: Hurricane Henri (Hurricane)
- 2021-01-12: Tropical Storm Isaias (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Naugatuck 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Bristol 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Meriden 13 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Wallingford Center 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- New Britain 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Ansonia 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- North Haven 15 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Derby 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- New Haven 18 mi south, about 29 min by car
- Shelton 18 mi south, about 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Western approach to Waterbury CT, Daniel Case , Grossus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grace Baptist Church - Waterbury, Connecticut, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT WaterburyClockCompany, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- New Bethel Church of God in Christ - Waterbury, Connecticut, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT GeorgeSAbbottBuilding, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT MatthewsAndWillardFactorySite, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Iglesia de Dios - Waterbury, Connecticut, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Race and ethnicity 2020 Waterbury, CT, CensusDots, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Shalom Baptist Church - Waterbury, Connecticut, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Evangelistic Caravan Center - Waterbury, Connecticut, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christ CME Church - Waterbury, Connecticut, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT HillsideHD 2, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT HillsideHD 4, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT HillsideHD 3, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT HillsideHD 1, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Remnants of Trinity Church Waterbury, Zfish118, CC0
- PalaceTheater-WaterburyCT-1, Koskenart, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WaterburyCT PalaceTheater, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- PalaceTheater-WaterburyCT-2, Koskenart, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 17, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 14, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 12, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 15, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - Waterbury, Connecticut 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 13, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 11, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - Waterbury, Connecticut 07, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 09, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - Waterbury, Connecticut 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - Waterbury, Connecticut 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 16, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception interior - Waterbury, Connecticut 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception - Waterbury, Connecticut 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Torrance Hall, Wipost, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Park entrance, with "Liberty House". 7-31-2013, Robert E. Brown, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bank Street Historic District, Waterbury, CT, Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.