Lyme | |
---|---|
Town of Lyme | |
Coordinates: 41°24′N72°21′W / 41.400°N 72.350°W | |
Country | United States |
U.S. state | Connecticut |
County | New London |
Region | Lower CT River Valley |
Settled | 1645 |
Incorporated | February 13, 1667 |
Government | |
• Type | Selectman-town meeting |
• First selectman | David Lahm (R) |
Area | |
• Total | 34.5 sq mi (89.4 km2) |
• Land | 31.9 sq mi (82.5 km2) |
• Water | 2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2) |
Elevation | 26 ft (8 m) |
Population (2020) [1] | |
• Total | 2,352 |
• Density | 68/sq mi (26/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
ZIP code | 06371 (Old Lyme PO) and 06439 (Hadlyme PO) |
Area code(s) | 860/959 |
FIPS code | 09-44210 |
GNIS feature ID | 0213453 |
Website | townlyme |
Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, situated on the eastern side of the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 2,352 at the 2020 census. [1] Lyme is the eponym of Lyme disease. [2]
In February 1665, the portion of the territory of the Saybrook Colony east of the Connecticut River was set off as the plantation of East Saybrook, which included present-day Lyme, Old Lyme, and the western part of East Lyme. In 1667, the Connecticut General Court formally recognized the East Saybrook plantation as the town of Lyme, named after Lyme Regis, a coastal town in the south of England. The eastern portion of Lyme (bordering the town of Waterford) separated from Lyme in 1823 and became part of East Lyme. The southern portion of Lyme (along Long Island Sound) separated in 1855 as South Lyme (renamed Old Lyme in 1857). Both changes were consistent with the then-existing laws of the state of Connecticut.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89 km2), of which 31.9 square miles (83 km2) are land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2), or 7.63%, are water.
Other minor communities and geographic areas are Becket Hill, Bill Hill, Brockway's Ferry (also known as Brockway Landing), Brush Hill, Elys Ferry, Grassy Hill, Gungy, Joshuatown, Lord Hill, Mt. Archer, Pleasant Valley, Rogers Lake West Shore, and Sterling City.
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1820 | 4,069 | — | |
1850 | 2,668 | — | |
1860 | 1,246 | −53.3% | |
1870 | 1,181 | −5.2% | |
1880 | 1,025 | −13.2% | |
1890 | 977 | −4.7% | |
1900 | 750 | −23.2% | |
1910 | 746 | −0.5% | |
1920 | 674 | −9.7% | |
1930 | 546 | −19.0% | |
1940 | 717 | 31.3% | |
1950 | 857 | 19.5% | |
1960 | 1,183 | 38.0% | |
1970 | 1,484 | 25.4% | |
1980 | 1,822 | 22.8% | |
1990 | 1,949 | 7.0% | |
2000 | 2,016 | 3.4% | |
2010 | 2,406 | 19.3% | |
2020 | 2,352 | −2.2% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [3] |
As of the 2010 census, Lyme had a population of 2,406. Its racial and ethnic makeup was 96.5% non-Hispanic white, 0.1% non-Hispanic black, 0.1% non-Hispanic Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% non-Hispanic from some other race, 0.6% from two or more races and 1.7% Hispanic or Latino. [4]
Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 1, 2022. [5] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Active voters | Inactive voters | Total voters | Percentage | |
Republican | 464 | 6 | 470 | 23.81% | |
Democratic | 742 | 15 | 757 | 38.35% | |
Unaffiliated | 699 | 20 | 719 | 36.42% | |
Minor Parties | 28 | 0 | 28 | 1.42% | |
Total | 1,933 | 41 | 1974 | 100% |
The number of Lyme residents registering with the Democratic party has grown in recent years, from 541 in 2015 to 757 in 2022. [6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2017 the largest (those over 1% of the population) self-identified ancestry/ethnic groups in Lyme were: [7]
Largest ancestries (2017) | Percent |
---|---|
English ancestry | 30.5% |
Irish ancestry | 19.8% |
German ancestry | 14.2% |
Italian ancestry | 11.7% |
American ancestry | 7.3% |
Polish ancestry | 6.3% |
Scottish ancestry | 4.9% |
French-Canadian ancestry | 3.5% |
Swedish ancestry | 2.4% |
Norwegian ancestry | 1.6% |
Swiss ancestry | 1.5% |
Russian ancestry | 1.2% |
Selden Neck State Park and Becket Hill State Park Reserve are wholly located in Lyme. Nehantic State Forest and Gillette Castle State Park are partly located in Lyme.
The Estuary Transit District provides public transportation throughout Lyme and the surrounding towns through its 9 Town Transit Service. Services include connections to Old Saybrook station, served by Amtrak and Shore Line East railroads.
Chester is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 3,749 at the 2020 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). The name is a transfer from Chester, in England.
Deep River is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. The population was 4,415 at the 2020 census. The town center is designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place (CDP). Deep River is part of what the locals call the "Tri-town Area", made up of the towns of Deep River, Chester, and Essex.
Old Saybrook Center is the primary village and a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,278 at the 2020 census, out of 10,481 in the entire town of Old Saybrook. The CDP includes the traditional town center and the peninsula known as Saybrook Point.
East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 census. The villages of Niantic and Flanders are located in the town.
Old Lyme is a coastal town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, bounded on the west by the Connecticut River, on the south by the Long Island Sound, on the east by the town of East Lyme, and on the north by the town of Lyme. The town is part of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region.
The Pawcatuck River is a river in the US states of Rhode Island and Connecticut flowing approximately 34 miles (55 km). There are eight dams along the river's length. USS Pawcatuck was named after the river.
The Wood River is a river in the U.S. states of Connecticut and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 25 miles (40 km) and is a major tributary of the Pawcatuck River. There are eight dams along the river's length.
The Chester–Hadlyme Ferry is a seasonal ferry crossing the Connecticut River between the town of Chester, Connecticut, and the village of Hadlyme. It is the second oldest continuously operating ferry service in the state of Connecticut and is a state-designated historical landmark. The ferry is part of the scenic portion of Route 148 and provides a convenient link between two of Connecticut's tourist attractions: Gillette Castle State Park in Hadlyme and the Essex Steam Train, which runs between Essex and Chester.
The source of the Eightmile River is a swampy, undeveloped region in the town of East Haddam, Connecticut, centered between Ackley Road, Hall Kilbourne Road, Usher Swamp Road, and Miles Standish Road. The Eightmile River runs for 13.4 miles (21.6 km) to Hamburg Cove in the town of Lyme, Connecticut.
The Williams River is a 27.0-mile (43.5 km) river in the US state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River. Its watershed covers 117 square miles; land use is about 80% forested and 4% agricultural, and the upper river supports wild brook trout and brown trout.
Route 148 is a state highway in southern and southeastern Connecticut running from Route 79 in Killingworth to Route 82 in the village of Hadlyme. Route 148 crosses the Connecticut River using the Chester–Hadlyme Ferry.
Spencer State Forest is a Massachusetts state forest and recreation reserve located in the town of Spencer, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The 92 mile (148 km) Midstate Trail passes through the state forest. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts also conducts logging in some parts of the property.
The Hadlyme Ferry Historic District encompasses a collection of historic buildings related to the Chester–Hadlyme Ferry in the Hadlyme village of Lyme, Connecticut. It is located at the eastern end of the ferry route across the Connecticut River, where ferries have been documented to run since 1769. The district includes six houses dating to the late 18th or early 19th century, as well as the site of the ferry slip. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The Hadlyme North Historic District is an 81-acre (33 ha) historic district located in the southwest corner of the town of East Haddam, Connecticut. It represents the historic core of the village of Hadlyme, which straddles the town line, and consists primarily of two north-south roads, Town Street. The village arose around a church society founded in 1743, and grew with the development of small industries along area waterways. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
The Shore Line Electric Railway was a trolley line along the southern coastline of Connecticut, running between New Haven and Old Saybrook with additional branches to Chester and Stony Creek. Unlike most trolley lines in New England, the Shore Line Electric was a true interurban, running large railway-style cars largely on a private right-of-way rather than on public streets. Though its main line was in operation for only 15 nonconsecutive years, the Shore Line Electric briefly acquired a substantial network of trolley lines stretching across eastern Connecticut, including the Norwich and Westerly Railway, the Groton and Stonington Street Railway, and several lines of the Connecticut Company. Most of the trolley line no longer is extant, however, the Shore Line Electric Railway Power House still stands along the mouth of the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook.
Bridgeport, Connecticut is a major city of Connecticut located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River.
Sharon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is the primary village within the town of Sharon. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 729, out of 2,782 in the entire town.