Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut

"Naugatuck Valley" redirects here. For the watershed area of the Naugatuck River, see Naugatuck River Valley.

Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG)
Planning region
From top left: Lake Compounce in Bristol, Town Green in Naugatuck, Main Street in Thomaston, Shepaug Dam in Southbury, Downtown Waterbury Historic District
Logo
Location within the U.S. state of Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°31′N73°07′W / 41.52°N 73.12°W / 41.52; -73.12
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
Founded	2013
Largest city	Waterbury
Other cities	Bristol, Shelton, Ansonia, Derby
Government
• Executive Director	Rick Dunne
Area
• Total	412.8 sq mi (1,069 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	450,376
• Estimate  (2024)	462,220
• Density	1,090.13/sq mi (420.90/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Website	nvcogct.gov

Interactive map of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region

The Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024. ^{[1] [2]}

Geography

The Naugatuck Valley Planning Region lies in west-central Connecticut, spanning urban centers and rural towns along the Naugatuck River. The region covers approximately 412.8 sq mi and includes both densely populated cities like Waterbury and Shelton, and smaller towns such as Bethlehem and Oxford. Major transportation routes such as Interstate 84 and Route 8 serve as key regional corridors.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2010	448,738		—
2020	450,376		0.4%
2024 (est.)	462,220	[3]	2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [2]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 450,376 people living in the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. ^[2]

Government and Planning

The region is governed by the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), which provides shared services and regional planning coordination. NVCOG oversees long-term transportation, land use, environmental, and economic strategies, and works with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to implement the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). ^[4]

Municipalities

The following municipalities are members of the Naugatuck Valley Region: ^[5]

Cities

• Ansonia
• Bristol
• Derby
• Shelton
• Waterbury

Towns

• Beacon Falls
• Bethlehem
• Cheshire
• Middlebury
• Naugatuck
• Oxford
• Plymouth
• Prospect
• Seymour
• Southbury
• Thomaston
• Watertown
• Wolcott
• Woodbury

References

1. "Governor Lamont Announces U.S. Census Bureau Approves Proposal for Connecticut's Planning Regions To Become County Equivalents". CT.gov. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
2. "Change to County-Equivalents in the State of Connecticut". Federal Register . June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
3. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut; United States". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
4. "A Council of Governments - NVCOG CT - Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments". April 22, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
5. "Our Region". Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. Retrieved March 24, 2023.

External links

• Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments