Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

Last updated

Western Connecticut Planning Region
Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG)
SoNo Historic Meets Modern Downtown.jpg
Saugatuck River, Westport.jpg
Greenwich Avenue (32025341043).jpg
Down the Hatch - Candlewood Lake.jpg
Stamford Aerial 2017.png
WestCOG Logo.png
Map of Connecticut highlighting Western Connecticut Planning Region.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Connecticut
Connecticut in United States.svg
Connecticut's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°19′N73°29′W / 41.31°N 73.48°W / 41.31; -73.48
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Connecticut.svg  Connecticut
Founded2013
Largest city Stamford
Other cities Norwalk, Danbury
Government
  Executive DirectorFrancis Pickering
Area
  Total532.1 sq mi (1,378 km2)
Population
 (2020)
  Total620,549
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
  Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts 4th, 5th
Website westcog.org
Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut
Interactive map of the Western Connecticut Planning Region

The Western Connecticut Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG), one of nine regional councils of governments in Connecticut. Within the region, there are two Metropolitan Planning Organizations, South Western CT MPO and the Housatonic Valley MPO.

Contents

The region includes the Connecticut Panhandle, Greater Danbury, and the Gold Coast. 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]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020 620,549
2022 (est.)623,690 [3] 0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [2]

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 620,549 people living in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, making it the second most populated region in the state behind the Capitol Planning Region.

Municipalities

Stamford is the most populous city in the Western Connecticut Region StamfordHarbor.jpg
Stamford is the most populous city in the Western Connecticut Region

The following municipalities are members of the Western Connecticut Region: [4]

Cities

Towns

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut</span> U.S. state

Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capital is Hartford, and its most populous city is Bridgeport. Connecticut lies between the major hubs of New York City and Boston along the Northeast Corridor. The New York metropolitan area, which includes six of Connecticut's seven largest cities, extends well into the southwestern part of the state, while the northeastern corner reaches Greater Boston. Connecticut is the third-smallest state by area after Rhode Island and Delaware, and the 29th most populous with slightly more than 3.6 million residents as of 2020, ranking it fourth among the most densely populated U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brookfield, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

Brookfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, situated within the southern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. The population was 17,528 at the 2020 census. The town is located 55 miles (89 km) northeast of New York City, making it part of the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA combined statistical area. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. In July 2013, Money magazine ranked Brookfield the 26th-best place to live in the United States, and the best place to live in Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

Fairfield County is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is the most populous county in the state and was also its fastest-growing from 2010 to 2020. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 957,419, representing 26.6% of Connecticut's overall population. The closest to the center of the New York metropolitan area, the county contains four of the state's top 7 largest cities—Bridgeport (1st), Stamford (2nd), Norwalk (6th), and Danbury (7th)—whose combined population of 433,368 is nearly half the county's total population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Haven County, Connecticut</span> County in Connecticut, United States

New Haven County is a county in the south central part of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of the 2020 census, the population was 864,835, making it the third-most populous county in Connecticut. Two of the state's five largest cities, New Haven (3rd) and Waterbury (5th), are part of New Haven County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County (United States)</span> Subdivision used by most states in the United States

In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs, respectively. The specific governmental powers of counties vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships, municipalities, and unincorporated areas. Certain municipalities are in multiple counties; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs. Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties, or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities. Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island, eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties, and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Fairfield, Connecticut</span> Town in Connecticut, United States

New Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 13,579 at the 2020 census. New Fairfield is one of five towns that surround Candlewood Lake, the largest lake in Connecticut. The town is located 55 miles (89 km) northeast of New York City, making it part of the New York metropolitan area. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danbury, Connecticut</span> City in Connecticut, United States

Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately 50 miles (80 km) northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2020 was 86,518. It is the third-largest city in Western Connecticut, and the seventh-largest city in Connecticut. The city is a commercial hub of Western Connecticut, an outer-ring commuter suburb of New York City, and a historic summer colony within the New York metropolitan area and New England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Bridgeport</span> Metropolitan statistical area in Connecticut, United States

Stamford-Bridgeport-Norwalk is a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The area is located in Southwestern Connecticut. In its most conservative form, the area consists of the City of Bridgeport and five surrounding towns—Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull. This definition of the Stamford area has a population of more than 305,000 and is within the Stamford -Bridgeport-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, which consists of all of Fairfield County, Connecticut. The estimated 2015 county population was 948,053. The area is numbered as part of the New York-Newark Combined Statistical Area NY-NJ-CT-PA by the United States Census Bureau.

Connecticut shares with the five other New England states a governmental structure known as the New England town. From 1666 to 1960, Connecticut had a system of county governments, which each had limited powers given to it by the General Assembly. They were abolished by Public Act 152 in 1960. Connecticut also had a system of sheriffs' offices until October 2000, when those were also abolished.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Danbury</span> Metropolitan area in Connecticut, United States

Greater Danbury, also known as the Housatonic Valley Region, is a region in the state of Connecticut centered on the city of Danbury. It consists of the city of Danbury and adjacent towns in the areas around the Housatonic River and the Still River. The area is also home to Candlewood Lake, the largest lake in the New York metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Councils of governments in Connecticut</span> Subdivision of Connecticut, United States

In Connecticut, councils of governments, also known as COGs, are regional planning organizations that bring together the chief elected officials or professional managers from member municipalities in Connecticut. Since 2015 and 2022, the Connecticut planning regions served by COGs have been recognized as county equivalents under state and federal law respectively, superseding the eight legacy counties in the state for most federal funding and statistical purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (NECCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Capitol Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Greater Bridgeport Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments (RiverCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Naugatuck Valley Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Northwest Hills Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut, United States. It is served by the coterminous Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The South Central Connecticut Planning Region is a planning region in the Councils of governments in Connecticut and a county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous South Central Regional Council of Governments (SCRCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut</span> Planning region in Connecticut

The Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG). In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring by 2024.

References

  1. "Governor Lamont Announces U.S. Census Bureau Approves Proposal for Connecticut's Planning Regions To Become County Equivalents". CT.gov. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  2. 1 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: Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut; United States". www.census.gov. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  4. "About". Western Connecticut Council of Governments. Retrieved March 24, 2023.