Avon, Connecticut
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| Avon, Connecticut | |
  Avon, Connecticut
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| NECTA | Hartford |
| Region | Capitol Region |
| Incorporated | 1830 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Council-manager |
| - Town manager | Philip K. Schenck, Jr. |
| - Town council | John F. Carlson, Chm. Diane S. Hornaday William J. Shea II Joseph C. Woodford Mark C. Zacchio |
| Area | |
| - Total | 60.9 km² (23.5 sq mi) |
| - Land | 59.9 km² (23.1 sq mi) |
| - Water | 1.0 km² (0.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 84 m (276 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 17,209 |
| - Density | 288/km² (745/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 06001 |
| Area code(s) | 860 |
| FIPS code | 09-02060 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0213385 |
| Website: Avon | |
Avon is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. As of 2005, the town has an estimated total population of 17,209.[1]
Avon was settled in 1645 and was originally a part of Farmington but sold to the Puritans in a land charter granted by the Duke of York in 1830. Avon was originally called Northington (the north parish) before it broke off from Farmington. According to the Avon Historical Society, Avon's independence was rooted in the need for a church that was more accessible to the growing town's population than the Congregational Church in Farmington. They eventually commissioned someone to come north from the Yale Divinity School to found the first church. It is generally considered a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the 3rd safest town in America by Money Magazine. It is home to the Pine Grove School House, built in 1865 and remains open today as a museum. Avon was listed as one of the "preppiest" places in the United States in the 1980s best-seller The Official Preppy Handbook. An episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 took place there.
Avon is home to Avon High School (Connecticut), as well as 2 elementary schools, 1 intermediate (grades 5-6) school, and a middle school.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.5 square miles (60.9 km²), of which, 23.1 square miles (59.9 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (1.70%) is water.
The East side of Avon is flanked by Talcott Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous traprock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Talcott Mountain is a popular outdoor recreation resource notable for its towering western cliff faces. The 51 mi (82 km) Metacomet Trail traverses the Talcott Mountain ridge.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 15,832 people, 6,192 households, and 4,483 families residing in the town. The population density was 684.8 people per square mile (264.4/km²). There were 6,480 housing units at an average density of 280.3/sq mi (108.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.93% White, 0.98% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.57% of the population.
There were 6,192 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,934, and the median income for a family was $109,161. Males had a median income of $76,882 versus $44,848 for females. The per capita income for the town was $51,706. About 0.9% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 1.9% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[3] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | |
| Republican | 3,956 | 187 | 4,143 | 35.11% | |
| Democratic | 2,655 | 100 | 2,755 | 23.35% | |
| Unaffiliated | 4,639 | 251 | 4,890 | 41.44% | |
| Minor Parties | 10 | 1 | 11 | 0.09% | |
| Total | 11,260 | 539 | 11,799 | 100% | |
[edit] Historical Populations
| 1830 | 1,025 |
| 1840 | 1,001 |
| 1850 | 995 |
| 1860 | 1,059 |
| 1870 | 987 |
| 1880 | 1,057 |
| 1890 | 1,182 |
| 1900 | 1,302 |
| 1910 | 1,337 |
| 1920 | 1,534 |
| 1930 | 1,738 |
| 1940 | 2,258 |
| 1950 | 3,171 |
| 1960 | 5,273 |
| 1970 | 8,352 |
| 1980 | 11,201 |
| 1990 | 13,937 |
| 2000 | 15,832 |
| 2005 | 17,209 (estimate) |
Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
[edit] Facts
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Avon was a filming location for the movie Three Card Stud, released in 1999.[4]
- Andy Sachs, the fictional main character of The Devil Wears Prada, is from Avon.
- Will Friedle, "Eric" on the television show "Boy Meets World" is from Avon and attended the public middle and high schools.
- In Michelle Branch's first video, "Everywhere," she is seen wearing a shirt that says: "First Company Governor's Horse Guard" which is found along West Avon Road in Avon.
- An episode of My Super Sweet Sixteen was shot in Avon.
- On July 29, 2005 one of the worst traffic accidents in Connecticut history occurred at the intersection of US 44 and Route 10 at the foot of Avon Mountain. A runaway dump truck plowed into many stopped vehicles, causing four deaths.[5] Governor M. Jodi Rell has since proposed safety improvements for this road[6] A second, nonfatal crash occurred at the same location on September 7, 2007 when a runaway truck crashed into Nassau's Furniture store [2].
[edit] References
- ^ American FactFinder profile at United States Census Bureau
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 25, 2005 (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
- ^ [1] Internet Movie DataBase filming location page for Avon, Connecticut, accessed August 4, 2006
- ^ Dump Truck Plows Through Intersection, Causing 20-Vehicle Accident and Killing 4 - New York Times
- ^ Governor Rell: Governor Rell Pledges to Build On Road Safety Progress; First Anniversary of Avon Mountain Crash
[edit] External links
- Avon Official Municipal Web Site
- Pine Grove Schoolhouse
- Central Regional Tourism District
- Avon Public Schools Website
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