Hartford carries a lot more history than its size suggests, a compact city of about 120,000 people that is Connecticut's capital and the Insurance Capital of the World. Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe both lived here, and their houses are open to visit. The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest continuously operating public art museum in the country.
Downtown is corporate and quiet after business hours except on event nights, while neighborhoods like the West End, Parkville and Frog Hollow have their own personalities, and Spanish and Portuguese are commonly heard. You can see the State Capitol, stroll Bushnell Park and its carousel, visit the Science Center, and walk the riverfront. Costs are moderate for the Northeast, and most residents rent. Crime has fallen sharply in recent years, but it is still higher than in the surrounding suburbs, and car break-ins are the usual visitor problem.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
Out of 10. Open any score to see how it’s worked out. “Data-based” scores come from published figures; “Hey! En Route estimate” scores are worked out from what we know about the city; “Hey! En Route rating” scores were set by our editors.
- Known as
- Insurance Capital of the World; Constitution State capital; Charter Oak City; New England's Rising Star; America's Filing Cabinet
- Founded
- 1635 settled; 1637 named; 1784 incorporated as city
- Languages
- English; Spanish; Portuguese; French Creole; Polish
- Airports
- Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, about 13 mi / 20 min from downtown; Hartford-Brainard (HFD, general aviation only); T.F. Green (PVD) Providence, about 70 mi; Boston Logan (BOS), about 100 mi; LaGuardia/JFK, about 115 mi
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20% for table service; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2 per bag; tour guides 10-20%; counter service optional
