Connecticut Has More Character Than You Think
Think you really know Connecticut? It's a state with New Haven "apizza" that could make Naples blush, literal hidden gems from old mines, and endless stone walls that wind through every forest. Let's run through the facts, stats, and nutmeg shenanigans that showcase what makes Connecticut's aura eclipse the coasts.
Lynn, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Lynn has lived in Connecticut almost her entire life, and knows the difference between shoreline charm and quiet river towns. She's sampled pizza and donuts all over the state visiting all 169 Connecticut towns. Her most memorable (and probably last ever) move involved the trifecta of a hurricane, loss of power, and an August heatwave (so don't even get me started on moving horror stories!). She knits, bakes, metal detects beaches, and firmly believes New Haven pizza is a food group of its own. At Snappy Scout Lynn turns decades of CT discoveries into sage moving advice you'll enjoy reading and actually use.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Connecticut Connecticut?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Connecticut
The Constitution State, The Nutmeg State.
Local reality check
Just suburbia? Try rugged woods, coastal getaways, and diverse cities.
You're most likely moving from
New York City, Westchester, Long Island, or Boston, chasing space.
Strangely large concentration of
Hedge funds in Greenwich, pizza obsessives, colonial town greens with gazebos, antique shops.
Music scene
Hartford's Bushnell Park jazz, New Haven indie, The Meadows Music Theatre summer festivals, PeoplesBank Arena, Foxwoods, & Mohegan Sun concerts.
You'll have to see it to believe it
New Haven apizza rivalries judged by lifelong loyalties.
Unique geography
Shoreline beaches, traprock ridges, glacial lakes, hillside orchards, and the Connecticut River valley - classic New England.
Connecticut is home to
Yale University (New Haven), ESPN (Bristol), Mystic Seaport (Mystic), Mark Twain House (Hartford).
Well known for its
Pizza, prep schools, fall foliage, apple cider donuts, Gilmore Girls.
Fun history fact
Fundamental Orders were adopted in 1638 & 1639, often called the first written constitution, giving Connecticut its "Constitution State" nickname.
Celebrity sightings
Meryl Streep in Salisbury, Martha Stewart around Westport, Kevin Bacon in Sharon.
Noteworthy Census stat
About 3.6 million residents across 169 towns per 2023 Census estimates.
Most interesting sub-culture within Connecticut
New Haven apizza purists debating Sally's, Pepe's, and Modern.
Population
29th by population, 48th by land size
Connecticut is roughly the same geographic size as
Montenegro or the Bahamas
Locals Know Best
Join your local library. Most have museum passes that get you in for free or with a discount.
— Lynn Nelthropp
Connecticut Local Expert
Ready to See If Connecticut Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Connecticut guide for the bigger picture.