Coordinates: 41°20′10″N 73°13′33″W

Monroe, Connecticut
Monroe is a town located in eastern Fairfield County,
Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,479 at the Monroe, Connecticut
Town of Monroe
2010 census.[1]
Town
Monroe is largely considered a bedroom community of New
York City, New Haven, and Bridgeport.

Contents
History
Geography
Neighborhoods
Demographics
Gazebo in front of town hall
Arts and culture
Notable locations
Locations on the National Register of Historic
Places
Government
Education Seal
Monroe Public Schools
Private school
Media
Infrastructure
Roads
Emergency services
Fire department
Emergency medical services
Police department
Places of worship
Notable people
Location in Fairfield County and the state
Images of Connecticut
See also Coordinates: 41°20′10″N 73°13′33″W

References Country United States

U.S. state Connecticut
Further reading
County Fairfield
External links Metropolitan Bridgeport-Stamford
area
Incorporated 1823
History
Government
On May 15, 1656, the Court of the Colony of Connecticut in • Type Selectman-town
Hartford affirmed that the town of Stratford included all of the council
territory 12 miles (19 km) inland from Long Island Sound, • First Ken Kellogg (R)
between the Housatonic River and the Fairfield town line, to Selectman
include the southern portion of present-day Monroe. In 1662, • Town Council Enid Lipeles (R),
Chairman
Stratford selectmen Lt. Joseph Judson, Captain Joseph Hawley
Sean O'Rourke (R),
and John Minor secured all the written deeds of transfer from Vice Chairman
the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Nation for this vast territory Jonathan
that comprises the present-day towns of Trumbull, Shelton and Formichella (R)
Monroe. In 1671, Stratford purchased from the Paugusset Kevin Reid (R)
Indians the territory which included the remainder of the Terry Rooney (R)
northern portions of Monroe, Trumbull and Shelton, in what is Tony Scott (R)
known as "The White Hills Purchase", and officially annexed it Jen Aguilar (D)
to the Township of Stratford. Dee Dee Martin (D)
Jason Maur (D)
Monroe incorporated as a town in 1823. The community is Area
named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United • Total 26.3 sq mi
States.[2] (68.1 km2 )
• Land 26.1 sq mi
(67.7 km2 )
Geography • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2 )
Elevation 522 ft (159 m)
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a
total area of 26.3 square miles (68 km2 ), of which 26.1 square Population (2015)
miles (68 km2 ) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2 ), or • Total 20,020
0.76%, is water. The Pequonnock River begins in Monroe in • Density 763.3/sq mi
Wolfe Park. Monroe borders Lake Zoar, a reservoir on the (294.7/km2 )
Housatonic River formed by Stevenson Dam. Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST) UTC−4 (Eastern)

Neighborhoods ZIP Code 06468

Area code(s) 203/475
Monroe is made up of several neighborhoods: FIPS code 09-48620
GNIS feature ID 0213463
East Village
Website www.monroect.org
Midtown (http://www.monroec
Monroe Center Historic District t.org/)
North Central
Stepney
Stevenson
Upper Stepney
Whitney Farms
Zoar

Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 19,247 people, 6,481 households, Historical population
and 5,346 families residing in the town. The population density was 736.5 Census Pop. %±
people per square mile (284.4/km2 ). There were 6,601 housing units at an
1830 1,522 —
average density of 252.6 per square mile (97.5/km2 ). The racial makeup of
1840 1,351 −11.2%
the town was 95.8% White, 0.20% African American, 0.08% Native
American, 2.62% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.83% from two or 1850 1,442 6.7%
more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.20% of the 1860 1,382 −4.2%
population. 1870 1,226 −11.3%
1880 1,157 −5.6%
There were 6,481 households, out of which 42.5% had children under the
1890 994 −14.1%
age of 18 living with them, 74.0% were married couples living together,
6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were 1900 1,043 4.9%
non-families. Of all households 14.9% were made up of individuals, and 1910 1,002 −3.9%
6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The 1920 1,161 15.9%
average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.31. 1930 1,221 5.2%
1940 1,728 41.5%
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.1% under the age of 1950 2,892 67.4%
18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and
1960 6,402 121.4%
10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years.
1970 12,047 88.2%
For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age
18 and over, there were 93.5 males. 1980 14,010 16.3%
1990 16,896 20.6%
The median income for a household in the town was $85,000 and the 2000 19,247 13.9%
median income for a family was $92,514. Males had a median income of 2010 19,479 1.2%
$61,109 versus $41,572 for females. The per capita income for the town Est. 2017 19,635 [3] 0.8%
was $34,161. About 1.8% of families and 2.6% of the population were U.S. Decennial Census[4]
below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of
those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Notable locations
Lake Zoar, a reservoir on the Housatonic River
Stevenson Dam, which holds back Lake Zoar, and is the bridge for CT Route 34 across the
Housatonic
Stepney Cemetery, founded in 1794 and located near the Stepney Green
Webb Mountain Park, a municipal park with hiking trails and campsites
William E. Wolfe Park, a town park located on Cutlers Farm Road and on the northern end of
Cross Hill Road. The park includes a public pool, four baseball fields, a football field, a
basketball court, a playground, and a hiking trail that leads to Great Hollow Lake. The park
includes a barbecue set up on the grass, and a nearby pavilion. Great Hollow Lake is located
in the south-western area of the park.
Rails to Trails is an approximately five-mile scenic walking and biking trail that runs from Great
Hollow Lake in Wolfe Park, and continues to the Newtown Town line.
The Warren's Occult Museum is a collection of occult artifacts.[6]

Locations on the National Register of Historic Places

Daniel Basset House — 1024 Monroe Turnpike (added September 23, 2002)
Monroe Center Historic District — CT 110 and CT 111 (added September 19, 1977)
Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant — CT 34 (added October 29, 2000)
Thomas Hawley House — 514 Purdy Hill Rd. (added May 11, 1980)
Government
Monroe is a stalwart Republican town at the presidential level with the longest streak of supporting the GOP in
Fairfield County. No Democrat has won the town in over 60 years. Lyndon B. Johnson came the closest in his
landslide victory in 1964, having lost the town by only 17 votes to Barry M. Goldwater.

Monroe town vote

by party in presidential elections[7]

Year Democratic Republican Third Parties

2016 41.44% 4,520 54.29% 5,922 4.27% 466
2012 43.02% 4,446 55.70% 5,757 1.28% 132
2008 46.41% 5,133 52.58% 5,815 1.00% 111
2004 40.73% 4,349 58.02% 6,195 1.25% 133
2000 44.57% 4,352 50.79% 4,960 4.64% 453
1996 40.94% 3,544 45.84% 3,968 13.23% 1,145
1992 28.47% 2,745 47.78% 4,607 23.76% 2,291
1988 32.60% 2,599 66.67% 5,315 0.73% 58
1984 25.02% 1,771 74.65% 5,283 0.32% 23
1980 28.82% 1,815 59.34% 3,737 11.85% 746
1976 36.05% 2,025 63.20% 3,550 0.75% 42
1972 25.87% 1,329 71.92% 3,695 2.22% 114
1968 33.15% 1,527 57.47% 2,647 9.38% 432
1964 49.78% 1,960 50.22% 1,977 0.00% 0
1960 35.51% 1,116 64.49% 2,027 0.00% 0
1956 20.66% 389 79.34% 1,494 0.00% 0

Voter registration and party enrollment as of November 5, 2018[8]

Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 3,724 83 3,807 28.25%
Democratic 2,893 91 2,984 22.14%
Unaffiliated 6,389 83 6,472 48.02%
Minor parties 213 1 214 1.59%
Total 13,219 258 13,477 100%

Education

Monroe Public Schools

The school district for Monroe is called Monroe Public Schools and includes approximately 4,000 students, in
three elementary schools (Fawn Hollow, Monroe Elementary, and Stepney Elementary), two middle schools
(Jockey Hollow and STEM Academy), and one high school (Masuk High School).

In 2011, STEM Academy was opened at Masuk High School as an additional middle school option for
Monroe's 6th, 7th, and 8th graders.[9]

Chalk Hill Middle School housed Monroe's 5th and 6th graders from 1969-2011 (when it was closed due to
shifting population and budget issues).[10] From 2012-2016, Chalk Hill was the home of Sandy Hook
Elementary School in Newtown following the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting.[11]

Private school

For the 2017-18 school year, St. Jude School merged with two other local Catholic schools (St. Joseph and St.
Lawrence, both of neighboring Shelton, CT). The three schools combined to make Holy Trinity Catholic
Academy, housed in the former St. Lawrence School in Shelton.[12]

St. Jude School, was a Catholic school with around 220 Pre-K to 8th Grade students, located next to St. Jude
Parish on Route 111.

In 2003, the St. Jude School boys' junior varsity basketball team won the New England CYO tournament,
defeating Springfield, Massachusetts in the championship, becoming the school's first team to win the
tournament. The first selectman of the town dedicated a day to them. In 2005, they returned to the tournament
in Rhode Island as 8th graders. After defeating Worcester and Boston, they lost to Hartford by 5.

In 2006, the St. Jude boys' junior varsity again won the New England CYO tournament, defeating Hartford,
Connecticut.

Media
The town of Monroe owns and operates the FM radio station WMNR.
The Monroe Courier was the weekly town newspaper until it was shut down in October 2018.
The local online newspaper is the Monroe Patch.

Infrastructure

Roads
Connecticut Route 25, Main Street, runs across Monroe from Upper Stepney to the Trumbull
town line. The highway starts in Brookfield/Danbury and runs to Bridgeport. From Brookfield
through Monroe, it is a 2-lane road, and just over the Monroe-Trumbull border within Trumbull, it
becomes a 6-lane freeway which connects to Interstate 95.
Connecticut Route 34 runs through the northern (Stevenson) section of Monroe. The route
begins in Newtown and ends in New Haven, where it connects with I-91 and I-95.
Connecticut Route 59 begins at its intersection with Route 25 in Monroe and travels south
through Easton and Fairfield, where it ends in Bridgeport.
Connecticut Route 110 begins in Monroe at its intersection with Route 111, then travels
through Shelton before ending in Stratford.
Connecticut Route 111, Monroe Turnpike, begins at its intersection with Route 34 in Monroe
and runs south to Trumbull, where it terminates just north of Bridgeport at the Merritt Parkway.
Emergency services

Fire department

Monroe is protected by three independent and all-volunteer fire departments operating out of six fire stations.

Emergency medical services

Monroe is served by the Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service.[13]

Police department

Officially organized in 1952, the Monroe Police Department operates out of Monroe Town Hall.[14]

Places of worship

The town of Monroe features eleven houses of worship representing

numerous faiths.

Beacon Hill Evangelical Free - Evangelical Free Church of

America
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Lutheran
Faith World Outreach - non-denominational Christian
Monroe Congregational Church - Congregationalist Humphrey Bogart's former home in
Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel - Roman Catholic Monroe now belongs to the Sisters of
Pilgrims Pathway Wesleyan Church - Wesleyans the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Saint Jude Church - Roman Catholic
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church - Episcopal
Stepney Baptist Church - Baptist
United Methodist Church of Monroe - United Methodist
Islamic Community of Fairfield County - Islamic

Notable people
Mike Gminski, former Duke basketball standout and NBA player
Mary O'Hara, author of My Friend Flicka and other books; lived on an estate called Tyrawley on
Bagburn Hill Road for nearly 20 years
Jesse Schwartz, the voice of Leo on Little Einsteins
Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators and authors
Ed Wojna, former Major League pitcher

Images
Webb Mountain The East Village Edith Wheeler Fountain and pond
Park Discovery Barn Hill Memorial Library at Wolfe Park
Zone, Classroom Schoolhouse of
Court pond 1790

Great Hollow Lake

in Monroe

See also
Connecticut portal

References
1. Bureau, U.S. Census. "U.S. Census website" (https://www.census.gov). United States Census
Bureau. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
2. The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly (https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyA
QAAMAAJ&pg=PA333). Connecticut Magazine Company. 1903. p. 333.
3. "CONNECTICUT POPULATION ESTIMATES AS OF JULY 1, 2017" (https://web.archive.org/w
eb/20150523034651/https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2014/SUB-EST2014.htm
l). Archived from the original (https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/Pop
ulation/Town-Pop/pop_towns2017pdf.pdf?la=en) (PDF) on May 23, 2015. Retrieved June 22,
2019.
4. "Census of Population and Housing" (https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-cen
sus.html). Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
5. "U.S. Census website" (https://www.census.gov). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved
2008-01-31.
 6. "The Warren's Occult Museum" (https://web.archive.org/web/20161117092924/http://www.warr
ens.net/Occult-Museum-Tours.html). The New England Society For Psychic Research.
Archived from the original (http://www.warrens.net/Occult-Museum-Tours.html) on 2016-11-17.
Retrieved 2016-07-13.
7. https://authoring.ct.gov//SOTS/Election-Services/Statement-Of-Vote-PDFs/General-Elections-
Statement-of-Vote-1922
8. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of November, 05 2018" (https://portal.ct.gov/-/m
edia/SOTS/ElectionServices/Registration_and_Enrollment_Stats/Copy-of-Nov18RE.pdf?la=e
n) (PDF). Connecticut Secretary of State. Retrieved 2017-04-19.
9. "STEM Academy Forum Draws a Large Audience Summary File (QT-PL), Monroe town,
Connecticut" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120402221409/http://monroe.patch.com/articles/st
em-academy-forum-draws-a-large-audience). Monroe Patch 2. Archived from the original (htt
p://monroe.patch.com/articles/stem-academy-forum-draws-a-large-audience) on April 2012.
Retrieved October 8, 2011.
10. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Monroe-superintendent-proposes-one-year-closure-
875197.php
11. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Monroe-What-to-do-about-Chalk-Hill-Middle-School-
11107762.php
12. https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/3-Catholic-schools-to-become-one-in-Shelton-
10907568.php
13. Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service (http://www.monroevems.org/).
14. Monroe Police Department (http://www.monroectpolice.com/)

Further reading
Reverend Samuel Orcutt, A History of Stratford and the City of Bridgeport Connecticut, Fairfield
Historical Society, 1886
The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/realestate/living-in-monroe-conn-a-
friend-in-need-and-deed.html) feature about Monroe

External links
Town of Monroe official website (http://www.monroect.org/)

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