City of Bristol

The western part of Farmington, made up of the parishes of New Cambridge and West Britain, were incorporated into a separate town in June of 1785. Lawmakers in Hartford chose Bristol as the new town's name.

The 400 families who lived in the area at the time depended almost entirely on farming for a living, never imagining that the Bristol of 1785, rural, pastoral, and sparsely populated, would 200 years later become a major center of business and industry. It is the ninth largest city in the state, possessing a diverse population of over 60,000 who can trace their ancestors to nearly every country in Europe and many other places around the world.

Today, that diversity carries through every aspect of life in Bristol, from the quality and variety of the workforce to the sizes and types of business that employ them; from the types of social services to the kinds of social activities available in the community; from the weather to the landscape --there is something for everyone in Bristol.

Bristol sits on 26.5 square miles in Hartford County. It has over 25,000 housing units with a median home sale price of $201,000 and a median household income of $59,000. The city has a mayor and city council form of government. The police department consists of over 100 sworn officers, including motorcycle officers, an animal patrol officer, and bike patrols for the city's parks. The fire department has over 90 employees, 5 engine companies, 1 truck company, 5 pumpers, an aerial truck, and an elevating platform vehicle.

Bristol maintains municipal water and sewer systems, and the greater Bristol area is serviced by Northeast Utilities, Yankee Gas Services Company, and Southern New England Telephone.

For more information on Bristol, click here.