Waterford, Connecticut is situated some 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City. Waterford sits on the Naugatuck River right in the heart of New Haven County. The population is estimated to be about 110,360, making it New England's 9th largest city, Connecticut's 5th largest, and the County's 2nd largest.
Waterbury was originally settled as a Town Plot section during the year 1674. However, it was vacated shortly afterwards during 1675 because of King Philip's War. During 1677 the plot was returned, even though it lies slightly west of the first settlement. Both of these historic places are marked. Originally the city was called "Mattatock" after the Algonquin word "Matetacoke", which translates to "place without trees". When the city was admitted to the colony of Connecticut on May 15, the year 1686, it was called the city of Waterbury. It was referred to as Waterbury after all of the streams which run into the Naugatuck River. During that time, Waterbury comprised some regions which would later become their own towns, such as Plymouth, Watertown, Wolcott, Prospect, Naugatuck, Thomaston, and Middlebury.
Waterbury earned its nickname "Brass City" because of its leading role within the manufacturing of brassware. The city of Waterbury is famous for its beautiful watches and clocks. The cities motto, "Quid Aere Perennius" is written in marble above the entrance of city hall. Translated, "Quid Aere Perennius" means "What Is More Lasting Than Brass?" Waterbury is renowned for its advanced technology, gorgeous historic architecture and vibrant art.
The economy within Waterbury is mostly centered around manufacturing. Then again, Waterbury has started to stretch into other sectors, like for example chemical research, warehouse and distribution, retail, and banking. The head office of Les-Care Kitchens is situated in Waterbury, as is the head office of American Bank of Connecticut, Webster Financial Corp., QSend Technologies, Hubbard-Hall, and a range of other firms.
The biggest employment sectors within the city are health services and education, transportation, manufacturing, utilities and trade, government, business and professional services, finance and hospitality and leisure.
Waterbury has many venues that support the areas culture and arts scene. The Palace Theatre is a city landmark which dates back to the 1920's. Among the premiere attractions within Waterbury is the Palace Theatre. This historic attraction was constructed during 1920 and has just gone through a $30 million renovation. One more attraction is the Mattatuck Museum. A huge assortment of tours are offered, each featuring different elements of architecture, the art, and history of the Greater Waterbury Region. The Timexpo Museum provides an extremely detailed history of the watch and clock industry in the city. A picturesque, wonderful train ride through the Mattatuck State Forest is provided by the Railroad Museum of New England.
Situated within the nearby cities are some attractions, including Thomaston, Oakville, Middlebury, Naugatuck and Lake Quassapaug, like for instance The Thomaston Opera House, the Railroad Museum of New England, Black Rock State Park, Branchbrook Campground, Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Clockwork Repertory Theatre, the Quassy Amusement Park, Hetzel Refuge and Larkin Birdle Trail.