Connecticut River Valley
CT River Valley is in the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, in the US. It features the Knowledge Corridor region surrounding the Connecticut River's two largest cities, Springfield (Massachusetts) and Hartford.
Regions
| Knowledge Corridor Region surrounding Hartford and Springfield, which sit only 24 miles apart. |
| Pioneer Valley Region in Western Massachusetts surrounding Springfield |
Cities
Get in
By car
U.S. Interstate 91 connects the Connecticut River Valley from Vermont, Pioneer Valley, Springfield and New Haven. CT-9 runs along the Connecticut River, connecting New Britain and Middletown to Interstates 91 and 84.
From Boston, take the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) west to Interstate 84 West. From Danbury and Waterbury, take I-84 East. From Providence and New London, take I-95 South, then CT-9 North.
Driving time to the Connecticut River Valley from Boston is approximately 1½ hour; from New York City, it is approximately 2 hours and from Providence is approximately 2 hours.
By plane
The major international airport serving the Connecticut River Valley area is Bradley International Airport (BDL IATA) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut - 12 mi (19 km) north of Hartford, Connecticut.
By train
Hartford Line, operated by CT Rail, is the commuter rail that connects Hartford (along with the towns of Berlin, Windsor, Windsor Locks and Enfield) to New Haven and Springfield.
Rail service via Amtrak is available to Hartford through a shuttle service also called the Hartford Line. It makes stops in Springfied, Hartford and Meriden, with the final stop in New Haven.
Hartford and Meriden is also served by Amtrak's Vermonter line.
By bus
Greyhound and Peter Pan bus service is available to Hartford.
Get around
By car
The best way to get around is by car. Aside from Hartford, most of what makes the Connecticut River Valley great is its towns. The region is decentralized and spread out, therefore a car is necessary to get around.
By bus
Hartford is the biggest city in the area and the central hub for all public transport in the region. CT Transit is the region's reliable and extensive public transport system. There is also the CT Fastrak, a rapid transit system of bus routes that utilize a bus-only roadway, connecting the cities of the region (New Britain, Manchester and Bristol) with Hartford.
See
Historic sites - Connecticut has so much history from Colonial era, to the Civil War and early 20th century
- Old Wethersfield (south of Hartford), preserved colonial buildings
- Historic Windsor (north of Hartford), the first settlement in the state
- Nathan Hale Homestead (Coventry), home of the hero of Connecticut, American soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War
- Colt Armory (Hartford), factory complex for the manufacture of the famous Colt firearms, created by Samuel Colt. known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms, most especially between the 1850s and World War I
Parks and Botanical Gardens
- Elizabeth Park and Rose Garden in Hartford
- Bushnell Park in Hartford
- Talcott Mountain State Park and Heublein Tower in Simsbury
- Castle Craig in Meriden
- Gillette Castle in East Haddam
Museums
Do
Lake Compounce -
Eat
There are many great places to eat in Old Saybrook. Some of the best ranked restaurants here offer different types of food.
Stay safe
The only place to really avoid is the North End section of Hartford.