Hartford Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the State of Connecticut. It is located in Hartford County on the Connecticut River, north of the center of the state and 24 miles south of Springfield, Massachusetts. Its 2006 population of 124,512
ranks Hartford as the state's second-largest city
after Bridgeport. New Haven, located 40 miles south of the city, has a population nearly identical to that of Hartford.
Greater Hartford is also the largest metro area in Connecticut and 45th largest in the country (2006 census estimate) with a metropolitan population of 1,188,841. Nicknamed the 'Insurance Capital of the World,' Hartford houses many of the world's insurance company headquarters, and insurance is the region's major industry.
At almost 400 years old, Hartford is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and, at the point in time following the American Civil War was the country's wealthiest city
. In 1868, Mark Twain described the city as follows: Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see, this is the chief With a brand new convention center & hotel, upcoming science center, reclaimed river front and an infusion of residential and commercial ventures in the city,
Hartford has begun to attract new development, especially to its downtown, after years of relative stagnation. It is home to the nation's oldest public art museum (Wadsworth Athenaeum), the oldest public park (Bushnell Park), the oldest continuously published newspaper (Hartford Courant) and the second-oldest secondary school (Hartford Public). Its vibrant arts scene, ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as the region's highly educated workforce, have added to the city's appeal as a regional hub of economic and social activity. In 2004, the Hartford metropolitan area ranked #2 in per capita economic activity nationwide, second only to San Francisco, California. Hartford is ranked 32nd of 318 metropolitan areas in total economic production and generates more economic activity than sixteen U.S. states.by wiki