[44] Bridgeport made numerous efforts at revitalization. [21] It was named for the Newfield or Lottery Bridge across the Pequonnock, connecting the wharves on its east and west banks. Bridgeport lies in USDA garden zone 7a, averaging about 90 days annually with freeze. Grab-n-Go Meals are available! It is bordered by the towns of Trumbull to the north, Fairfield to the west, and Stratford to the east. Connecting service is also available to Waterbury via Metro-North, and New Haven via Amtrak and Metro-North. The city is connected to nearby New York City by both Amtrak and Metro-North commuter trains, which serve Bridgeport's Metro-North station. Undercover (2015). There were 50,307 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. Located in Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound, it is 60 miles (97 km) from Manhattan and 40 miles (64 km) from The Bronx. Harry B. In 1972 Richard M. Nixon was the last Republican to win the city; since then Democrats have prevailed, often by comfortable margins, the lone exception being 1984 when Walter Mondale carried the city by just 76 votes (0.16 percent) over Ronald Reagan. [58] Over time, more parks were added including 35-acre (140,000 m2) Beechwood Park and Pleasure Beach, home to a popular amusement park for many years. Many residents commute to New York jobs on these trains, and the city to some extent is developing as an outpost of New York–based workers seeking cheaper rents and larger living spaces. Bridgeport and other settlements in Fairfield County make up the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, the second largest metropolitan area in Connecticut. [42] Continued development of new suburban housing attracted middle and upper-class residents, leaving the city with a higher proportion of poor. [50][51] A plaque marks the site where Lincoln spoke; later that year, he was elected president. Bridgeport has five local historic districts, where exterior changes to structures are under the control of two Historic District Commissions: "Bridgeport" redirects here. Bridgeport was inhabited by the Paugussett native American tribe during the start of European colonization. Bridgeport native Jim O'Rourke was the first baseball player to earn a hit in National League history in 1876. His campaign ran on a theme of providing him with a "second-chance," as he was renowned for his work of escaping the city from bankruptcy and build its economy from a post-industrial standpoint. A total of 38.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. It is the home club of the 2013 USA Mixed National Champions,[87] led by club members Derek Surka and Charissa Lin. A village called Newfield began to develop around the corner of State and Water streets in the 1760s. Ken, High taxes are a “MILL” stone around many taxpayer necks. Late day thundershowers are common in the hottest months (June, July, August, September), despite the mostly sunny skies. Both Routes 8 and 25 connect to the Merritt Parkway in the adjacent town of Trumbull. Though a level of industrial activity continues, healthcare, finance, and education have become the centerpieces of Bridgeport's economy. In 2004, artists' lofts were developed in the former Read's Department Store on Broad Street. Preparedness for Immigration Enforcement in English & Spanish, If you are having trouble viewing the document, you may, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center, Information Technology & Software Engineering, Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering & Physical Sciences, Biotechnology Research and Zoological Sciences, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). It is visually prominent to commuters on I-95 or on passing trains. There have been numerous calls for better transparency and reform of the committee altogether. Now a major junction for western Connecticut, the city rapidly industrialized. On March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at the old Bridgeport City Hall (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad Streets. Twenty members of the city council are elected from districts. About 16.2% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over. The city's current mayor, Joseph P. Ganim, has served the city seven terms since first taking office in 1991. Seating 10,000, the Arena serves as the home rink of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team and the Sacred Heart University's men's hockey team and as the home court of Fairfield University's basketball team. For other uses, see, 06601–06602, 06604–06608, 06610, 06650, 06673, 06699, ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties, Places adjacent to Bridgeport, Connecticut, Articles relating to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Bridgeport has a number of museums, ranging from the science-oriented to fine arts and historical, as well as the state's largest zoo. Annual snowfall averages 27.6 inches (70 cm), falling almost entirely from December to March. Flood Middle School SBHC. With the ability to nominate and endorse Democratic candidates running for local office, they have the resources to outperform challenger slates that may compete with them. Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport suffered during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males. To find a Harrington & Richardson dealer close to you, please select a state from the list below. School Based Harry B. Civil War. ... Zac was in the High School Musical trilogy, and Zendaya was in Shake It Up (2010) and K.C. A court order, as well as a state law that made strikes by public workers illegal in Connecticut, resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed. Since the decline of its industrial sector beginning in the middle of the 20th century, Bridgeport has gradually adjusted to a service-based economy. [47] In 2010, the Bridgeport Housing Authority and a local health center announced plans to build a $20 million medical and housing complex at Albion Street, making use of federal stimulus funds and designed to replace some of the housing lost with the demolition of Father Panik Village. P.T. The main portion of the city is divided by major north–south roads that approximately parallel each other: The major east–west roads in the city include Barnum Avenue, Boston Avenue, Fairfield Avenue/Stratford Avenue, North Avenue, Capitol Avenue, State Street, and Railroad Avenue: Bridgeport has several major roadways. Routes 8 and 25 run north–south across the city, with the two routes splitting just north of the city. [40] The First World War continued the city's expansion so that, on the eve of the Great Depression, there were more than 500 factories in Bridgeport, including Columbia Records' primary pressing plant. Like much of coastal Connecticut, Long Island, NY, and coastal New Jersey, the growing season is rather long in Bridgeport—averaging 210 days from April 8 to November 5 according to the National Weather Service in Bridgeport. The two largest employers in the city are Bridgeport's primary hospitals, Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent's Medical Center. [35] In 1875, P. T. Barnum was elected mayor of the town, which afterwards served as the winter headquarters of Barnum and Bailey's Circus and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The first Subway restaurant opened in Bridgeport's North End in 1965. The burgeoning farming community grew and became a center of trade, shipbuilding, and whaling. [14] During the American Revolution, Newfield Harbor was a center of privateering. See pricing and listing details of Stratford real estate for sale. The Bridge Academy: Bridgeport Charter High School, Achievement First Bridgeport Charter High School, Downtown Cabaret Theatre – cabaret, children's theater, concerts, The Stress Factory – (300 seats) comedy club with national and local acts, The Godfather Musical Part III: Luca Brasi Sleeps with the Fishes (2009), Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular (2010) (TV), WWE Raw's 15th Anniversary Special (2007), Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye (TV Movie, 1977), bar scene of JFK campaigning with local workers filmed in the Ideal Bar on Barnum Avenue across from the former Singer Building. As of the 2010 census, there were 144,229 people living in the city. Barnum", "Stratfield Historic District – Local Historic District and Property Commissions in Connecticut", "Holmes & Edwards Silver Company design catalogues and historical documentation", "Bridgeport Working: Voices from the 20th Century", "Bridgeport is Fighting Its 'Dump City' Image", "U.S. Judge Blocks Bridgeport From Bankruptcy Court", "Bridgeport council approves development plan", "Agencies partner for housing/medical complex in Bridgeport", "MGM gambles on Bridgeport with new casino plan", https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Trump-card-could-the-president-help-bring-a-12222060.php, "The View From/Bridgeport; Historic Seaside Park Recaptures Its Appeal", National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Station Name: CT BRIDGEPORT SIKORSKY MEM AP", Bridgeport, Connecticut (CT) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, Former Bridgeport hospital converted to elderly, low income housing – Connecticut Post, Connecticut State Districts – CT School District Rankings, "Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez convicted of corruption", "Federal Judge Sentences Former Mayor of Bridgeport to 9 Years in Corruption Case", "Connecticut: Economics, Politics & Policy in the Constitution State", "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 27, 2015", "The Plague Of Absentee Ballots, Reforming The Democratic Town Committee – Only In Bridgeport®", "General Elections Statement of Vote 1922", Study: Bridgeport has second 2nd worst property taxes, In Bridgeport, Property Values Plummet, but Taxes Soar for Some, "On a comeback: After some down times, city find itself on the verge of a renaissance", "IMDb: Most Popular Titles With Location Matching "Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA, "Official Site of the Bridgeport Bluefish: News", "Radio Stations in Bridgeport, Connecticut", cities with populations exceeding 100,000, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bridgeport,_Connecticut&oldid=1000019857, Hispanic and Latino American culture in Connecticut, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from EB9, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Under the Köppen climate classification, Bridgeport has a temperate climate (Cfa), with long, hot summers, and cool to cold winters, with precipitation spread fairly evenly throughout the year. One of their sacred sites was Golden Hill, which overlooked the harbor and was the location of natural springs and their planting fields. Winter weather is far more variable than summer weather along the Connecticut coast, ranging from sunny days with higher temperatures to cold and blustery conditions with occasional snow. The largest room in the city was packed, and a crowd formed outside, as well. The median age was 31 years. After being indicted on charges of corruption in 2003, Ganim served nine years in federal prison. [9] It is also an ancient Paugusett burial ground. Newfield initially expanded around the coasting trade with Boston, New York, and Baltimore and the international trade with the West Indies. [76], In a divisive primary election between him, the city's mayor at the time, Bill Finch, and University of Bridgeport professor and real estate developer, Mary-Jane Foster, Ganim was able to receive the endorsement of the politically volatile democratic town committee, paving the way to his victory for being reelected mayor at the end of year.[76]. Bridgeport was NBC's pioneer UHF TV test site from December 29, 1949 to August 23, 1952;[91] the equipment from the "Operation Bridgeport" tests was later deployed commercially at KPTV in Portland, Oregon (1952–1957). Webster Bank Arena serves as the city's sports and hospitality center. Only the men's and women's basketball teams play in Bridgeport. In 1991, the city filed for bankruptcy protection but was declared solvent by a federal court. Bridgeport is notable for having had a socialist mayor for 24 years, Jasper McLevy, who served from 1933 to 1957. [53], On April 23, 2016, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump spoke to supporters at the Klein Memorial Auditorium during the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries. We have now placed Twitpic in an archived state. [36], Further, the Holmes & Edwards Silver Co. was founded in 1882, with its wares sold nationally, and the company became part of the International Silver Company in 1898. The median income for a household in the city was $34,658, and the median income for a family was $39,571. Tom Thumb was a lifelong resident of Bridgeport. [73] In June 2006, Mayor John M. Fabrizi admitted that he had used cocaine while in office. The system has about 20,800 students, making the Bridgeport Public Schools the second largest school system in Connecticut after Hartford. The racial makeup of the city residents was 39.6% White; 34.6% Black or African American; 3.4% Asian; and 4.3% from two or more races. The namesake of the town was the need for bridges over the Pequonnock River that provided a navigable port at the mouth of the river. [82], In 2016, Bridgeport enacted a 29% increase in the property tax rate, among the highest one-year property tax rate increases in recent U.S. history, in an effort to reduce the municipal deficit. [75] After his release in 2015, Ganim announced his mayoral campaign to serve a sixth term in office. Interstate 95 and the Route 8/Route 25 Connector meet in Downtown Bridgeport. The founder and original owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Charles Ebbets, married his second wife in Bridgeport in 1922, five years before his death. Address. Fax. As is typical of coastal Connecticut, snow cover does not usually last long, with an average of 29 days per winter with snow cover of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). The record low is −7 °F (−22 °C), set on January 22, 1984, while the record high is 103 °F (39 °C), set on July 22 in 1957 and 2011.[61]. 1 Lincoln Blvd, Bridgeport, CT 06606. Jesus Rodriguez, 22, of Barnum Avenue, was charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, illegal discharge of a … Bridgeport was the annual home to Gathering of the Vibes, a weekend-long arts, music and camping festival, until it ended in 2015. Joy Hundley Pictures, 2015-2017. Close by, Mount Grove Cemetery was laid out on what was a native village that extended past the 1650s. Hurricane landfalls have occurred along the Connecticut coast in 1903, 1938, 1944, 1954 (Carol), 1960 (Donna), Hurricane Gloria in 1985, and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. According to 2010 census data, the Bridgeport MSA, containing all of Fairfield County, is the most economically unequal region in America, with 57% of the wealth going to the top income quintile.[67][68]. Coastal Connecticut is the broad transition zone where so-called "subtropical indicator" plants and other broadleaf evergreens can successfully be cultivated. In one proposal, Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn was to build a large casino, but that project failed. Kennedy Stadium serves as a community sports facility. Barnum was born in Bethel, CT, and lived in Bridgeport until he died at 80. [32][33] The same year, the New York and New Haven Railroad began operation,[34] connecting Bridgeport to New York and the other towns along the north shore of the Long Island Sound. Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines both offer intercity bus service to points throughout the Northeast and points beyond. Phone (203) 275-1502. [17] In 1800, the village became the Borough of Bridgeport,[20] the first so incorporated in the state. The 16-year-old Bassick High School student and star athlete had been summoned outside to speak to an unidentified person wearing a … Like much of the Connecticut coast and nearby Long Island, NY, some of the winter precipitation is rain or a mix and rain and wet snow in Bridgeport. Please refer to the chart below for the details. America's Favorite Rifle Maker. Several other rental conversions have been completed, including the 117-unit Citytrust bank building on Main Street. Shoreline East service links Old Saybrook and New London with New Haven, which extends to Bridgeport and Stamford during weekday rush hours only. The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry service runs from Bridgeport across Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York; the three vessels Grand Republic, P.T. 1 Lincoln Boulevard Bridgeport, CT 06606 (203) 275-1502 . Bridgeport is also home to private schools, including Bridgeport Hope School (K–8), Bridgeport International Academy (grades 9–12), Catholic Academies of Bridgeport (PK–8), Kolbe Cathedral High School (9-12), St. Andrew Academy (PK–8), and St. Ann Academy (PK–8). The warm/hot season in Bridgeport is from mid-April through early November. Barnum, and Park City transport both automobiles and passengers. Bridgeport is renowned for its public park system, which has led to its official nickname, "the Park City". It is ranked #158 out of the 164 Connecticut school districts. [78], Bridgeport has one of the highest property tax rates in Connecticut. [13] The area officially became known as Stratfield in 1695[10] or 1701, due to its location between the already existing towns of Stratford and Fairfield. According to its 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[70] the city's top employers are: Bridgeport is home to the University of Bridgeport, Housatonic Community College, St. Vincent's College, and the Yeshiva Gedola of Bridgeport. It is retained in the Town of Trumbull. Preserving the Past. But you are dealing with an expectation of “mil” rate in Bridgeport decreasing because the total value of all taxable Grand List properties is expected to increase after the revaluations have been distributed and adjusted in the statutory process. The recession halted, at least temporarily, two major mixed-use projects including a $1-billion waterfront development at Steel Point, but other redevelopment projects have proceeded, such as the condominium conversion project in Bijou Square. [10], Among the initiatives, the Singer factory joined Wheeler & Wilson in producing sewing machines[10] and the Locomobile Company of America was a prominent early automobile manufacturer, producing a prototype of the Stanley Steamer and various luxury cars. Main menu. The Ballpark at Harbor Yard served as a minor-league baseball stadium from 1998 to 2017. [52] President Barack Obama also spoke at the Harbor Yard arena in 2010 to gain support for the campaign of Democratic Governor Dan Malloy. [84], A list of films shot or partially filmed in the city:[85]. The first documented European settlement within the present city limits of Bridgeport took place in 1644, centered at Black Rock Harbor and along North Avenue between Park and Briarwood Avenues. "An Act Incorporating the City of Bridgeport", Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, List of Connecticut locations by per capita income, Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Multi-Magnet High School, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day, List of people from Bridgeport, Connecticut, National Register of Historic Places listings in Bridgeport, Connecticut, St. Andrew Church (Bridgeport, Connecticut), "Annual Town and County Population for Connecticut", "10 Things You May Not Know About P.T. View 149 homes for sale in Stratford, CT at a median listing price of $309,450. See pricing and listing details of Bridgeport real estate for sale. Flood Middle School. 490 Chapel St, Stratford, CT 06614-1690 Tel: 203.385.4280 Practice Details / Directions » Barnum / Waltersville Schools The Housatonic Railroad carried passengers North through the Pequonnock and Housatonic Valleys prior to 1933. There were 54,367 housing units at an average density of 3,398.1 per square mile (1,312.0/km2). Since the beginning of the 21st century, Bridgeport has begun redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. The build-up to World War II helped its recovery in the late 1930s. [83] A citywide reassessment in 2015 determined that the value of taxable property in the city was $6 billion, a decline of $1 billion; the property tax increases, combined with property value decreases, have been a consistent political issue in the city. The cool/cold season is from late November though mid March. Nutmeg Curling Club, one of two curling clubs in Connecticut, is in Bridgeport. P.T. [7] After World War II, industrial restructuring and suburbanization caused the loss of many jobs and affluent residents, leaving Bridgeport struggling with poverty and violent crime. Bridgeport lies along Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River. (It has since been blasted through for construction of an expressway. The West India trade died down around 1840,[13] but by that time the Bridgeport Steamship Company (1824)[24] and Bridgeport Whaling Company (1833) had been incorporated[13] and the Housatonic Railroad chartered (1836). Each district elects two members. The Rev. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. Barnum and Circus History. Purchased in amounts of $200.00 or more are eligible for more Barnum Bucks! Earlier on Nov. 15, the district had announced that the Barnum, Beardsley, Blackham, Columbus, Edison, Fairchild Wheeler-IT, Waltersville and Wilbur Cross schools would be closed for in … The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolis forms part of the New York megacity. Fairfield University is in the neighboring town of Fairfield, and many of the athletic teams play on campus. [23] Wheeler & Wilson's sewing machines were exported throughout the world. "An Act for incorporating part of the Town of Stratford". [10], Iranistan, the residence of P. T. Barnum, in 1848, East Bridgeport Bridge over Pequannock River, c. 1850, From 1870 to 1910, Bridgeport became the major industrial center of Connecticut and its population rose from around 25,000 to over 100,000, including thousands of Irish, Slovaks, Hungarians, Germans, English, and Italian immigrants. The town incorporated to subsidize the Housatonic Railroad and rapidly industrialized following the rail line's connection to the New York and New Haven railroad. Metropolitan areas have +150,000 according to source at the time estimated. [81] A 2017 Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Minnesota Center of Fiscal Excellence study determined that Bridgeport had the second-highest property tax burden of any U.S. city (after Detroit), and the fourth-highest for commercial properties valued at more than $1 million (after Detroit, New York City, and Chicago). Tel: (203) 333-7575 | Fax: (203) 333-7575 Pastor: Father Rogerio Perri Directions Due to Bridgeport's close proximity to Long Island Sound, many radio stations from New York and Long Island are received clearly in the market. [45], In the early 21st century, Bridgeport has taken steps toward redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. The Yeshiva Gedola is the home of the Bridgeport Community Kollel, a rabbinic fellowship program.[71]. The city's first public park was the westerly portion of McLevy Green, first set aside as a public square in 1806;[55] the Clinton Park Militia Grounds (1666) and Old Mill Green (1717) were set aside earlier as public commons by the towns of Fairfield and Stratford, respectively. As of the census of 2000, there were 139,529 people, 50,307 households, and 32,749 families living in the city. The place was called Pequonnock[10] (Quiripi for "Cleared Land"), after a band of the Paugussett, an Algonquian-speaking Native American people who occupied this area. Home; All Collections; Advanced Search; About the CTDA; Search As the city rapidly grew in population, residents recognized the need for more public parks and by 1864, Barnum and other residents had donated approximately 44 acres (180,000 m2) to create Seaside Park, now increased by acquisition and landfill to 375 acres (1.52 km2). Although infrequent, tropical cyclones (hurricanes/tropical storms) have struck Connecticut and the Bridgeport metropolitan area. [4] With a census-estimated population of 144,399 in 2019,[2] it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Bridgeport averages about 30 inches (75 cm) of snow annually, compared to inland areas like Hartford and Albany which average 45–60 inches (110–150 cm) of snow annually. [56] In 1878, over 100 acres (400,000 m2) of land bordering the Pequonnock River was added as Beardsley Park. [22] In 1821, the township of Bridgeport became independent of Stratford.[23]. [43] In September 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on a 19-day strike due to deadlocked contract negotiations. Mayor Joseph P. Ganim was involved in a corruption scandal, as was Mayor Eddie Perez of Hartford in 2010. Luis Gonzalez was shotoutside of the Vega Alta grocery storeowned by his parents at 1160 State Street in Bridgeport on February 10, 1990. For Michael P. Mayko, Dec. 31, 2020 will be his last day on the job after the better part of 45 years putting in the work, first for the predecessor papers Bridgeport Post-Telegram now the Connecticut Post owned by Hearst Media which has grown the largest digital footprint in the state encompassing southwest Connecticut. Phone (203) 275-1000. The earliest European communal settlement was in the historical Stratfield district,[8] along US Route 1; known in colonial times as the King's Highway. [74], Bridgeport is recognized for its polarizing political culture. Route 8 continues towards Waterbury and Torrington and Route 25 continues towards the Danbury area. Bridgeport is a historic seaport city in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and its largest city. The city's public school system has 30 elementary schools, three comprehensive high schools, two alternative programs and an interdistrict vocational aquaculture school. Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School (BRVAS), a school specializing in marine and aquaculture curricula near Captain's Cove and open to students from surrounding towns. It was built in 1998 to serve as the homefield of the Bridgeport Bluefish. The average monthly temperature ranges from 30.1 °F (−1.1 °C) in January to 74.3 °F (23.5 °C) in July. The club is a member of the Grand National Curling Club Region. Other ancestry groups include: Italian (8.6%), Irish (5.1%), Portuguese (2.9%), Polish (2.8%), and German (2.4%).[66]. [31] The Naugatuck Railroad—connecting Bridgeport to Waterbury and Winsted along the Naugatuck—was chartered in 1845 and began operation four years later. It once provided regional flights to major cities, but commercial operations at the airport were terminated in November 1999. Males had a median income of $32,430 versus $26,966 for females. )[11][12] The Golden Hill Indians were granted a reservation here by the Colony of Connecticut in 1639; it lasted until 1802. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. As such, Southern Magnolias, Needle Palms, Windmill palm, Loblolly Pines, and Crape Myrtles are grown in private and public gardens. The racial makeup of the city was 45.0% White, 30.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander. ), Bridgeport's early years were marked by residents' reliance on fishing and farming. [72] The school system employs a professional staff of more than 1,700. In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. [39], In the summer of 1915, a series of strikes imposed the eight-hour day on the town's factories; rather than moving business elsewhere, the success spread the eight-hour day throughout the Northeast. The per capita income for the city was $16,306. Bridgeport's Democratic Town Committee is the staple entity with significant influence over the city's politics. ... Bridgeport , CT 06604. The population density was 8,720.9 people per square mile (3,367.0/km2). [19] Bridgeport Bank was established in 1806. Like most urban areas and big cities, Bridgeport is heavily Democratic at the presidential level. I-95 runs east–west near the coast heading towards New York City to the southwest and Providence to the northeast. The mayor is elected at-large by the entire city.