Career Education and Training in Farmington, CT: Accredited Colleges and Universities

The idyllic town of Farmington, dubbed the "Mother Town," was established in 1645 and is located between New Britain and Hartford. State Route 4, or Farmington Avenue, runs through the downtown district and links the agricultural communities of Farmington Valley to Hartford. The combined cities have a population of 216,757 with an average annual per capita income of $23,644, which is 109% of the national average.

The city of New Britain offers 1,200 acres of scenic state park grounds, a number of fine museums such as New Britain's Museum of American Art, and the Hungerford Nature Center. Hartford, the state capitol, is the employment hub of Connecticut. Important landmarks in Hartford include the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, the Mark Twain House, and the Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens.

Top employers in the Hartford metropolitan area are the state of Connecticut, Bank of America, CIGNA, Travelers Insurance Company, and Hartford Hospital. The area also boasts many Fortune 500 companies, including:

• Aetna Life & Casualty Company
• United Technologies Corp.
• Northeast Utilities
• The Hartford Financial Group

Hartford's central location, 100 miles from both New York and Boston, has supported its growth as a major commerce and manufacturing center. While the city has traditionally been known as the "The Insurance Capital of the World," Hartford is currently attracting notoriety as one of the nation's "most wired cities." The economy is now supported by many other industries, from high-tech manufacturing to major data processing and telecommunications.

Sources:

• MetroHartford Alliance
• State of Connecticut
• Hartford: Economy
• US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder
• Farmington, CT Web site