Wallingford was established in 1667 by the Connecticut General Assembly and incorporated in 1670. The original plot of land, located near the Quinnipiac River, is known today as Main Street. Situated in the Hartford-New Haven-Springfield corridor, the town is traversed by U.S. Route 5, Interstate 91, and State Highways Route 15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway), Route 68, Route 71 and Route 150. Wallingford is bordered by Cheshire, Durham, Hamden, Meriden, Middlefield, North Branford and North Haven, CT.
With an already rich history in manufacturing and design, Wallingford has diversified its commercial and industrial base over the past decade. They have attracted more high-technology industries as opposed to traditional heavy manufacturing industries with companies specializing in medical, health care, service, high-tech specialty metal manufacturing and research development. In fact, they have five industrial and corporate office parks. Some of the nearly 2,200 businesses that call Wallingford home are Amphenol Corporation, Verizon, Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals, Amazon, APS Technology, Polylok, FedEx, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Edible Arrangements, United Concrete, BYK USA, Nucor Steel, UPS, Proton OnSite, Allnex, Anthem Blue Cross, Z-Medica, and Holo-Krome. This boon in economy is due in part to the fact Wallingford is strategically located in the center of Connecticut. This provides easy access to all major markets along the Northeast Corridor as well as Canada’s eastern provinces.
Wallingford offers both public and private education. Their public school system consists of seven elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Private schools include Heritage Baptist Academy, Holy Trinity School, and the famed Choate Rosemary Hall, whose alumni include President John F. Kennedy, two-time presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson, playwright Edward Albee, novelist John Dos Passos, investor Brett Icahn, Ivanka Trump daughter of President Donald Trump, philanthropist Paul Mellon, screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, and actors Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Paul Giamatti.
Attractions in Wallingford range from entertainment to cultural to architectural to historical. The Toyota Oakdale Theater is one of the region’s premier concert venues and has its own remarkable history. It features a 4,600-seat auditorium and domed theatre known as The Dome at Oakdale. The Paul Mellon Arts Center, or “PMAC” as the locals call it, is an arts building on the campus of Choate Rosemary Hall school. Designed by architect I. M. Pei, fine theater productions and art exhibits are held here. Wallingford’s very own symphony orchestra calls PMAC home and performs at the arts center throughout the year. The Yalesville Underpass is a 30-degree skew arch bridge built in 1838 by William MacKenzie to carry the railroad over Routes 150 and 71. The central arch was designed to allow tall hay wagons to pass through, but is not wide enough to accommodate modern two-way traffic. Today a stop light coordinates the one-way traffic. The Center Street Cemetery dates back to 1670. Notable figures buried here include: Lyman Hall, a prominent citizen of eighteenth century Wallingford and one signer of the Declaration of Independence; Moses Yale Beach, newspaper publisher and founder of the Associated Press; Thomas Yale, brother of the founder of Yale University; Joseph Benham, whose daughter and granddaughter were the last people in New England to be tried for witchcraft; and soldiers from the American Revolutionary War, War of 1812, American Civil War, and other major conflicts up to the present. There are also a number of historical buildings of note such as the Nehemial Royce House, Wallace Hose House, Hall Elton Building, Lyman Hall’s Birthplace, and the Britannia Spoon Company Building. The seashore of the Long Island Sound, ski slopes in Connecticut and New England, and sporting events from the University of Connecticut’s Big East Basketball to The Travelers Championship PGA Tournament are all within driving distance.
Whether you are visiting, living or working in Wallingford, there are many modes of transportation to choose from … Amtrack, local buses, and nearby airports. Located on the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail line, there is daily passenger service to points north and south as well as to New York City via a connection in New Haven. For air service, one can choose from Tweed New Haven Airport approximately 13 miles away or Bradley International Airport approximately 40 miles north. There is also the Meriden Airport located at the Wallingford/Meriden town line that services private, executive and corporate aircraft.
With its picturesque landscape, historic past, bustling economy, and countless activities nearby, Wallingford is a wonderful town with a lot to offer.