Danbury

Sister cities

• Decollatura
• Gouveia

History

Danbury was settled by colonists in 1685, when eight families moved from what are now Norwalk and Stamford, Connecticut. The Danbury area was then called Pahquioque by its namesake, the Algonquian-speaking Pahquioque Native Americans (they are believed to have been a band of the Paugussett people), who occupied lands along the Still River. Bands were often identified by such geographic designation but they were associated with the larger nation by culture and language). One of the original settlers in Danbury was Samuel Benedict, who bought land from the Paquioque in 1685, along with his brother James Benedict, James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. This area was also called Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by the Paquioque. In recognition of the wetlands, the settlers chose the name Swampfield for their town. In October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the new town's boundaries. A survey was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702. It was named Danbury by governor Robert Treat after the Danbury parish in Essex. During the Revolutionary War, Danbury was an important military supply depot for the Continental Army. Sybil Ludington, 16-year-old daughter of American Colonel Henry Ludington, is said to have made a 40-mile ride in the early hours of the night on April 26, 1777, to warn the people of Danbury and her father's forces in Putnam County, New York, of the approach of British regulars, helping them muster in defense; these accounts, originating from the Ludington family, are questioned by modern scholars. During the following day on April 26, 1777, the British, under Major General William Tryon, burned and sacked Danbury, but fatalities were limited due to Ludington's…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Danbury has a total area of , of which is land and , or 4.94%, is water. The city is located in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains on low-lying land just south of Candlewood Lake (the City includes the southern parts of the lake). It developed along the Still River, which flows generally from west to east through the city before joining the Housatonic River. The city's terrain includes rolling hills and not-very-tall mountains to the west and northwest called the Western Highland. Ground elevations in the city range from 378 feet to 1,050 feet above sea level. A geologic fault known as Cameron's Line runs through Danbury. The hatmaking fur-removal process was based on the use of mercury nitrate. The waste caused serious water pollution as the hat manufacturers dumped it into the Still River throughout the late 19th century and into the 1940s. This toxic product flowed into the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound, affecting water quality and various fish and other organisms. Field studies conducted in the Still River basin in the 21st century have detected the continuing presence of high levels of mercury in the river sediments and nearby soils.) down to on February 9, 1934.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  15,174
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  14,950
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  14,488
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  13,637
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,489
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,338
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,559
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  11,379

Largest nearby schools

• Danbury High School
  High · Danbury · 3,590 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Ridgefield High School
  High · Ridgefield · 1,474 students · 12:1 ratio
• New Milford High School
  High · New Milford · 1,247 students · 12:1 ratio
• Bethel High School
  High · Bethel · 1,063 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Broadview Middle School
  Middle · Danbury · 1,026 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Rogers Park Middle School
  Middle · Danbury · 950 students · 12:1 ratio
• Brookfield High School
  High · Brookfield · 871 students · 12.8:1 ratio
• Whisconier Middle School
  Middle · Brookfield · 782 students · 11.5:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2025-08-05
  1 km N of Hillsdale, New Jersey
• M 3 — 2025-08-03
  0 km W of Little Ferry, New Jersey
• M 2.66 — 2014-08-14
  6 km SW of Deep River Center, Connecticut
• M 2.6 — 2001-10-27
  1 km NNW of Manhattan, New York