Editing Bethel, Connecticut

{{Short description|Town in Connecticut, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Bethel, Connecticut
| settlement_type    = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline      = GreenwoodAveBethelCT.jpg
| image_caption      = Greenwood Avenue, a historic street in Bethel.
| image_flag         = Bethel, CT Flag.png
| image_seal         = Bethel, Connecticut seal.png
| image_map          = {{switcher|[[File:Fairfield County Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Bethel highlighted.svg|230px|frameless|alt=Bethel's location within Fairfield County and Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield County]] and Connecticut|[[File:Western Connecticut incorporated and unincorporated areas Bethel highlighted.svg|250px|frameless|alt=Bethel's location within the Western Connecticut Planning Region and the state of Connecticut]]|&nbsp;[[Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Western Connecticut Planning Region]] and Connecticut|default=1}}
| image_map1         = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=280|frame-height=200|frame-coord=SWITCH:{{coord|qid=Q263912}}###{{coord|qid=Q779}}###{{coord|41|02|20|N|73|36|49|W}}|zoom=SWITCH:10;6;3|type=SWITCH:shape-inverse;point;point|marker=city|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|id2=SWITCH:Q263912;Q779;Q30|type2=shape|fill2=#ffffff|fill-opacity2=SWITCH:0;0.1;0.1|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|stroke-opacity2=SWITCH:0;1;1|switch=Bethel;Connecticut;the United States}}
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|22|27|N|73|23|42|W|region:US-CT|display=inline,title}}
<!-- location -->| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Connecticut}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[County (United States)|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Fairfield County, Connecticut|Fairfield]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Councils of governments in Connecticut|Region]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Western CT]]
| established_title  = Incorporated
| established_date   = 1855
| government_type    = [[Board of selectmen|Selectman-town meeting]]
| leader_title       = First selectman
| leader_name        = Dan Carter (R)
| leader_title1      = Selectman
| leader_name1       = Richard C. Straiton (D)
| leader_title2      = Selectman
| leader_name2       = Bryan Terzian (R)
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_km2     = 43.8
| area_total_sq_mi   = 16.9
| area_land_km2      = 43.5
| area_land_sq_mi    = 16.8
| area_water_km2     = 0.2
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.1
| elevation_m        = 147
| elevation_ft       = 482
| population_footnotes = <ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US0900104720|title=Census - Geography Profile: Bethel town, Fairfield County, Connecticut |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 26, 2021}}</ref>
| population_total   = 20,156
| population_as_of   = 2022
| population_density_km2 = 
| population_density_sq_mi = 1,204.6
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP Code]]
| postal_code        = 06801
| area_codes         = [[Area codes 203 and 475|203/475]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 09-04720
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 213390<ref name=GNIS1>{{gnis|213390|Town of Bethel}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://www.bethel-ct.gov/}}
}}

'''Bethel''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɛ|θ|əl}}) is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Fairfield County, Connecticut]], United States.<ref name=GNIS1/> As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population of the town was 20,358.  The town is part of the [[Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut|Western Connecticut Planning Region]]. The town includes the [[Bethel (CDP), Connecticut|Bethel Census-Designated Place]].<ref name=GNIS2>{{gnis|2378335|Bethel Census Designated Place}}</ref>
[[File:BethelCT TownHall.jpg|thumb|Bethel Town Hall, also known as the Clifford J. Hurgin Municipal Center]]
== History ==
Bethel was first settled around 1700. The town incorporated in 1855 from [[Danbury, Connecticut|Danbury]]. Bethel is a name derived from Hebrew meaning "house of God".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Connecticut Magazine: An Illustrated Monthly|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qoEyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA331|year=1903|publisher=Connecticut Magazine Company|page=331}}</ref>

The first meeting of the [[Young Communist League USA|Young Communist League]] was held in Bethel in May 1922.<ref>{{Cite web|title=YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE/YOUNG WORKERS LEAGUE (1921-1946) organizational history|url=http://www.marxisthistory.org/subject/usa/eam/ycleague.html|access-date=December 8, 2021|website=www.marxisthistory.org}}</ref>

In 1934, Rudolph Kunett started the first [[vodka]] distillery in the U.S. after purchasing rights to the recipe from the exiled [[Smirnoff]] family.

== Geography ==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|16.9|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|16.8|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.1|sqmi}}, or 0.53%, is water. The [[Bethel (CDP), Connecticut|Bethel CDP]], corresponding to the town center, has a total area of {{convert|4.1|sqmi}}, all land. Bethel borders [[Redding, Connecticut|Redding]] to the south, [[Danbury, Connecticut|Danbury]] to the west, [[Brookfield, Connecticut|Brookfield]] to the north, and [[Newtown, Connecticut|Newtown]] to the east.

== Demographics ==
{{See also|List of Connecticut locations by per capita income}}
{{Historical populations
| source=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/SecVIITOC.htm |title=Section VII-Local Government |access-date=March 9, 2007 |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216021023/http://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionVII/SecVIITOC.htm |archive-date=February 16, 2008 }}</ref>
| 1860|1,711
| 1870|2,311
| 1880|2,727
| 1890|3,401
| 1900|3,327
| 1910|3,792
| 1920|3,201
| 1930|3,886
| 1940|4,105
| 1950|5,104
| 1960|8,200
| 1970|10,945
| 1980|16,004
| 1990|17,541
| 2000|18,067
| 2010|18,584
| 2020|20,358
}}

As of the 2010 census Bethel had a population of 18,584. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 88.8% white, 1.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.5% Asian, 2.8% from some other race and 1.9% from two or more races. 7.6% of the population was Hispanic or Latino from any race.<ref>2010 population by race and Hispanic or Latino by place chart for Connecticut from the US Census</ref>

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 18,067 people, 6,505 households, and 4,846 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1,075.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 6,653 housing units at an average density of {{convert|396.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town in 2005 was 85.86% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.91% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.26% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 4.58% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.04% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 3.20% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]] or of multiple races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.33% of the population. 20.2% were of [[Italian people|Italian]], 17.5% [[Irish people|Irish]], 9.1% [[Germans|German]], 7.0% [[English people|English]], 6.7% [[United States|American]] and 6.0% [[Polish people|Polish]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |title=U.S. Census website |access-date=March 23, 2008 }}</ref> 88.7% spoke [[English language|English]], 4.4% [[Spanish language|Spanish]], 3.3% [[portuguese language|Portuguese]], 1.5% [[German language|German]] and 1.0% [[French language|French]] as their first language.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=9&place_id=4790&cty_id=|title = Data Center Results}}</ref>

There were 6,505 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $68,891, and the median income for a family was $78,358. Males had a median income of $51,816 versus $36,544 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $28,927. About 1.2% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 1.3% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

=== Historic pictures ===
<gallery>
File:PostcardBethelCTBirdseyeViewCirca1910.jpg|Bird's eye view, {{circa|1910}}
File:PostcardFountainBethelCT1914.jpg|P.T. Barnum Fountain, {{circa|1914}}
File:PostcardGreenwoodAveBethelCT1909.jpg|Greenwood Avenue, {{circa|1909}}
File:PostcardBethelCTSouthSTca1910.jpg|South Street, {{circa|1910}}
</gallery>

==Economy==
Battery manufacturer [[Duracell]] is headquartered in Bethel.

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Seth Seelye House, Bethel, Connecticut.jpg|thumb|left|Seth Seelye House, now the Bethel Public Library]]
Sites listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut|National Register of Historic Places]] include [[Greenwood Avenue Historic District]], [[Rev. John Ely House]], and [[Seth Seelye House]].

==Government==
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"  style="float:right; margin:1em; font-size:95%;"
|+ Bethel town vote<br/> by party in presidential elections<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://authoring.ct.gov//SOTS/Election-Services/Statement-Of-Vote-PDFs/General-Elections-Statement-of-Vote-1922|title = General Elections Statement of Vote 1922}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Election Night Reporting|url=https://ctemspublic.pcctg.net/#/selectTown|access-date=December 16, 2020|website=CT Secretary of State}}</ref>
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Third party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2024 United States presidential election|2024]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.79%''' ''5,977''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|44.55% ''4,950''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.66% ''179''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''56.12%''' ''6,270''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.37% ''4,734''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.51% ''168''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''48.52%''' ''4,777''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.47% ''4,575''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|5.02% ''494''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.18%''' ''4,777''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|47.63% ''4,445''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.19% ''111''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''53.57%''' ''5,179''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.20% ''4,370''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.23% ''119''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|46.74% ''4,486''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.34%''' ''4,927''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.92% ''184''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''48.50%''' ''4,324''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|45.50% ''4,057''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|6.00% ''535''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''46.62%''' ''3,883''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|41.69% ''3,472''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|11.69% ''974''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.04% ''3,178''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''42.56%''' ''3,974''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|23.40% ''2,185''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|36.41% ''2,924''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''62.43%''' ''5,013''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.16% ''93''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1984 United States presidential election|1984]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.09% ''2,312''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.57%''' ''5,610''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.34% ''27''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|32.24% ''2,379''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''54.42%''' ''4,015''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|13.34% ''984''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|41.54% ''2,640''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''57.67%''' ''3,665''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.79% ''50''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1972 United States presidential election|1972]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|30.88% ''1,709''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''67.56%''' ''3,739''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.55% ''86''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1968 United States presidential election|1968]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.80% ''1,780''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''53.06%''' ''2,373''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|7.13% ''319''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''65.63%''' ''2,731''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|34.37% ''1,430''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1960 United States presidential election|1960]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|44.86% ''1,862''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''55.14%''' ''2,289''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1956 United States presidential election|1956]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|24.59% ''850''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''75.41%''' ''2,607''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|}

{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration & Party Affiliation as of October 31, 2023<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SOTS/ElectionServices/Registration_and_Enrollment_Stats/Nov23RE-Rev.pdf|title=CT Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Active voters
! Inactive voters
! Total voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | 3,126
| align = center | 240
| align = center | 3,366
| align = center | 23.9%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | 3,985 
| align = center | 326
| align = center | 4,311
| align = center | 30.6%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unaffiliated
| align = center | 5,469
| align = center | 710
| align = center | 6,179
| align = center | 43.9%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Minor parties
| align = center | 199   
| align = center | 26
| align = center | 225
| align = center | 1.6%
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | 12,779
! align = center | 1,302
! align = center | 14,081
! align = center | 100%
|}

==Education==
[[Bethel High School (Connecticut)|Bethel High School]] located in Bethel.

==Media==

=== Movies filmed in Bethel ===
Films partially shot in Bethel include: ''[[Rachel, Rachel]]'' (1968), ''[[Other People's Money]]'' (1991), and ''[[Revolutionary Road (film)|Revolutionary Road]]'' (2008).{{CN|date=October 2024}}

== Notable people ==
* [[Raghib Allie-Brennan]], member of the [[Connecticut House of Representatives]] (raised in Bethel)
* [[Matt Barnes (baseball)|Matt Barnes]] (born 1990), pitcher for the [[Washington Nationals]]
* [[P. T. Barnum]] (1810–1891), showman
* [[Barbara Britton]] (1919–1980), stage, film and television actress
* [[Dan Cramer]], mixed martial arts fighter for the [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]]
* [[Tony Dovolani]], ballroom dancer, cast member on ''[[Dancing with the Stars]]''
* [[Kevin Gutzman]], constitutional scholar and professor of history
* [[Allan J. Kellogg]], [[Medal of Honor]] recipient
* [[Jan Miner]] (1917–2004), actress 
* [[Thurston Moore]] (born 1958), singer and guitarist for [[Sonic Youth]]<ref>Dixon, Ken, "Music Hall of Fame proposed for state", article in ''Connecticut Post'' in Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 26, 2007 ("Thurston Moore, leader of alt-rock legends Sonic Youth, who grew up in Bethel")</ref>
* [[Noël Regney]], composer
* [[Meg Ryan]], actress<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 16, 2015|title=What Connecticut was like in 1988|url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/slideshow/What-was-CT-like-26-years-ago-81926.php|access-date=December 8, 2021|website=Connecticut Post|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Julius Hawley Seelye]] (1824–1895), missionary, author, congressman, and former president of [[Amherst College]]<ref name="Shook Hull 2005 p. 2188">{{cite book | last1=Shook | first1=J.R. | last2=Hull | first2=R.T. | title=Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers | publisher=Thoemmes | series=The Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers | year=2005 | isbn=978-1-84371-037-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ijpj1tB3Qr0C&pg=PA2188 | access-date=September 16, 2018 | page=2188}}</ref>
* [[Glover Teixeira]], Professional MMA fighter
* [[Annamarie Tendler]] (born 1985), artist
* [[Art Young|Henry Arthur "Art" Young]] (1866–1943), cartoonist

==Transportation==
[[File:Bethel station platform, November 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Bethel station]], November 2011. The station is part of [[Metro-North Railroad]]'s [[Danbury Branch]].]]
[[Interstate 84 in Connecticut|Interstate 84]] passes through Bethel, and it has a [[Bethel (Metro-North station)|train station]] on the [[Danbury Branch]] of [[Metro-North Railroad|Metro-North]]'s [[New Haven Line]].<ref>http://as0.mta.info/mnr/stations/station_detail.cfm?key=278 "Metro North Railroad Home > Stations Bethel," MTA.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.</ref> The Danbury Branch provides [[commuter rail]] service between [[Danbury station|Danbury]], to [[South Norwalk station|South Norwalk]], [[Stamford Transportation Center|Stamford]], and [[Grand Central Terminal]] in [[New York City]]. [[Housatonic Area Regional Transit]] provides local bus service.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Bethel (Connecticut)|Bethel, Connecticut}}
*{{Official website|https://www.bethel-ct.gov/}}
*[https://www.bethelhistoricalsociety.com/ Bethel Historical Society]

{{Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut}}
{{Fairfield County, Connecticut}}
{{Connecticut}}
{{New York metropolitan area}}
{{New England}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Bethel, Connecticut| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1855]]
[[Category:Towns in the New York metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in Connecticut]]
[[Category:1855 establishments in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Towns in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut]]