Ellington, Connecticut: Agricultural Roots in Tolland County
Ellington separated from East Windsor in 1786 and has maintained a distinctly agricultural identity through the centuries that followed. The town covers about 34 square miles of gently rolling terrain in Tolland County, with a population of approximately 14,693. Tobacco sheds, now mostly unused, still dot the landscape along Crystal Lake Road and Route 83. The broad Connecticut River Valley to the west historically supported shade tobacco farming, and some of that tradition extended into Ellington's western sections.
Crystal Lake, a 73-acre body of water in the eastern part of town, provides the main recreational draw. Residents and visitors use the lake for swimming, fishing, and kayaking during the warmer months. The town center is a modest collection of buildings around the green, including the Hall Memorial Library and a white Congregational church that dates to the 1800s. Ellington has no heavy industry and limited commercial zoning, which has kept the landscape open but also means that most residents commute to Vernon, Manchester, Hartford, or the Bradley International Airport corridor for employment.
Route 83 runs north-south through the center of town, connecting Ellington to Vernon and Rockville to the south and Somers to the north. The town's public schools are well-regarded, with Ellington High School drawing students from across the community. Development pressure has increased in recent years as families priced out of the Hartford suburbs look farther east, but Ellington retains more open farmland than most towns this close to the capital region.
Show more
Ellington separated from East Windsor in 1786 and has maintained a distinctly agricultural identity through the centuries that followed. The town covers about 34 square miles of gently rolling terrain in Tolland County, with a population of approximately 14,693. Tobacco sheds, now mostly unused, still dot the landscape along Crystal Lake Road and Route 83. The broad Connecticut River Valley to the west historically supported shade tobacco farming, and some of that tradition extended into Ellington's western sections.
Crystal Lake, a 73-acre body of water in the eastern part of town, provides the main recreational draw. Residents and visitors use the lake for swimming, fishing, and kayaking during the warmer months. The town center is a modest collection of buildings around the green, including the Hall Memorial Library and a white Congregational church that dates to the 1800s. Ellington has no heavy industry and limited commercial zoning, which has kept the landscape open but also means that most residents commute to Vernon, Manchester, Hartford, or the Bradley International Airport corridor for employment.
Route 83 runs north-south through the center of town, connecting Ellington to Vernon and Rockville to the south and Somers to the north. The town's public schools are well-regarded, with Ellington High School drawing students from across the community. Development pressure has increased in recent years as families priced out of the Hartford suburbs look farther east, but Ellington retains more open farmland than most towns this close to the capital region.
Country selected
Region selected
City selected
