Danbury, Connecticut

Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, approximately 70 miles from New York City. Danbury's population at the 2010 census was 80,893. Danbury is the fourth most-populous city in Fairfield County, and seventh among Connecticut cities. The city is located within the New York metropolitan area.

The city was named for the place of origin of many of the early settlers, Danbury, Essex, England, and has been nicknamed Hat City, because of its history in the hat industry, at one point producing almost 25% of America's hats. The hat industry polluted the Still River with mercury. There is also a mineral named for Danbury, danburite.

Danbury is home to a regional hospital as well as Western Connecticut State University.

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 Pahquioque Native Americans. One of the original settlers was Samuel Benedict, who bought land from the Paquioques in 1685, along with his brother James Benedict; James Beebe, and Judah Gregory. Also called Paquiack ("open plain" or "cleared land") by local Native Americans, the settlers chose the name Swampfield for their town, but in October 1687, the general court decreed the name Danbury. The general court appointed a committee to lay out the boundaries of the new town. A survey was made in 1693, and a formal town patent was granted in 1702.

Danbury (Metro-North station)

The Danbury Metro-North Railroad station serves residents of Danbury, Connecticut and surrounding areas at the north terminus of the Danbury Branch of the New Haven Line. Since the Danbury Branch is mostly a single track, most service is a shuttle to South Norwalk with three peak-hour runs to Grand Central; service to South Norwalk takes approximately 47 minutes, service to Grand Central 1 hour, 55 minutes. The station is 64.9 miles (104.4 km) to Grand Central; it is adjacent to both the Danbury Railway Museum and the hub for Housatonic Area Regional Transit. The station has 147 parking spaces, all owned by the state.

Platform and track configuration

This station has one three-car-long high-level island platform serving arriving and departing trains. The Danbury Branch has three tracks at this location. The northern track is a stub that terminates at the platform, while the southern two tracks allow for continued travel to or from the north and the train yard. The southern-most track is not adjacent to the platform.

Danbury, Texas

Danbury is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,715 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Danbury is located northeast of the center of Brazoria County at 29°13′43″N 95°20′48″W / 29.22861°N 95.34667°W / 29.22861; -95.34667 (29.228694, -95.346574), next to Flores Bayou. It is 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Angleton, the county seat. According to the United States Census Bureau, Danbury has a total area of 0.97 square miles (2.5 km²), all of it land.

In 2006 the average elevation was 21.4 feet (6.5 m) above mean sea level (MSL), which reflects a 0.168-inch (4.3 mm) negative deviation compared to a 1998 study. This decrease is believed to be caused by the extraction of groundwater (9% of total declination), the extraction of petroleum products (88% of total declination) with a probable calculated seasonal difference in soil moisture accounting for the remainder. At the present rate of change, Danbury will lose approximately 2.18 inches (55 mm) of elevation per 100 years, which is a rate 42 times faster than similarly situated areas.