Geography of Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport, Connecticut is a major city of Connecticut located on the Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River.

Physical geography

Bridgeport Harbor is bordered by Long Island Sound and is formed by the estuary of the Pequonnock River and Yellow Mill and Johnson's Creeks, both tidal inlets. Between the estuary and the Yellow Mill Pond is a peninsula, East Bridgeport, also known as the East Side, which was once the site of some of the largest manufacturing establishments in Connecticut, most of which no longer exist. On the other side of the Yellow Mill Pond inlet is the East End of Bridgeport, which is the far eastern point of the city, next to Pleasure Beach. Above the East End is the Mill Hill neighborhood and the border with Stratford, Connecticut. West of the Harbor and the Pequonnock River is the main portion of the city, with Downtown Bridgeport lining the river, the South End fronting on the harbor and Long Island Sound, the West Side between Fairfield, Connecticut and Downtown, and North Bridgeport extending from Downtown and the West Side to the border with Trumbull, Connecticut. Numerous factories, some of which are no longer in operation, line western sections the Metro North/New Haven Railroad line from the Bridgeport Station in Downtown, under Interstate 95 in the South End, and through the West Side and into Fairfield. The city is surrounded by hills up to 300 feet in height in North Bridgeport/North End, the Upper East Side, and Mill Hill.

There are two major parks in Bridgeport, the "Park City." Beardsley is in the northeasterly part of the city and also contains Connecticut's only zoo, the Beardsley Zoo. It also borders Bunnell's Pond, a 33-acre lake. Seaside is west of the harbor entrance and along the Sound in the South End. It has statues in honor of Elias Howe, who is credited with the invention of the sewing machine and who built a factory to manufacture his invention in the city 1863; and of P.T. Barnum, the showman, who lived in Bridgeport after 1846. He contributed much to the city, including the development of the East Side, Mountain Grove Cemetery, and Seaside Park. Seaside Park also has a soldiers' and sailors' monument. In the vicinity were located many upscale residences, now mostly demolished or converted to institutional use.

Aside from the Pequonnock River and the Yellow Mill Pond, there is Cedar Creek, a canal-like tidal creek that lies between Black Rock and Seaside Park. Black Rock Harbor lies at the mouth of the creek.

The principal municipal buildings in Bridgeport are the city's two hospitals (St. Vincent's Medical Center and Bridgeport Hospital), the Barnum Museum, the Klein Memorial Auditorium, City Hall, the Fairfield County Courthouse, and the Main Post Office.

Bays and creeks

Islands

Bodies of water

Waterways

Parks

The "Park City" now has these parks:

  • Alice Street Lot, located on Alice Street
  • Baldwin Plaza, on Broad Street
  • Beardsley Park, located between East Main Street, Noble Avenue, and the Pequonnock River, an idealized rural landscape designed by Frederick Law Olmsted
  • Beechwood Park, Madison Avenue, incorporating Kennedy Stadium and Central High School
  • Clinton Park Militia Grounds, North and Brooklawn Avenues—Located at the center of what was the village of Stratfield, this one-acre site was deeded to the Town of Fairfield in 1666
  • Ellsworth Field, on Ellsworth and Brewster Streets
  • Fairchild Memorial Park, an old-growth forest left in its natural state, located on Trumbull Road
  • Glenwood Park, features tennis courts, the Wonderland of Ice, and Pequonnock River frontage
  • Goosetown Park (aka Goosetown Green), Wood Avenue at Wade Street
  • James Brown Park (Waterview Park), located on Waterview Avenue and Yellow Mill Pond
  • Johnson Oak Park on Logan Street (now occupied by the Tisdale Elementary School)
  • Lafayette Park (aka Nanny Goat Park), located on Oak Street
  • Longfellow Park, on St. Stephens Road
  • McLevy Green, Main, State, Broad, and Bank Streets, the city's earliest "urban" park and focal point of the business district
  • Newfield/Jessup Park located on Newfield Avenue has a playground
  • Old Mill Green (aka Pembroke Park), Boston Avenue between East Main and Hallett Streets
  • Pleasure Beach, natural barrier beach accessible by ferry from the foot of Seaview Avenue, summer months only
  • Puglio Park on Madison Avenue contains the North Branch Library
  • Elton Rogers Park, nature preserve on Frenchtown and Old Town Roads
  • Seaside Park, 'First waterfront rural park in America,' designed by Olmsted, Vaux, and Viele, creators of New York's Central Park; with baseball/softball/soccer fields, fishing areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, mile-long groomed beach and swimming, and boat launch, stretching from Bridgeport Harbor to Black Rock Harbor
  • Saint Mary's-By-the-Sea, waterfront promenade located on Grovers Avenue
  • Success Park on Granfield Avenue
  • Svihra Park on Ezra Street
  • Upchurch Park on Hallett Street
  • Wood Park on Wood Avenue
  • Veteran's Memorial Park, formerly, 90 Acres Park, runs between Park and Madison Avenues in the North End, woodland nature preserve
  • Washington Park, 1851 formal residential square with historic bandstand, located on East Washington, Noble, Barnum Avenues and Kossuth Street
  • Waterfront Park, constructed on wooden piers, located on Water Street
  • Went Field Park on Wordin Avenue (play area, Baseball/softball) was the site of Barnum's Circus winter quarters until 1927
  • West Side 2 Park located on Bostwick Avenue

Neighborhoods

Historical postcard showing Bridgeport Harbor
1941 postcard showing Fairfield County Courthouse in Bridgeport

Bridgeport comprises eight major subdivisions, most of which are divided into smaller neighborhoods:

Climate

Bridgeport is located along Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River, named for the Native American tribe who historically lived along it.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50 km2), of which 16.0 square miles (41 km2) is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km2), or 17.53%, is water.

Under the Köppen climate classification, Bridgeport straddles the humid subtropical (Cfa) and a humid continental (Dfa), with some maritime influence; it is part of USDA hardiness zone 7a.[1] The normal average monthly temperature ranges from 30.1 °F (−1.1 °C) in January to 74.3 °F (23.5 °C) in July; on average, there are 20 days where the temperature remains at or below freezing and 7.6 days with a high at or above 90 °F (32 °C) annually; the last year to not reach the latter mark was 2004.[2] Temperatures reaching 0 °F (−18 °C) or 100 °F (38 °C) are rare, and were last seen respectively on February 24, 2015 and July 22, 2011.[2] The record low is −7 °F (−22 °C), set on January 22, 1984, while the record high is 103 °F (39 °C), set on July 22 in 1957 and 2011.[2]

Precipitation averages 42.7 inches (1,080 mm) annually, and is somewhat evenly distributed throughout the year, though March and April are the wettest months in terms of total precipitation. Snowfall averages 27.6 inches (70 cm) per winter, falling almost entirely from December to March. As is typical of coastal Connecticut, snow cover does not usually remain for long, with an average of 29 days per winter with snow cover of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm).

Climate data for Bridgeport, Connecticut (Sikorsky Airport), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1948–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20)
67
(19)
84
(29)
91
(33)
97
(36)
97
(36)
103
(39)
100
(38)
99
(37)
89
(32)
78
(26)
76
(24)
103
(39)
Average high °F (°C) 37.1
(2.8)
39.7
(4.3)
47.2
(8.4)
57.7
(14.3)
67.6
(19.8)
77.0
(25)
82.2
(27.9)
80.9
(27.2)
74.0
(23.3)
63.3
(17.4)
53.1
(11.7)
42.3
(5.7)
60.2
(15.7)
Average low °F (°C) 23.0
(−5)
25.2
(−3.8)
31.4
(−0.3)
41.0
(5)
50.6
(10.3)
60.4
(15.8)
66.4
(19.1)
65.8
(18.8)
58.3
(14.6)
46.5
(8.1)
38.0
(3.3)
28.4
(−2)
44.6
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −7
(−22)
−5
(−21)
4
(−16)
18
(−8)
31
(−1)
41
(5)
49
(9)
44
(7)
36
(2)
26
(−3)
16
(−9)
−4
(−20)
−7
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.10
(78.7)
2.79
(70.9)
4.05
(102.9)
4.13
(104.9)
3.80
(96.5)
3.61
(91.7)
3.46
(87.9)
3.96
(100.6)
3.48
(88.4)
3.64
(92.5)
3.39
(86.1)
3.33
(84.6)
42.74
(1,085.7)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 7.7
(19.6)
8.1
(20.6)
5.1
(13)
0.9
(2.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.7
(1.8)
5.1
(13)
27.6
(70.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) 10.9 9.7 11.3 11.0 11.8 11.1 8.9 8.9 8.2 8.8 10.0 11.1 121.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) 4.8 3.5 2.4 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 3.1 14.6
Source: NOAA[2][3]

References

  1. United States Department of Agriculture. United States National Arboretum. USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map [Retrieved 2015-02-26].
  2. 1 2 3 4 "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
  3. "Station Name: CT BRIDGEPORT SIKORSKY MEM AP". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
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