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Norwalk, Connecticut

City in Connecticut, United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norwalk, Connecticutmap

Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The city, part of the New York Metropolitan Area, is the sixth-most populous city in Connecticut as of the 2020 census, with a population of 91,184.[5]

Quick Facts Country, U.S. state ...
Norwalk
City
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Aerial view of Norwalk Harbor and vicinity
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Flag
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Seal
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Logo
Etymology: Mohegan-Pequot language
Nickname: 
Oyster Town
Motto: 
Latin: E Pluribus Unum
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Coordinates: 41°05′38″N 73°25′11″W
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyFairfield
RegionWestern CT
SettledFebruary 26, 1640
IncorporatedSeptember 11, 1651
ConsolidatedJune 6, 1913
Founded byRoger Ludlow and Daniel Patrick[1]
Government
 • TypeWeak mayor–council
 • MayorHarry Rilling (D)
Area
[2]
 • Total
36.37 sq mi (94.20 km2)
 • Land22.89 sq mi (59.28 km2)
 • Water13.49 sq mi (34.93 km2)
Elevation
43 ft (13 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total
91,184
 • Estimate 
(2024)[4]
93,567
 • Density3,983.574/sq mi (1,538.192/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern Standard Time (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern Daylight Time (EDT))
ZIP Codes
06850–06860
Area codes203/475
FIPS code09-55990
GNIS feature ID0209405
Major highways
Commuter Rail
Websitewww.norwalkct.gov
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Norwalk is on the northern shore of Long Island Sound and was first settled in 1649.

History

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Main article: History of Norwalk, Connecticut

Roger Ludlow purchased the areas east of the Norwalk River from Chief Mahackemo of the Norwaake (or Naramauke) Indians in 1640.[6] Norwalk was settled in 1649, incorporated September 1651, and named after the Algonquin word noyank, meaning "point of land", or more probably from the Native American name "Naramauke".[7]

The Battle of Norwalk took place during the Revolutionary War,[8] and led to the burning of most of the town.[9] In 1836, the borough of Norwalk was created, covering the central area of the town.[10] In 1853, the first ever train disaster in the United States happened over the Norwalk River.[11] During the 19th and early 20th century, Norwalk was a major railroad stop for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.[12] The city of South Norwalk and the remaining parts of the town of Norwalk were both combined in 1910 to form the current city.[13]

The Ku Klux Klan had a brief presence in Norwalk during the 1920s, but quickly fell apart due to internal issues.[14] In 1955, multiple hurricanes hit the city, causing flooding in Norwalk Harbor.[15] During the 1970s, efforts were taken to historically preserve South Norwalk, resulting in the creation of the Washington Street Historic District.[16]

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.3 square miles (94 km2), of which 13.5 square miles (35 km2) (37.24%) are covered by water.

Neighborhoods

Climate

More information Climate data for Norwalk, Connecticut, Month ...
Climate data for Norwalk, Connecticut
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20)		 71
(22)		 79
(26)		 95
(35)		 97
(36)		 97
(36)		 103
(39)		 97
(36)		 99
(37)		 89
(32)		 77
(25)		 66
(19)		 103
(39)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 37
(3)		 39
(4)		 48
(9)		 60
(16)		 70
(21)		 79
(26)		 84
(29)		 82
(28)		 75
(24)		 64
(18)		 52
(11)		 42
(6)		 61
(16)
Daily mean °F (°C) 28
(−2)		 31
(−1)		 40
(4)		 50
(10)		 60
(16)		 69
(21)		 74
(23)		 72
(22)		 64
(18)		 53
(12)		 43
(6)		 34
(1)		 52
(11)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19
(−7)		 21
(−6)		 29
(−2)		 38
(3)		 44
(7)		 57
(14)		 62
(17)		 61
(16)		 53
(12)		 40
(4)		 33
(1)		 24
(−4)		 40
(5)
Record low °F (°C) −15
(−26)		 −7
(−22)		 −2
(−19)		 17
(−8)		 30
(−1)		 34
(1)		 45
(7)		 41
(5)		 31
(−1)		 17
(−8)		 14
(−10)		 −9
(−23)		 −15
(−26)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.2
(110)		 3.15
(80)		 4.33
(110)		 4.37
(111)		 4.36
(111)		 3.94
(100)		 3.83
(97)		 3.89
(99)		 4.54
(115)		 3.89
(99)		 4.04
(103)		 3.96
(101)		 48.5
(1,236)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 9.3
(24)		 8.3
(21)		 4.9
(12)		 .8
(2.0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 .7
(1.8)		 4.6
(12)		 28.6
(72.8)
Average precipitation days 10.5 9.7 10.9 12.5 12.5 11.7 10.2 9.7 9.8 9.2 10.6 11.3 128.6
Average snowy days 4.8 4.3 2.5 .4 0 0 0 0 0 0 .4 2.7 15.1
Source 1: NCDC[19]
Source 2: The Weather Channel[20]
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Topography

Norwalk's topography is dominated by its coastline along Long Island Sound, the Norwalk River and its eastern and western banks, and the Norwalk Islands.[21] The highest elevation is 315 feet (96 m) above sea level on the fairway of the 16th hole of the Silvermine Golf Course,[22] and the low elevation is sea level on Long Island Sound.

Demographics

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More information Census, Pop. ...
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179011,942—
18005,146−56.9%
18102,983−42.0%
18203,0040.7%
18303,97232.2%
18403,863−2.7%
18504,65120.4%
18607,85268.8%
187012,11954.3%
188013,95615.2%
189017,74727.2%
190019,93212.3%
191024,21121.5%
192027,74314.6%
193036,01929.8%
194039,84910.6%
195049,46024.1%
196067,77537.0%
197079,28817.0%
198077,767−1.9%
199078,3310.7%
200082,9515.9%
201085,6033.2%
202091,1846.5%
1790 population included
Stamford and Greenwich.
[23]
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2020 census

More information Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic), Pop 2000 ...
Norwalk, Connecticut – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[24] Pop 2010[25] Pop 2020[26] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 53,324 47,718 44,314 64.28% 55.74% 48.60%
Black or African American alone (NH) 12,231 11,472 11,074 14.74% 13.40% 12.14%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 95 94 102 0.11% 0.11% 0.11%
Asian alone (NH) 2,672 4,045 4,772 3.22% 4.73% 5.23%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 28 25 14 0.03% 0.03% 0.02%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 137 244 652 0.17% 0.29% 0.72%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 1,498 1,235 2,627 1.81% 1.44% 2.88%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 12,966 20,770 27,629 15.63% 24.26% 30.30%
Total 82,951 85,603 91,184 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
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2010 census

As of the census of 2010, 85,603 people,[27] 35,415 households,[28] and 21,630 families resided in the city.[29] The population density was 2,358.2 inhabitants per square mile (910.5/km2). The 35,415 housing units had an average density of 975.6 per square mile (376.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 68.7% White, 14.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 4.8% Asian, 9.1% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 24.3% of the population.[30]

Of the 35,415 households, 27.9% had children under 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.4% were not families. About 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size in the city was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.16.[31]

The age distribution was 22% under 18, with 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% were 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males.[30]

See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income

The median income for a household in the city was $76,161, and for a family was $103,032. The per capita income for the city was $43,303.[32] About 5.7% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.[33][34]

Economy

See also: List of companies based in Norwalk, Connecticut

Booking Holdings, Datto, FactSet, Pepperidge Farm, Priceline.com, Terex, Ventus, and Xerox have headquarters in Norwalk.[35][36] The Financial Accounting Foundation and the Financial Accounting Standards Board are also based in Norwalk.

Arts and culture

Attractions

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Norwalk's former city hall

Notable sites on the National Register of Historic Places

Government

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United States Congress

More information Senators, Name ...
Senators Name Party Assumed office Level
  Senate Class 1 Richard Blumenthal Democratic 2011 Senior Senator
  Senate Class 3 Chris Murphy Democratic 2013 Junior Senator
Representatives Name Party Assumed office
  District 4 Jim Himes Democratic 2009
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Connecticut General Assembly

Connecticut State Senate

More information District, Name ...
District Name Party Assumed office
  25 Bob Duff Democratic 2001
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Connecticut House of Representatives

More information District, Name ...
District Name Party Assumed office
  137 Kadeem Roberts Democratic 2023
  140 Travis Simms Democratic 2018
  141 Tracy Marra Republican 2023
  142 Lucy Dathan Democratic 2018
  143 Dominique Johnson Democratic 2023
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Politics

Norwalk has voted Democratic for president since 1992, when the city voted for Bill Clinton.[42] However, between 1928 and 1992, the city only voted Democratic twice: 1936[43] and 1964.[44]

More information Year, Democratic ...
Norwalk city vote
by party in presidential elections[42]
Year Democratic Republican Third parties
2024 63.59% 26,526 34.97% 14,586 1.44% 602
2020 67.99% 29,382 30.80% 13,311 1.21% 521
2016 63.86% 24,414 32.23% 12,324 3.91% 1,494
2012 63.01% 22,369 35.98% 12,773 1.01% 357
2008 65.51% 24,489 33.84% 12,651 0.65% 244
2004 58.15% 20,615 40.06% 14,201 1.79% 633
2000 59.90% 19,293 35.76% 11,519 4.34% 1,399
1996 55.52% 17,354 34.55% 10,800 9.93% 3,105
1992 44.02% 16,488 39.36% 14,743 16.62% 6,224
1988 43.23% 14,518 55.44% 18,618 1.33% 445
1984 35.68% 12,509 64.03% 22,447 0.29% 102
1980 36.40% 11,785 52.40% 16,969 11.20% 3,627
1976 42.69% 13,724 56.53% 18,176 0.78% 250
1972 34.17% 11,459 64.10% 21,496 1.73% 579
1968 41.59% 13,330 51.50% 16,503 6.91% 2,215
1964 61.90% 19,620 38.10% 12,076 0.00% 0
1960 44.32% 13,744 55.68% 17,268 0.00% 0
1956 28.48% 8,134 71.52% 20,428 0.00% 0
1952[45] 43.47% 10,280[45] 61.52% 17,031[45] 1.34% 372[45]
1948[46] 37.13% 9,980[46] 52.41% 12,032[46] 4.12% 947[46]
1944[47] 46.88% 9,822[47] 53.12% 11,131[47] 0.00% 0[47]
1940[48] 49.29% 9,869[48] 50.71% 10,153[48] 0.00% 0[48]
1936[49] 56.17% 9,216[49] 43.83% 7,191[49] 0.00% 0[49]
1932[50] 46.40% 6,375[50] 53.60% 7,364[50] 0.00% 0[50]
1928[51] 37.95% 4,867[51] 61.32% 7,865[51] 0.73% 94[51]
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More information Voter Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 27, 2020, Party ...
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 27, 2020[52]
Party Active voters Inactive voters Total voters Percentage
Republican 10,161 52 10,213 17.22%
Democratic 23,144 164 23,308 39.30%
Libertarian 1,226 10 1,236 2.08%
Unaffiliated 24,367 171 24,538 41.38%
Totals 58,898 397 59,295 100%
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Districts

Norwalk has six taxing districts.[53] The First, Second, Third, and Sixth taxing districts are political entities with their respective voters electing officers, holding annual business meetings, approving budgets, and considering other matters, as specified in each of their charters.[54][55] Election of Taxing District Commissioners and Treasurers by voters from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th districts take place in odd-numbered years. The Fourth and Fifth districts are not counted as separate governments, as they constitute the city proper.[56] Each taxing district has its own property tax rate reflecting the mix of services each receives from the city. Secondly, municipal elections of mayor, common council, board of education, and other positions are also held in odd-numbered years at 13 polling places within five voting districts around the city. Voting districts are not the same for state and federal elections, which are held on even-numbered years at 12 polling locations.[57]

Municipal

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Norwalk City Hall and Concert Hall

Norwalk's municipal government is a weak-mayor form of a mayor-council government with the mayor of Norwalk elected by its voters.[58] The city's charter gives certain administrative powers exclusively to the council and others jointly to the Council and Mayor. The Common Council is the law-writing body of the City of Norwalk. Norwalk's common council consists of fifteen council members, five elected at-large and ten elected by district, two from each district.[59]

Representatives

Norwalk is represented in the Connecticut General Assembly by five House representatives corresponding to five Connecticut legislative districts and one senator from one Connecticut Senate district.[60][61]

Norwalk, which lies within Connecticut's 4th congressional district, is represented in the United States Congress by one congressional representative (Democrat Jim Himes) in the United States House of Representatives, and along with the rest of Connecticut, by two U.S. Senators (Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy) in the United States Senate.

Education

Main article: Education in Norwalk, Connecticut

Norwalk Public Schools operates public schools, while the community also has various private schools.

Norwalk was granted a town charter by the Connecticut General Court in 1651. On May 29, 1678, town records mention the establishment of community-supported teaching activities with a passage that reads: "'At a town meeting... voted and agreed to hier a scole master to teach all the children in ye town to lerne to Rede and write; and that Mr. Cornish shall be hierd for that service and the townsmen are to hier him upon as reasonable terms as they can."

The school that was established in the 1670s was located near the Ludlow Square area of East Norwalk (near the former Roger Ludlow Junior High School).[62]

Sports

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Baseball and softball are popular amateur sports with active leagues across many age groups in Norwalk. Four baseball fields and 16 Little League fields are in the city. Several of the fields, including Calf Pasture Beach, are illuminated for nighttime play. The fields at the Norwalk Little League team won the Little League World Series in 1952.[63][64] The 14-year-old Babe Ruth League team won the championship in 2008.[65] The Norwalk Biddy Basketball All-Star team Won the state and regional titles and then went on to the world championships in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1986 and placed seventh in the world.

Being a coastal city, Norwalk is home to a great many water sports, including competitive swimming, recreational boating and fishing, sailing, windsurfing, and kayaking. The Norwalk River and inner Norwalk Harbor host rowing events and organizations.[66] Norwalk resident Daniel Walsh won a bronze medal in Beijing with the U.S. Olympic rowing team in the 2008 Summer Olympics.[67]

Three golf courses are in the city of Norwalk: Shorehaven Golf Club[68] is a private club in East Norwalk, the Silvermine Golf Club[69] is a private club in Silvermine (part of the course lies in the town of Wilton), and the Oak Hills Park golf course[70] is a public course in West Norwalk.

The cross-town rivalry between the city's two largest high schools, Norwalk High School and Brien McMahon High School, is fierce, particularly for the football, basketball, soccer, and field hockey teams in the fall, as well as lacrosse, baseball, and softball teams in the spring. Brien McMahon High School's football team won the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference and Class M State Football championship in 1994. McMahon High School's boys' lacrosse team won the state division 2 lacrosse championship in 2000.

Media

News sources in Norwalk include News 12 Connecticut, a regional news channel for southwestern Connecticut and based in Norwalk.[71] The Hour was an independent daily newspaper based in Norwalk and founded in 1871, which was purchased by Hearst Communications on April 12, 2016.[72] NancyonNorwalk.com is a self-published, nonprofit news site founded in 2010 that covers local issues.[73]

Transportation

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Highways

Interstate 95 and the Merritt Parkway lead through Norwalk, with several exits within the Norwalk city limits, and are the major thoroughfare through the city. U.S. Route 1 goes through the center of the city, mostly following local streets. The major north–south corridor in Norwalk is U.S. Route 7, which is an expressway throughout most of the route in the city. The expressway section ends at Grist Mill Road in Norwalk from where Route 7 resumes northbound along Main Ave. Other state routes include Routes 53, 123, and 136.

Buses

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A Wheels bus at Wheels hub

Public transport bus service within Norwalk is provided by Norwalk Transit District.[74] Norwalk Transit District operates fixed-route public bus service in Norwalk and Westport with evening and Sunday shuttles (serving South Norwalk, Main Avenue, and Connecticut Avenue) and commuter shuttles. Access to other cities through bus services Milford, Danbury, and Stamford. All fixed-route buses meet at the Transportation Hub.[75]

Railroad

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West entrance of the South Norwalk train station

The Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs through and stops in Norwalk. The train goes west and east, with Grand Central Terminal and New Haven Union Station being the final stops. The Danbury Branch runs from South Norwalk to Danbury, CT. Four stations are in Norwalk, three of them on the main line which is: Rowayton, South Norwalk and East Norwalk. The fourth station, Merritt 7, is on the Danbury Branch. Metro-North provides commuter service for all four stations.[76]

The structure at 47 Wall Street was formerly the Wall Street station of the Danbury Branch, which operated from 1896 to 1936. The city's trolley system barn also operated on Wall Street.[77]

Airports

Norwalk is within reasonable distance of 11 airports - four general aviation, two regional, and five international.

More information General aviation airports, Distance from downtown/location ...
General aviation airportsDistance from downtown/location
Sikorsky Memorial Airport15 miles east in Stratford, Connecticut
Danbury Municipal Airport18 miles north in Danbury, Connecticut
Waterbury–Oxford Airport29 miles northeast in Oxford, Connecticut
Teterboro Airport38 miles southwest in Teterboro, New Jersey
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More information Regional airports, Distance from downtown/location ...
Regional airportsDistance from downtown/location
Westchester County Airport16 miles west in Westchester County, New York
Tweed New Haven Airport29 miles east in East Haven, Connecticut
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More information International airports, Distance from downtown/location ...
International airportsDistance from downtown/location
LaGuardia Airport34 miles southwest in Queens, New York
John F. Kennedy International Airport38 miles southwest in Queens, NY
Stewart International Airport45 miles northwest in Newburgh, New York
Newark Liberty International Airport50 miles southwest in Newark, New Jersey
Bradley International Airport68 miles northeast in Windsor Locks, Connecticut
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Infrastructure

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Utilities

Electric power and natural gas in most of Norwalk are provided by Eversource Energy.

  • The First Taxing District[78] provides water to the Third, Fourth and Fifth Taxing Districts.[79]
  • The Second Taxing District[80] serves sections of South Norwalk, East Norwalk, West Norwalk, Rowayton and Silvermine.[80] and also owns and operates South Norwalk Electric and Water.[81]
  • The Third Taxing District[82] provides electric power for East Norwalk.

The districts purchase wholesale power and arrange for its delivery to, and distribution within, their respective districts. Power lines and meters in East Norwalk, South Norwalk, and parts of Rowayton are maintained by the districts. Both the second (SNEW) and third (TTD) district electric departments belong to the six member Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative which pools their wholesale power purchasing to obtain lower rates for their customers.[83]

Connecticut Light and Power (now Eversource Energy) operated a power plant, Norwalk Harbor Station on Manresa Island, from 1960 to 1999 when it was acquired by NRG Energy, which then began its deactivation in 2013.[84]

In 2004 the Third Taxing District installed three diesel powered generators at the Norden complex on Norden Place that were initially licensed only for emergency power supply. By summer 2008 the generators, with a combined capacity of 6 Megawatts, had been upgraded to allow licensed operation as regular power providers for the grid (not just emergency power).[85]

In 2007 and 2008 the construction of the Middletown-Norwalk transmission line disrupted traffic along the Boston Post Road, but the completion of the line was hoped to help provide additional power to lower Fairfield County. In addition, a high-voltage undersea line runs from Manressa Island to Long Island to help provide electric power to Long Island Power Authority customers. In 2008, the city government of Norwalk started initial investigations of whether the city might resume generating power for sale to electricity customers in the city.[86]

Emergency services

See also: Norwalk Fire Department

Norwalk Police Department serves as the city's police department,[87] and Norwalk Fire Department serves Norwalk's fire protection district.[88] Norwalk is served 24/7 by Norwalk Hospital and Norwalk Hospital EMS, a 911 paramedic service. The service consists of hospital-based paramedics and EMT-Is who serve Norwalk as well as New Canaan, Wilton, Weston, and Westport.

In popular culture

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Films

Full-length features and documentary films, filmed or set in Norwalk:

Television

Partially or entirely recorded in Norwalk:

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Norwalk, Connecticut

Sister cities

References

External links

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