51 Fun Facts about Connecticut (that most people don't know!)

Whether you want some Connecticut fun facts to use for a project or you want to impress people with your knowledge of the Nutmeg State, we’ve put together some facts about Connecticut that cover everything from weird laws to natural wonder to strange history.

Connecticut, one of the smaller US states, has plenty of history, a gorgeous coastline, and beautiful Connecticut small towns, and these interesting facts about Connecticut are a real tribute to all of the fun Connecticut facts to be found (we could have kept going, but kept it to the 51 best ones!).

Keep reading for weird facts about Connecticut, amazing facts about Connecticut, cool facts about Connecticut, and plenty of fun Connecticut facts to keep you guessing (or help you put together an awesome Connecticut trivia quiz!).

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Connecticut Fun Facts

1. The very first dictionary was published in Connecticut.

2. Connecticut has the Oldest Steam-Powered Cider Mill in the US

3. Yale University was the first school in the United States to offer a PhD.

4. The Connecticut state animal is the sperm whale.

5. ESPN started in Connecticut.

6. The Connecticut state insect is the praying mantis.

7. Connecticut is home to the first publicly funded library in the US.

8. In 1809, Mary Kies was the first woman to receive a patent in the US.

9. The name of Connecticut is a Native American phrase meaning “river whose water is driven by tides or winds.”

10. Nickname is the “Constitution State.”

Interesting Facts about Connecticut

11. Louis Lassen created the first hamburger in his restaurant, Louis’ Lunch.

12. George W. Bush is the only U.S. president, to date, born in Connecticut.

13. Bristol, Connecticut, is referred to as “Mum City.”

14. Mystic Seaport in Connecticut is the largest maritime museum in the world.

15. Music Vale, the United States’ first music school to be allowed to confer music teaching degrees, was located in the sleepy town of Salem.

16. The Hartford Current began in 1764 and is the United States’ oldest newspaper that is still being published today.

17. Mark Twain created and patented a scrapbook that had adhesive pre-applied to its pages.

18. Connecticut is one of the most densely populated states of the U.S.

19. John Haynes was Connecticut’s first governor.

20. The town of Washington was incorporated in 1779.

Weird Facts about Connecticut

21. In the city of Hartford, it is illegal to cross the street by walking on your hands.

22. It’s against the law to walk backwards after sunset in Devon, Connecticut.

23. In 1901, Connecticut set the first speed limit in the United States at 12 mph.

24. Orange, Connecticut, is home to the PEZ factory.

25. Hartford, the state’s capital is called the “Insurance Capital of the World”.

26. Lyme disease was first identified in 1975 in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

27. The first blast furnace in Connecticut was built in Lakeville in 1762.

28. Students invented the frisbee at Yale in 1920.

29. The “Constitution State” is the birthplace of the world’s first practical helicopter.

30. Connecticut is first on the list of the percentage of urban lands covered by trees.

Random Facts about Connecticut

31. The very first lollipops were created in New Haven, Connecticut by a man named George Smith.

32. Connecticut was home to Samuel Colt, who invented the revolver.

33. All county governments in Connecticut were abolished on October 1, 1960.

34. Connecticut is home to some of the oldest pizzerias in the United States.

35. Ezra Warner, a Waterbury native, invented the can opener in 1858.

36. Cattle branding in the United States began in Connecticut.

37. In 1937, Connecticut became the first state to issue permanent license plates for cars.

38. The only two states in the US to not have county governments: Connecticut and Rhode Island.

39. Connecticut’s most important crops are dairy, poultry, forest and nursery, tobacco, vegetables and fruit.

40. Connecticut and Rhode Island were the only two states that failed to ratify the 18th Amendment.

Amazing Facts about Connecticut

41. Benchmark Senior Living in Ridgefield, created the longest friendship bracelet in the world in August 2016.

42. Connecticut has 169 towns, 21 cities and 9 boroughs.

Downtown Hartford, Connecticut on a summer's day

43. The first human inhabitants of present-day Burlington were members of the Tunxis Tribe.

44. The first public tree planting program in America was conducted in New Haven.

45. Connecticut’s motto is Qui Transtulit Sustinet — “He Who Transplanted Still Sustains.“

46. 7-year-old James Thorsell designed the New Hartford “Town Bicentennial Emblem.”

47. West Haven is Connecticut’s youngest city, being incorporated in 1972.

48. Bridgeport is Connecticut’s largest city followed by New Haven and Hartford.

49. The Mark Twain House and Museum is consistently rated among the best historic houses in the world, and is a National Historic Landmark.

50. The Glass House is a historic house in New Canaan, designed by Philip Johnson in 1949.

51. The first European settlers in the Connecticut area were the Dutch.

Hey! Want more fun facts about the states? Check these out!

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51 Fun Facts about Connecticut (that most people don’t know!)