Willington, Connecticut

Willington is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,959 at the 2000 census.

The Willimantic River borders the town on the west. Willington is about 25 miles northeast of Hartford on Interstate 84, which also provides a connection to Boston, via the Massachusetts Turnpike. Providence, RI is accessible via U.S. Route 44. Larger communities nearby include Coventry, Stafford, Tolland, and Willimantic. The University of Connecticut is located in adjacent Mansfield. A new public library (formerly located within Hall Memorial School) opened in autumn 2006.

Willington was incorporated in May 1727.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.5 sqmi, of which 33.3 sqmi of it is land and 0.2 sqmi of it (0.63%) is water.

Notable people

 * Orrin Holt (1792–1855), US Congressman was born and died in town.
 * Jared Sparks (1792–1855), historian, Unitarian minister and President of Harvard University. A street named in his honor extends from the town green to Moose Meadow Road.
 * Justus Vinton (1806–1858), a Baptist missionary to Myanmar, was born in town.
 * Elias Loomis (1811-1889), a mathematician and astronomer, was born in town.
 * Philip Corbin (manufacturer) (1824-1910), a businessman and founder of P&F Corbin Company, was born in town.
 * Jeremiah Chaplin, (1776-1841), a Reformed Baptist theologian who preached in town.
 * William L. Higgins, (1867-1951), a US Congressman and doctor who practiced medicine in town.
 * Eleni Benson, (1983-), a soccer player for the Greece women's national football team in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Civic associations
Willington is home to Troop 82 of the Boy Scouts of America. Troop 82 is a member of the Nipmuck District of the Connecticut Rivers Council.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000 (a 2010 census is available), there were 5,959 people, 2,353 households, and 1,437 families residing in the town. The population density was 179.1 people per square mile (69.2/km²). There were 2,429 housing units at an average density of 73.0 per square mile (28.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.06% White, 0.97% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.02% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.

There were 2,353 households, of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.9% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 19.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,690, and the median income for a family was $70,684. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $36,310 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,062. About 2.9% of families and 13.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Elementary and middle school-aged residents attend schools in the Willington School District.

All residents are zoned to:
 * Center Elementary School (Kindergarten through 3)
 * Hall Memorial School (Grades 4 through 8)

High school-aged residents attend E. O. Smith High School of the Regional School District 19.

Prior to the community's affiliation with Regional School District 19, Willington offered its high school-aged students a choice attending one of the two institutions. Numbers varied from year to year, having the undesired effect of breaking up classes and bussing them distances of up to 15 miles. The two available choices as of 2014 are:
 * E. O. Smith High School in Mansfield, Connecticut
 * Windham Technical High School in Windham, Connecticut.

Popular culture
Willington was featured on the Fox science fiction show Fringe in Season 5, Episode 9 (Black Blotter).