TOLLAND COUNTY

Chamber of Commerce
30 Lafayette Square
Vernon 860-872-0587
www.tollandcountychamber.org

Regional Tourism Office
Information 860-536-8822
www.mysticcountry.com

Major Highways
Interstates 84, 291, 384
U.S. Routes 6, 44

Blending rustic and rural towns from Connecticut’s “Quiet Corner” with those in closer proximity to the capital city of Hartford, Tolland County is proud of its breathtaking natural beauty, charming New England village atmosphere, and rich sense of history. This scenic region encompasses many appealing contrasts, from aromatic herb farms and vineyards to the handsome campus for the University of Connecticut in Storrs-Mansfield.

Some of the smaller towns like Hebron are experiencing rapid growth, attracting newcomers to spacious lots for new home construction that are set against a backdrop of natural beauty and rural charm. Other communities like Vernon have already flourished as suburban havens within the Greater Hartford region. Agriculture still plays a vital role in many corners of the county, although the influence of yesterday’s industrial revolution can still be seen in manufacturers that offer opportunities for employment close to home.

 

Services
The main campus for the University of Connecticut anchors and enriches the entire region, introducing the fine and performing arts, collegiate sports competition, cultural events, and the possibility of an outstanding higher education close to home. Public and private schools for students from pre-kindergarten through high school deliver a strong core curriculum and many special programs in well-equipped classrooms that integrate the latest advanced technologies with personalized attention.

The Greater Hartford area provides state-of-the-art healthcare institutions, although emergency clinics, family practice clinics, and professionals in a wide range of medical specialties are strategically located to meet routine needs. In addition to acute-care hospitals and full-service medical centers, the capital city area offers the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. The latter is widely acclaimed for its dedication to the finest in pediatric care as well as research and teaching programs. Transportation facilities in this region are efficient and abundant, from major interstate highways to a network of federal and state routes that ensure quick and easy links to popular destinations. The region’s close proximity to air, highway, and water transportation services have played a role in encouraging residential growth and contributed to the strength of local business and industry.

 

Lifestyle
Whether you prefer the simple pleasure of homemade ice cream from a local dairy farm or an evening of professional theatre, Tolland County offers the epitome of a New England lifestyle. Around every corner the scenery changes and a new adventure begins. Residents are able to access a wide range of natural environments close to home, from heavily forested land to verdant hills, sparkling lakes, and open space. The county’s communities are equally diverse, harmonizing the rural countryside with industrial and suburban development.

Boasting towns that have been settled for centuries, Tolland County is rich in tradition and proud of its heritage. Active historical societies combine with many fascinating museums to preserve and display artifacts and memorabilia from yesterday. The state’s own hero, Nathan Hale, is honored at his homestead in Coventry in Tolland County. Visitors to the site will discover original furnishings and family memorabilia. In some cases, historic attractions serve as intimate venues for community festivities. The community of Tolland has preserved and transformed a colonial tavern into the Victorian style Hicks-Stearns Museum, the ideal setting for summer concerts on the lawn, a Victorian holiday celebration, or an autumn lantern tour.

Although nearby Hartford is well known for its exceptional cultural community and performing arts centers, Tolland County residents are fortunate to have the main campus for the University of Connecticut in their own backyard. Venues associated with the University of Connecticut include the Center for Visual Art and Culture, the William Benton Museum of Art, and the Connecticut Repertory Theatre. Drawing a regional audience to the university campus, the Jorgensen Theatre showcases more than 40 professional performing arts events from September through May. Nearby Mansfield is home to the Mansfield Historical Society Museum, presenting permanent displays, changing exhibits, and a research library. This venue is distinguished as Connecticut’s state art museum. To enjoy some of the finest amenities in the nation, Tolland County residents can travel a short distance to Hartford, Boston, or even New York City.

Opportunities for relaxation and recreation in Tolland County are virtually without limit. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy first-rate fishing, boating, water sports, hunting, biking, hiking, and camping. Special programs, recreation centers, fitness clubs, and sports leagues combine with lush parks, swimming pools, skating rinks, tennis and racquet courts, and golf courses in many communities. With its harmony of rural, suburban, and urban settings near ocean and riverfront shorelines, few locations in the nation can rival the quality of life available in Tolland County.

 

Coventry, Bolton
Coventry Offices
860-742-6324
www.coventryct.org
Bolton Offices
860-649-8066   
http://bolton.govoffice.com
Chamber of Commerce
860-872-0587   
www.tollandcountychamber.org

Calling itself “the gateway to Northeastern Connecticut’s Quiet Corner,” the historic town of Coventry is characterized as semi-rural. Coventry blends historic sites with an herb farm, a vineyard, many antique shops, public beaches, a boat launch on Coventry’s lake, and delightful places to relax and dine. Along with the nearby town of Bolton, Coventry provides opportunities for an exceptional quality of life in an atmosphere that blends suburban convenience with a rural character and New England charm. Bolton offers a quiet, attractive town nestled in the granite hills of central Connecticut just east of Hartford. The community is home to well-known quarries in the area of Bolton Notch and Quarryville that produce a fine slate used in building construction across the nation. Other industries centered in Bolton include agricultural activity, a number of manufacturing companies, and small machine shops. The Connecticut shoreline is just a half-hour from home for weekend getaways and ocean recreation.

 

Hebron, Columbia, Andover
Hebron Offices
860-228-5971   
www.hebronct.com
Columbia Offices
860-228-0110   
www.columbiact.org
Andover Offices
860-742-0188
www.andoverct.org
Chamber of Commerce
860-872-0587   
www.tollandcountychamber.org

The quiet Town of Hebron is located in east central Connecticut and characterized as a serene agricultural community that covers 38 square miles of hilly terrain. Because of its somewhat higher elevation, Hebron tends to command outstanding vistas of the surrounding countryside. Homes blend colonial with contemporary architecture in welcoming neighborhoods with properties that are beautifully landscaped. One of the state’s fastest growing towns, Hebron offers affordable land for commercial and residential growth. The small community of Columbia combines a location convenient to major thoroughfares with a friendly small-town environment where neighbors often greet each other on a first-name basis. The proximity of Columbia to Manchester, Hartford, and Norwich make it ideal for commuters who want to blend the charm of small-town rural living with easy access to urban amenities. Nearby Andover claims agriculture and small wood and machine shops as the basis of the local economy.

 

Mansfield (Storrs)
Municipal Offices
860-429-3336   
www.mansfieldct.org
Chamber of Commerce
860-872-0587   
www.tollandcountychamber.org

Situated in the heart of eastern Connecticut, the town of Mansfield is nestled in wooded uplands that are cut by the valleys of the Willimantic, Fenton, and Mt. Hope rivers. Mansfield is known for its award-winning blue ribbon school system and the large lake formed by Mansfield Hollow Dam. It is also widely recognized for the main campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, a community that has a separate zip code but is encompassed within the boundaries of Mansfield. This community ensures all the advantages of a “university town,” including a calendar filled with cultural and sporting events. The appeal of Mansfield has been enhanced by the acquisition of parcels of prime land that have been developed into lush parks and open space with miles of multi-purpose trails. More than 1,000 acres of land have been reserved as local parkland. Access to interstate highways is second to none, with Interstates 84, 384, and 291 all converging at this location.

 

Stafford, Somers, Union
Stafford Offices
860-684-1777   
www.staffordct.org
Somers Offices
860-763-8201
https://www.somersct.gov
Union Offices
860-684-3812
www.unionconnecticut.org
Chamber of Commerce
860-872-0587   
www.tollandcountychamber.org

Bordering Massachusetts are the three towns of Stafford, Somers, and Union. Situated in northeast Connecticut, Stafford claims the manufacture of woolens and worsteds as its principal industry. The Town of Somers maintains an economy based on agriculture and diversified industry. Both communities create a tranquil residential haven that offers an escape from urban crowds. The community of Union was one of the last towns in Connecticut to be settled and has remained the smallest in population. The town sprawls over 30 square miles of hilly and rocky terrain, known for its good timber. Adding to the natural beauty of this wooded region is a cluster of lakes that include Mashapaug Pond and form the source of the Quinnipaug River. Union’s traditional industries of forestry, agriculture, and charcoal manufacturing have remained relatively unchanged.

 

Tolland, Willington
Tolland Offices
860-871-3600   
www.tolland.org
Willington Offices
860-487-3100   
www.willingtonct.org
Chamber of Commerce
860-872-0587   
www.tollandcountychamber.org

The historical community of Tolland serves as the seat of government for Tolland County. Sound planning has enabled the town leaders to promote growth in recent decades and still preserve many of the area’s treasures, including wooded open space, a charming town green, and a wide array of parks and recreational preserves. In addition to the traditional agricultural activity, Tolland is home to numerous manufacturing companies and professional services. Good schools, excellent transportation amenities, and quality rural living within easy access to major cultural and commercial centers have encouraged further growth and development. Willington is characterized as a small rural town located just 20 miles east of Hartford along Interstate 84. The town provides a convenient shopping center, a cluster of antique shops, a major travel stop, and is located two miles from the campus for the University of Connecticut. Many former industries have disappeared from this primarily residential community, and many residents are commuters.

 

Vernon, Ellington
Vernon Offices
860-870-3599   
www.vernon-ct.gov
Ellington Offices
860-870-3100   
www.ellington-ct.gov
Chamber of Commerce
860-872-0587   
www.tollandcountychamber.org

Vernon is a residential community east of Hartford in north central Connecticut. The presence of Interstate 84 provides easy access to several other major interstates. This ideal location with its

transportation advantages has contributed to Vernon’s development as an attractive suburban community and a commercial center for surrounding towns. The former Rockville mills section has made a very successful transition from industry and commerce to a center for professional and governmental offices that now include local government, education, and the state’s administrative offices. Ellington provides the attractive mix of suburban convenience and rural charm. Just 15 minutes from Hartford, the town is nestled in the Connecticut River Valley. Ellington is home to a wide variety of agricultural, industrial, commercial, and residential development that shares the panoramic backdrop of the Shenipsit State Forest. Ellington is proud of its heritage but also anxious to continue growing and expanding in a balanced, controlled manner.

 

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