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First Church of Christ, Glastonbury CTGlastonbury, #1 on this list · Photo: John Phelan · CC BY-SA 4.0
Connecticut rankings · Outdoors

Best towns for the outdoors in Connecticut

Glastonbury ranks first on outdoors among Connecticut’s 155 towns of 2,500+; 107 of the 155 grade A− or better on outdoors nationally.

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. How grades work

#1

Glastonbury

35,503 people
A+

Outdoors grade, among the top in the U.S.·Overall A · #20 of 151 in CT

#2

Ridgefield

25,373 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 151 in CT

#3

Guilford

22,322 people
A+

Outdoors grade, better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #40 of 151 in CT

All 155 towns

Outdoors grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

155 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1Glastonbury35,503 peopleA+among the top in the U.S.·Overall A · #20 of 151
2Ridgefield25,373 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 151
3Guilford22,322 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #40 of 151
4Farmington28,632 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #29 of 151
5Berlin20,698 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #72 of 151
6West Hartford64,242 peopleA+better than 97% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #80 of 151
7Groton39,138 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #97 of 151
8Manchester59,773 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #127 of 151
9Kent3,101 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #23 of 151
10Simsbury25,582 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #21 of 151
11Redding8,847 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 151
12Avon19,096 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #19 of 151
13Vernon30,842 peopleAbetter than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #100 of 151
14Ledyard15,601 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #67 of 151
15Windsor29,879 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #108 of 151
16Bloomfield22,267 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #128 of 151
17Middlefield4,276 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #106 of 151
18Trumbull38,075 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #66 of 151
19Wallingford44,406 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #53 of 151
20Middlebury8,093 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #10 of 151
21Washington3,733 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #58 of 151
22MeridenNew Haven County · 60,810 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #140 of 151
23East Lyme19,223 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #32 of 151
24Old Lyme7,702 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #12 of 151
25Griswold11,690 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #129 of 151
26Durham7,209 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #48 of 151
27Hebron9,256 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #44 of 151
28AnsoniaNew Haven County · 19,216 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #137 of 151
29Granby11,963 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #16 of 151
30Voluntown2,653 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #110 of 151
31South Windsor27,036 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #34 of 151
32Madison17,734 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #9 of 151
33Salisbury4,290 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #77 of 151
34Thomaston7,572 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #30 of 151
35HartfordHartford County · 121,981 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #151 of 151
36Haddam8,947 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #62 of 151
37Essex6,819 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #27 of 151
38Marlborough6,213 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #54 of 151
39DerbyNew Haven County · 12,925 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #142 of 151
40Portland9,449 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #26 of 151
41East Hampton13,134 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #41 of 151
42East Haddam9,043 peopleAbetter than 90% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #49 of 151
43Southbury20,468 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #96 of 151
44Windham24,139 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #141 of 151
45Winchester10,360 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #93 of 151
46Bolton4,875 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #22 of 151
47Sharon2,783 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #125 of 151
48Old Saybrook10,680 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #51 of 151
49Cromwell14,350 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #79 of 151
50New HavenNew Haven County · 138,774 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #148 of 151
51Mansfield College campus29,062 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A
52Lebanon7,142 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #98 of 151
53TorringtonLitchfield County · 35,796 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #134 of 151
54Sprague2,954 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #131 of 151
55Pomfret4,378 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #69 of 151
56Columbia5,352 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #78 of 151
57Wethersfield27,291 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #57 of 151
58Salem4,324 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #36 of 151
59Branford28,724 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #90 of 151
60Watertown22,526 peopleAbetter than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #75 of 151
61Bethany5,339 peopleAbetter than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #13 of 151
62Milford53,606 peopleA−better than 85% of U.S. towns·No overall grade
63Tolland14,752 peopleA−better than 85% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #56 of 151
64New Hartford6,748 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #60 of 151
65Litchfield8,381 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·No overall grade
66Weston10,517 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #8 of 151
67MiddletownMiddlesex County · 48,439 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #115 of 151
68Thompson9,566 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #123 of 151
69Woodbury10,005 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #102 of 151
70Sherman3,618 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #68 of 151
71East Granby5,432 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #25 of 151
72Greenwich64,801 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #17 of 151
73Beacon Falls6,307 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #101 of 151
74New LondonNew London County · 28,003 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #144 of 151
75Stratford53,908 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #116 of 151
76Plainville17,746 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #87 of 151
77Waterford20,435 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #92 of 151
78NaugatuckNew Haven County · 32,230 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #111 of 151
79North Branford13,551 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #76 of 151
80DanburyFairfield County · 89,033 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #135 of 151
81SheltonFairfield County · 42,880 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #71 of 151
82Cheshire30,983 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #6 of 151
83Hamden61,824 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #133 of 151
84Stonington18,832 peopleA−better than 80% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #47 of 151
85Colchester15,825 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #73 of 151
86East Haven27,925 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #130 of 151
87Easton7,838 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #5 of 151
88Westbrook6,918 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #39 of 151
89StamfordFairfield County · 139,535 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #119 of 151
90Willington5,601 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #112 of 151
91Oxford13,311 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #82 of 151
92Clinton13,439 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #83 of 151
93Bethel21,682 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #31 of 151
94Goshen3,298 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·No overall grade
95New Milford28,941 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #89 of 151
96North Stonington5,242 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #28 of 151
97Ashford4,265 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #113 of 151
98New BritainHartford County · 76,286 peopleA−better than 77% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #149 of 151
99Stafford11,721 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #107 of 151
100Brookfield18,566 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #45 of 151
101Harwinton5,751 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #42 of 151
102Rocky Hill21,575 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #35 of 151
103Westport28,301 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #14 of 151
104Monroe19,341 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 151
105Fairfield66,262 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #38 of 151
106North Haven24,799 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #84 of 151
107New Fairfield13,674 peopleA−better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #63 of 151
108Deep River4,468 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #33 of 151
109Orange14,416 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #91 of 151
110Burlington9,874 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #55 of 151
111Windsor Locks12,617 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #94 of 151
112Suffield16,046 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #37 of 151
113Andover3,173 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #43 of 151
114BridgeportFairfield County · 152,273 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #146 of 151
115Canton10,304 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #24 of 151
116Killingly18,177 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #138 of 151
117East Windsor11,342 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #121 of 151
118Jewett CityNew London County · 3,456 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #139 of 151
119East Hartford50,968 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #136 of 151
120Woodstock8,474 peopleB+better than 71% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #99 of 151
121Chester3,726 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #86 of 151
122Darien22,583 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #11 of 151
123Sterling3,736 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #143 of 151
124Newington31,647 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #95 of 151
125Bethlehem3,455 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #74 of 151
126Plymouth11,902 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #85 of 151
127BristolHartford County · 62,341 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #124 of 151
128Southington44,242 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #65 of 151
129Coventry12,446 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #15 of 151
130Enfield41,142 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #118 of 151
131Seymour17,153 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #81 of 151
132NorwalkFairfield County · 94,508 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #109 of 151
133Wilton19,435 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #3 of 151
134Newtown28,183 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #61 of 151
135West HavenNew Haven County · 55,351 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #132 of 151
136Montville18,001 peopleB+better than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #105 of 151
137NorwichNew London County · 40,001 peopleBbetter than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #145 of 151
138New Canaan21,208 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #7 of 151
139WaterburyNew Haven County · 115,771 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #150 of 151
140Ellington16,594 peopleBbetter than 62% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #59 of 151
141Killingworth6,288 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #52 of 151
142Putnam9,402 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #126 of 151
143Plainfield15,381 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #103 of 151
144GrotonNew London County · 10,160 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #120 of 151
145Somers10,938 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #64 of 151
146Prospect9,638 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #70 of 151
147Preston4,873 peopleB−better than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #114 of 151
148North Canaan3,231 peopleB−better than 52% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #122 of 151
149Woodbridge9,160 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #18 of 151
150Brooklyn8,748 peopleB−better than 51% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #117 of 151
151Barkhamsted3,726 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #50 of 151
152Canterbury5,251 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #88 of 151
153Wolcott16,573 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #46 of 151
154DanielsonWindham County · 4,265 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #147 of 151
155Lisbon4,260 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #104 of 151
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which Connecticut town is best for the outdoors?

Glastonbury () ranks first on outdoors among 155 towns, with an A+; Ridgefield and Guilford follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Outdoors grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): the share of land conserved and the trail miles per square mile. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a outdoors grade (155 in Connecticut). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the Connecticut page.

Go deeper

More Connecticut lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All Connecticut rankings →
Best places to live151 towns · #1 MonroeBest small towns54 towns · #1 ReddingMost affordable towns155 towns · #1 CanterburySafest towns90 towns · #1 WestonTowns with the best schools152 towns · #1 New CanaanHealthiest towns154 towns · #1 DarienBest towns for jobs & income155 towns · #1 BethanyMost walkable towns155 towns · #1 New HavenTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk155 towns · #1 HebronMost historic towns155 towns · #1 New LondonTowns with the most civic life155 towns · #1 SalisburyTowns with the least snow149 towns · #1 East LymeDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns149 towns · #1 GoshenDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters155 towns · #1 Darien and StamfordDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers155 towns · #1 Windsor LocksDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers155 towns · #1 GoshenDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes155 towns · #1 Darien and 3 moreDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes142 towns · #1 Windsor LocksDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns155 towns · #1 GranbyDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries123 towns · #1 New CanaanDescribed, no letters
Other states

Best towns for the outdoors in other states

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