Windsor Locks is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. As of the 2020 census, its population was 12,613. It is the site of Bradley International Airport, which serves the Greater Hartford-Springfield region and occupies approximately a third of the town. Windsor Locks is also the site of the New England Air Museum.
Located beside the Connecticut River and equidistant from the densely populated cities of Springfield, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut, Windsor Locks is named for a set of canal locks that opened in 1829. Windsor Locks is situated just south of the first large falls in the Connecticut River, the Enfield Falls, which is the head of navigation (the farthest point that seagoing vessels can reach) of the Connecticut River. The Enfield Falls Canal circumvents the Enfield Falls and its nearby shallows.
History
Originally part of Windsor, Windsor Locks broke off into its own settlement in 1854 named after the thriving Enfield Locks going around Enfield Falls which opened in 1829. Bradley International Airport opened as a military base in 1940, and opened to civilian use in 1947. In 1967 the town boundary was altered due to the opening of the Bradley Airport Connector. The town boundary between Windsor Locks and Windsor changed several times and currently sits with Windsor Locks being on the westbound side and Windsor on the eastbound side of the median of CT Route 20.
1965 Little League World Series Win
Led by Coach Russ Mattesen, Windsor Locks Little League advanced to the finals, competing against Stoney Creek Little League from Stoney Creek, Ontario, on August 28, 1965. Pitcher Mike Roche struck out 14 players, and Dale Misek struck a 2 run home run to seal victory with a score of 3-1.
Windsor Locks Little League was then crowned the champion of the 1965 Little League World Series.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.65%, is water.
Climate
Windsor Locks has a humid continental climate with hot and humid summer days to cold sometimes frigid winter nights. Average January temperature high is 36 °F (2.2 °C) and a low of 18 °F (−7.8 °C) temps can reach zero degrees or below 4 nights a year. Summer in Windsor Locks can be hot with the average July temperature of 87 °F (30.6 °C) at daytime and 63 °F (17.2 °C) at nighttime. Temperatures at or above 90 can occur 15 to 25 days per year. The hottest temperature at Windsor Locks was 103 °F (39.4 °C) on July 22, 2011, and the coldest recorded temperature was −26 °F (−32 °C) on January 22, 1961. Average rainfall in Windsor Locks is 46.27 inches.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,043 people, 4,935 households, and 3,306 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,101 housing units at an average density of 218.1 persons/km (565.0 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 92.47% White, 2.67% African American, 0.12% Native American, 2.57% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 2.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 4,935 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.0% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,837, and the median income for a family was $59,054. Males had a median income of $41,179 versus $33,641 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,079. 4.4% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.5% were under the age of 18 and 4.7% were 65 or older.