Bethlehem, Connecticut


Bethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,607 at the 2010 census, up from 3,422 at the 2000 census. The town center is a historic district and a census-designated place.
The town's name has prompted thousands of visitors each December to mail their Christmas cards at the local post office in order to get a "Bethlehem" postmark. The post office also has nearly 100 Christmas-related stamps for customers to decorate their envelopes during the holiday season.
Bethlehem is one of the two towns in Litchfield County served by the area code 203/area code 475 overlay. The other is the town of Woodbury.

Education

Bethlehem is in southern Litchfield County and is bordered by Morris to the north, Watertown to the east, Woodbury to the south, and Washington to the west. According to the United States Census Bureau, Bethlehem has a total area of, of which are land and, or 1.45%, are water. The Bethlehem Village census-designated place corresponding to the center portion of the town has a total area of, of which are land and, or 3.30%, are water. The two largest water bodies in the town are Long Meadow Pond and the Bronson E. Lockwood Reservoir, both in the northern part of town.
Connecticut Route 61 passes through the town center, leading north to Morris and Litchfield, and south to US 6 in Woodbury. Connecticut Route 132 takes a winding route through the town, leading south to Woodbury and east into Watertown.
On the eastern side of town is a ridge called "the Devil's Backbone", one of more than 30 Connecticut places named after the devil.

Principal community

At the 2010 census Bethlehem had a population of 3,607. The racial composition of the population was 97.9% white, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from some other race and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
At the 2000 census, there were 3,422 people, 1,246 households and 935 families residing in the town. The population density was 176.8 per square mile. There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of 71.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.26% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.79% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 1,246 households of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.11.
25.2% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.
The median household income was $68,542 and the median family income was $78,863. Males had a median income of $51,623 compared with $37,500 for females. The per capita income was $29,672. About 0.5% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2019Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2019Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2019Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2019Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2019Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 29, 2019
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Transportation

is the main north-south road while Route 132 is the main east-west road through the town.

Local media

The town is home to the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis, founded in 1947, one of the first houses of contemplative Benedictine nuns in the United States. Robert Leather, a Protestant industrialist, donated of land on which the convent is located. The convent now has 37 nuns.
The abbey is known for its commitment to the arts, especially the performance of Gregorian chant. The acting background of Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B., has prompted the convent to sponsor annual summer theatre productions.
Hart has worked with fellow artists, including James and Dawn Douglas, to found the Act Association, a group that performs at The Gary-The Olivia Theater, an open-air venue which seats about 200 people. Built in 1982 with the help of actress Patricia Neal, this open-air theater seats about 200 people. Productions have included plays by Shakespeare, Sartre, opera and musical reviews. Patricia Neal and James Douglas appeared in She Stoops to Conquer in 1999.

Events