Stratford

Key Highlights

• Water on Two Sides: Town beaches on Long Island Sound and marina access along the Housatonic River give Stratford a range of waterfront neighborhoods at very different price points.
• An Attainable Fairfield County Address: Stratford remains one of the most accessible entry points into Fairfield County for first-time buyers, with a median home value well below its neighbors.
• Aviation Heritage and Jobs: Sikorsky has built helicopters here for nearly a century, and Sikorsky Memorial Airport keeps aviation central to the town's identity and its employment base.

Popular Local Attractions

• Short Beach and Long Beach: Town beaches with a golf course, playing fields and long stretches of undeveloped shoreline.
• Boothe Memorial Park and Museum: A hilltop estate turned public park, with a historic homestead, rose garden and a collection of unusual outbuildings overlooking the river.
• Roosevelt Forest: Hundreds of acres of woods and walking trails in the middle of town.
• Two Roads Brewing Company: One of Connecticut's largest craft breweries, with a taproom and adjoining food hall in a restored factory on Stratford Avenue.

Shopping & Dining

Stratford's shops and restaurants are spread across several distinct village centers:

• Paradise Green: A walkable cluster of independent shops and restaurants around the green, including longtime favorites Open Door Tea and Sitting Duck Tavern.
• Stratford Center: Restaurants, services and civic buildings within walking distance of the train station, with Dal Mare Pizzeria and Baltyk Deli among the local standbys.
• Ferry Boulevard and Barnum Avenue: Big-box retail and grocery, plus waterfront dining at Knapp's Landing on the Housatonic.

Schools & Commute

Stratford Public Schools operates two high schools, Bunnell and Stratford High, along with a well-regarded magnet program. The Stratford station on Metro-North's New Haven Line offers direct rail service to Bridgeport, Stamford and Manhattan, and the town is served by several I-95 interchanges plus quick access to the Merritt Parkway and Route 8. Sikorsky Memorial Airport sits at the town's southwestern edge.

Economic Profile

Aerospace and defense anchor Stratford's economy, led by Sikorsky Aircraft, now part of Lockheed Martin, which remains one of the largest manufacturing employers in the region. That base is supplemented by precision manufacturing, distribution along the Route 1 and I-95 corridor, and a growing food and beverage sector centered on Two Roads. Proximity to Bridgeport, Milford and Shelton gives residents a wide employment radius without a long drive.