Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound, it is 60 miles (97 km) from Manhattan and 40 miles (64 km) from The Bronx. Nicknamed the “Park City” (for its public parks) it is bordered by the towns of Trumbull to the north, Fairfield to the west, and Stratford to the east. Bridgeport and other towns in Fairfield County make up the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, the second largest metropolitan area in Connecticut. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolis forms part of the New York metropolitan area.
Showman P. T. Barnum was a resident of the city and served as the town’s mayor in the late 19th century. Barnum built four houses in Bridgeport and housed his circus in town during winter. The city in the early 20th century saw an economic and population boom, becoming by all measures Connecticut’s chief industrial city. The world’s first Subway restaurant opened in Bridgeport’s North End in 1965. The Frisbie Pie Company was founded in Bridgeport, and the city is credited as the birthplace of the Frisbee. After World War II, industrial restructuring and suburbanization caused the loss of many jobs and affluent residents, leaving Bridgeport struggling with poverty, violent crime, and a bad image.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Bridgeport has begun redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. Bridgeport’s crime rate has gone down considerably and is the second lowest of Connecticut’s major cities. Bridgeport is home to 3 museums, the University of Bridgeport, Housatonic Community Collage, and part of Sacred Heart University as well as the state’s only zoo.