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is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 84,437, making it the sixth largest city in Connecticut, and the third largest in Fairfield County. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area.
The name “Norwalk” itself comes from the Algonquin word “noyank” meaning “point of land”, or its Native American name, “Naramauke” (or Norwauke, Norowake, or Norwaake), a Native American chief.
The farming of oysters has long been important to Norwalk, which was once nicknamed "Oyster Town." Norwalk is Connecticut's largest oyster producer and home to the nation's largest oyster company, Hillard Bloom Shellfish. Each September, Norwalk holds its annual Oyster Festival. The festival is similar to many state fairs.
Residents of Norwalk are referred to as "Norwalkers". They are served by Norwalk Hospital.
Norwalk was purchased in 1640 by Roger Ludlow. The original purchase included all land between the Norwalk and Saugatuck rivers and a day’s walk north from the sea. Norwalk was chartered as a town on September 11, 1651.
The traditional American song "Yankee Doodle" has Norwalk-related origins. During the French and Indian War, a regiment of Norwalkers arrived at Fort Crailo, NY, the British regulars began to mock and ridicule the rag-tag Connecticut troops who only had chicken feathers for uniform. Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, a British army surgeon, added new words to a popular tune of the time, Lucy Locket (e.g., “stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni”, macaroni being the London slang at the time for a foppish dandy).
In 1776, American spy Nathan Hale set out from Norwalk by ship on his ill-fated intelligence-gathering mission.
British forces under General William Tryon arrived on July 10, 1779 and almost completely destroyed Norwalk; only six houses were spared. After the Revolutionary War, many residents were compensated for their losses with free land grants in the Connecticut Western Reserve in what is now Ohio; this later became Norwalk, Ohio.
In 1849 the New York and New Haven Railroad started operating through Norwalk. In 1852 the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad connected Norwalk with Danbury. Both railroads eventually became parts of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The first major U.S. railroad bridge disaster occurred in Norwalk in 1853 when a train plunged into the Norwalk River. Forty-six deaths and about 30 injuries resulted.
Oyster farming in Norwalk peaked from the late 1800s to the early part of the 20th century. By 1880, it had the largest fleet of steam-powered oyster boats in the world.
Norwalk was reincorporated as a borough in 1836, then reincorporated as a city in 1893 and was consolidated with the town of Norwalk in 1913. This latter event gave rise to the
In the mid-1970s, the city government and several local organizations started successful efforts to revitalize the South Norwalk business district ("SoNo"). The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk was founded as part of that effort.