About the City of Milford

Milford VMA Outside
Milford VMA front entrance
Welcome to Milford, “A Small City with a Big Heart!” Strolling through downtown you get that small town feeling coupled with the charm and the sense of history of an English settlement dating from 1639. Walk over the Hotchkiss Bridge, gaze at the gorge framed by the arch of the Memorial Bridge, stop for an ice cream cone, and rent a bike and tour, then return to have a lobster dinner. Or you might opt for a romantic Victorian setting at a classic New England Inn.
 
Seventeen miles of Long Island Sound coastline funnel into our harbor that winds its way to meet the Wepawaug River in the heart of town. The sixth oldest town in Connecticut, 50,000 residents are proud to boast of a meticulously maintained “town green”, the second longest in New England. Multiple memorials in honor of those who have served in past conflicts parade down the grassway. A memorial bridge provides a stone passageway of history of our ancestors.
 
A feeling of “Milford Pride”, along with ample cultural, recreational, educational and employment opportunities make the City more than just a great place to visit.  Many high quality arts and crafts shows, varied festivals and events make Milford a destination for daytrippers.  Water recreation abounds with access from boat launches, the Milford Lisman Landing Marina, multiple city beaches, and Silver Sands State Park.  The Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center at Milford Point offers views of the estuary and Long Island Sound and their inhabitants and an educational program to explain all.  The new architecturally awarded addition to Milford Hospital provides for health care needs as it has for the last 80 years.

Rounding out our unparalleled quality of life is a strong retail community that provides shoppers with all aspects of consumer goods. From the mall to the varied and diverse shopping opportunities of our small retailers-we sell it all. Boasting an ever-expanding automobile row, furniture stores, specialty shops, restaurants and hotels, ready to fulfill all types of consumer requirements.

A diversified economy supports manufacturing, retail, corporate office, and a service industry.  Unemployment is at an all-time low.  Home to manufacturers of consumer products, fabricated metals, plastics, as well as dot.com, investment, and hi-tech firms, Milford welcomes all to its corporate, research and industrial parks.

Meet the Mayor

Benjamin_G_Blake_Mayor

Benjamin G. Blake

In November 2011, at age 33, Ben was elected the 10th Mayor of Milford, CT. He previously served eight years as a member of the Board of Aldermen, including terms as Minority Leader and as Chairman.

Ben was born in Milford and his parents, grandparents, and even a generation before that made Milford their home. He grew up riding Bus “K” to Calf Pen Meadow and playing sports at Foran High. He attended the University of Richmond in Virginia where he studied History and Government. While in Virginia, Ben taught Civics to high school juniors and seniors. He then returned to Connecticut, attended law school at Quinnipiac University, and from 2004 through 2011 practiced law on the beautiful Downtown Green.

As Mayor, Ben has enacted a series of cost cutting initiatives and streamlined City operations to make Milford government more effective and efficient. He has implemented comprehensive conservation improvements within City buildings and infrastructure that have yielded significant energy savings for taxpayers. Most notably, Ben has led Milford through Storm Sandy and Blizzard Nemo and has received widespread praise and appreciation for his management during two of the worst natural disasters in the City’s history.

When not conducting Milford business, Ben and his wife, Sandy, delight in raising their three children, Carter, Caroline and Tucker, in a home behind the Library – in walking distance to Milford’s beaches, harbor, downtown, and the City’s other fantastic amenities.