About Manchester
Manchester occupies 27.6 square miles ten miles east of the capital city Hartford, halfway between New York City and Boston. Major financial services companies (Travelers, Cigna, Aetna, et al) maintain a large presence in the metropolitan area. Defense and aerospace industries, led by United Technologies, are prominent among the high technology and skilled industries of the region. Emerging industries include precision machinery, health care, and information technology.
Manchester has evolved into a small city of 58,000, which is a service, retail, employment and residential center for the eastern part of the Hartford region. It has a central business district, four shopping districts and three industrial parks. The Town has a reputation for quality delivery of a full range of municipal services and is attractive for businesses and living.
Manchester has a diversified economic base of small to medium-sized firms for manufacturing, research, and development, and distribution. These firms require a full range of occupational levels and rely heavily on a highly skilled work force. Recently improved interstate highways and rail freight services serve Manchester.
Buckland Hills Mall, a 1.1 million square foot super-regional shopping mall opened in 1990. Mixed use development continues to be built on neighborhood parcels. This development includes offices, housing, hotels and entertainment facilities and has enhanced Manchester’s role as a regional center.