The Western Connecticut Planning Region is a planning region and county-equivalent in Connecticut. It is served by the coterminous Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG), one of nine regional councils of governments in Connecticut. Within the region, there are two Metropolitan Planning Organizations, South Western CT MPO and the Housatonic Valley MPO.
Western Connecticut Planning Region | |
|---|---|
| Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) | |
  .jpg)   From top left: South Norwalk, Saugatuck River in Westport, Greenwich Avenue Historic District, Candlewood Lake in Brookfield, Downtown Stamford | |
 Logo | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Connecticut | |
 Connecticut's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 41°19′N 73°29′W / 41.31°N 73.48°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Connecticut |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Largest city | Stamford |
| Other cities | Norwalk, Danbury |
| Government | |
| • Executive Director | Francis Pickering |
| Area | |
• Total | 532.1 sq mi (1,378 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 620,549 |
• Estimate (2024) | 637,013 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 4th, 5th |
| Website | westcog |
The region includes the Connecticut Panhandle, Greater Danbury, and the Gold Coast. In 2022, planning regions were approved to replace Connecticut's counties as county-equivalents for statistical purposes, with full implementation occurring in 2024.[1][2]
WestCOG serves as the states planning region closest to New York. All towns within the planning region are included within the New York Metropolitan Area, with towns like Greenwich & Stamford being hubs for commuters who work in the city.
Demographics
edit| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 620,549 | — | |
| 2024 (est.) | 637,013 | [3] | 2.7% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[2] | |||
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 620,549 people living in the Western Connecticut Planning Region, making it the second most populated region in the state behind the Capitol Planning Region.
Municipalities
edit
The following municipalities are members of the Western Connecticut Region:[4]
Cities
editTowns
editReferences
edit- ^ "Governor Lamont Announces U.S. Census Bureau Approves Proposal for Connecticut's Planning Regions To Become County Equivalents". CT.gov. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Change to County-Equivalents in the State of Connecticut". Federal Register. June 6, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
- ^ "About". Western Connecticut Council of Governments. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
