Welcome to Bethlehem ...
Bethlehem is located in Litchfield County<1>.
While we don't have a date for the founding of Bethlehem, you might consider that their post office opened in 1811.
When the people of Bethlehem refer to themselves (known as a demonym), they frequently use Bethlehemite<2>
Bethlehem is 870 feet [265 m] above sea level.<3>.
Time Zone: Bethlehem lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time
Area codes for Bethlehem: (203) and (475)<4>
The ZIP code for Bethlehem: 06751<5>
Websites for Bethlehem ...
Official Website: www.ci.bethlehem.ct.us/
Communities Also Named Bethlehem ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are 45 communities that are also named Bethlehem - they are located in Alabama (5), Arkansas, Florida, Georgia (3), Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky (2), Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri (2), New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina (4), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee (8), Texas (4) and West Virginia (2).
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Bethlehem.
Communities near Bethlehem ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Bethlehem.
- Waterbury
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterbury
- Waterbury is located in New Haven County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 106,826 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Waterbury <6>
- Waterbury
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast) - Bristol
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bristol have been provided by the GNIS.<7> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol
- Bristol is located in Hartford County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 59,734 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bristol <6>
- Bristol
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east) - Southington
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Southington have been provided by the GNIS.<7> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Southington
- Southington is located in Hartford County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 43,829 people
- Torrington
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Torrington
- Torrington is located in Litchfield County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 33,870 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Torrington <6>
- Torrington
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Torrington have been provided by the GNIS.<7> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Torrington
- Torrington is located in Litchfield County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 33,870 people
- Borough of Naugatuck
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Borough of Naugatuck have been provided by the GNIS.<7> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Borough of Naugatuck
- Borough of Naugatuck is located in New Haven County
- Estimated population in 2014: 31,659 people
- Naugatuck
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Naugatuck
- Naugatuck is located in New Haven County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 30,905 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Naugatuck <6>
- Naugatuck
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Bethlehem. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Bethlehem.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Bethlehem. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Bethlehem.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Bethlehem. See our Newspapers Page for Bethlehem.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Bethlehem ...
Looking for more information about Bethlehem? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
In addition to the Tourism page for Bethlehem, there are neighboring communities that also have Tourism pages. More information about those communities can be found on our TripAdvisor Page for Bethlehem.
Adding Bethlehem to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Bethlehem in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found for Bethlehem was in the document titled List of Post Offices from Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock.<8>
From that list, the Bethlehem post office opened in 1811.
We also found Bethlehem in the book titled U.S. Post Offices (Oct. 1846).
For more details, see References and Mentions for Bethlehem.
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Bethlehem: www.ci.bethlehem.ct.us/
The official website for State of Connecticut: https://portal.ct.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of Connecticut's counties, including Litchfield, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | A demonym is the name for a resident of a community which is usually derived from (or is related to) the name of that community. In other words, it's how the residents of Bethlehem refer to themselves. It's important to note that there aren't any rules for taking a community's name and turning it into a demonym. A demonym is informal and while the majority of Bethlehem may use one name, keep in mind that others may use something different. |
| <3> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Bethlehem - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <4> | Area code (475) is an overlay for area code (203). |
| <5> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a community (such as Bethlehem). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Bethlehem or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). |
| <6> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <7> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <8> | A copy of their list with background information can be found at: https://cblevins.github.io/us-post-offices/data-biography/ |