Connecticut Coastal Paddling

Fairfield County

Stamford

Stamford Harbor

Site Location:

Basic Information:

Type: Bay

Water Type: Saltwater

Season:

Site Contact Information:

Coordinates:

East Branch

West Branch

Longitude  73.537ºW    Latitude 41.023ºN

Location Map:

USGS Quadrangle: Stamford

Navigational Charts:

Use ChartKit Region 3, page 26; Maptech Waterproof Charts 1 and 16; and Maptech electronic and NOAA paper charts 12368 (1:20,000), 12364 (1:40,000), and 12363 (1:80,000). Use tide tables for Bridgeport. High tide at Stamford is 3 minutes later; low tide is 8 minutes later. Multiply height of tide at Bridgeport by 1.1 for height of tide at Stamford. Mean tidal range is 7.2 feet.

Driving Directions:

Directions Map: Google Map

Regulations:

Toilets:

Parking:

Parking Spaces:

Parking Fees:

Boat Launch Information: Bateman Way, Stamford

ADA Access:

Site Description:

Environment:

Additional Info:

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Site History:

Although Stamford never engaged in battle, it played a vital role in the American Revolution. The city, which was settled in 1641, served as a focal point for the supply, training, and encampment of American soldiers. Also, local men patrolled Long Island Sound in a fleet of whaleboats, harassing the British soldiers. After the war, Stamford's attention shifted first to farming and later to manufacturing.

Beginning with Linus Yale's invention of the cylinder block in 1848, Stamford became a major manufacturing center. Although companies profited, Stamford was never really a place visitors yearned to get to. In the past several decades, though, things have changed: Stamford has become the state's financial capital. Two dozen Fortune 500 companies thrive within city limits, the third-highest concentration in the United States. In fact, Swiss Bank has located its North American headquarters in Stamford, the first major investment bank to leave the confines of Manhattan. These financial developments have changed the face of the city; a diverse cultural scene, vibrant nightlife, and an active waterfront can now be found here.

Stamford's resurgence has affected the boating scene, too. Just take a look at Stamford's waters on a typical day: sailboats circle the horizon like a school of white-finned sharks as runabouts skim across the water like skipping stones. That doesn't even include all the PWCs and sailboards.

It's hard to imagine Stamford as it once was: a soft-spoken little farm town, with its inhabitants rowing around in whaleboats. From the mini- and mega-yachts floating in the harbor, to the factories, office buildings, condos, and all-around activity ashore, the Stamford of today will make you feel busy, even if you're not.