Middletown

City and administrative headquarters of Middlesex County, south-central Connecticut, on the Connecticut River, 21 km/13 mi south of Hartford; population (1990) 42,800. Industries include insurance, banking, and the manufacture of aircraft parts, computer equipment, vehicle parts, electronics, hardware, textiles, chemicals, and paper products. Middletown is the home of Wesleyan University (1831) and Middlesex Community College (1966).

Middletown was settled in 1650 on the site of an American Indian village, and was incorporated as a city in 1784. It was an important seaport in the 18th and 19th centuries, and a base for trade in rum, slaves, and molasses between Africa and the West Indies.

Middletown

Industrial city in Butler and Warren counties, southwest Ohio; population (2000) 51,600. It is situated on the Miami River, 18 km/11 mi northeast of Hamilton and 39 km/24 mi north of Cincinnati, in a fertile agricultural region. It stand midway between the cities of Cincinnati and Dayton, hence its name. Industries include the manufacture of steel, paper products, and aerospace equipment. It is home to a University of Miami campus. A large amusement park is 8 km/5 mi south of the city.

Middletown was settled in 1791, incorporated as a town in 1802, and as a city in 1886. It initially flourished with the building of the Miami and Erie Canal and the arrival of several railways. A campus of Miami University is here.