Quality of Life

Tolland was named by Money Magazine in 2005 as the 29th Best Place to live in the United States, in 2009 the 27th Best Place to live in the United States and in 2011 the 37th Best Small Town to live in the United States.  The Town of Tolland is 40.4 square miles or 25,792 acres. Approximately 16% of the Town of Tolland has been permanently protected as open space, 95% of that is designated for passive use and 5% is for active use.

Quality of life is the primary reason cited by residents for their decision to live in Tolland. The top five specific characteristics cited, in descending order of importance, were location, educational system, town character, character of residential developments and open space. Most people characterized Tolland as a rural community today and would like to see those characteristics retained. Residents clearly want their valued quality of life retained as the Town grows.

Located only 8 minutes from the UConn Storrs campus Tolland provides nearby access to faculty reseachers, grad and undergrad student interns and talent.  In the retail and services sector, these groups represent customers.  In the labor market, these represent readily available talent.

Population

The population remained between 1,000 and 1,700 for almost 200 years until the 1950’s. The population has since continued to grow reaching 2,900 in 1960; 7,859 in 1970; 9,694 in 1980; 11,001 in 1990; 13,146 in 2000, 15,071 in 2010  and is estimated as 15,818 in 2015. Projections for the upcoming decades show continued population growth in the town.

Educational System

Tolland’s school system includes four schools:  Tolland High School, Tolland Middle School for 6th, 7th & 8th grades, Tolland Intermediate School for 3rd, 4th & 5th grades and Birch Grove Primary School for pre-kindergarten through 2nd grades.

Places of Worship

Tolland has five different churches:  Church of Saint Matthew, First Baptist Church of Tolland, United Congregational Church of Tolland, River of Life Christian Fellowship and Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Recreational

Walking trails within conservation areas:

  • Auperin Conservation Areas
  • Campbell’s Peaceful Valley Conservation Area
  • King Riverside Conservation Area
  • Knofla Conservation Area
  • Luce Conservation Area
  • Palmer Kendall Mountain Conservation Area
  • Parciak Conservation Area
  • Sage Meadow Conservation Area
  • Schindler-Schmidt Open Space Conservation Area
  • Shafran Conservation Area
  • Stoppleworth Conservation Area
  • Weigold Open Space Conservation Area

Parks

  • Heron Cove has fields for sports, hiking, ice skating and canoe access
  • Cross Farms Recreation Complex has fields for sports
  • River Park has fields for sports
  • Doris & Al Tobiassen Memorial Park  is part of Joshua’s Trust
  • Crandall Pond for swimming, a brand new pavilion and baseball fields
  • Crandall Park has soccer fields, a lodge for small gatherings and walking trails

Civic Organizations

Conserving Tolland
Italian American Friendship Club
Knights of Columbus
Tolland Conservation Corps
Tolland Garden Paths Garden Club 
Tolland Friends and Neighbors Club
Tolland Jr. Women’s Club
Tolland Lions Club

It is this social network and diverse and warm population that creates the “village” aspect of Tolland. Our residents take pride in their neighborhoods, in their town, and in their institutions. It is a community that is generous and supportive of each other.