This delightful coastal community has an active historical society devoted to preserving the magic of yesterday, while a master plan carefully monitors growth to maintain a well-balanced housing market. Still within an hour's drive of New York City, Stratford is the easternmost town in Fairfield County.

Stratford is the birthplace of the U.S. helicopter industry. Russian immigrant Igor Sikorsky developed one of the world's first commercial helicopters in 1939, which took off at his aircraft plant in Stratford. Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, which is a United Technologies Corporation, is still the town's leading employer. The history and photographs of old Sikorsky helicopters are in a small museum in the former Stratford Railroad Station.

Stratford has an excellent educational system with a balanced curriculum including vocational and technical education at the secondary level. The town also offers a wide variety of continuing education programs for adults, including a variety of enrichment classes.

Located along Long Island Sound, residents have a wealth of recreational opportunities, with two public beaches, five marinas, several fishing piers and two public boat launches. Residents also take pleasure in the 250-acre town-owned Roosevelt Forest and the Great Meadows Salt Marsh, which is one of the largest unditched salt marshes that still remains in New England, and has become a portion of the Steward B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge.

Stratford is home to the Stratford Festival Shakespeare Theater. Offering a variety of architecturally-unique structures and a vast collection of Americana is a museum in the Booth Memorial Park.