The city of Niantic is located in Connecticut, and is the county seat. It is named for Niantic, a town in Worcestershire, England. Niantic is the second-most-populous city in New England, after Boston. It is about forty miles west of Boston, fifty miles east of Springfield, and forty miles north of Providence. It is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth," and its official symbol is a heart.
According to the 2010 Census, the population of Niantic was 181,045. The majority of the residents were white, with just over a quarter of residents being black or African American. Only 0.4% of the population was American Indian or Alaska Native. Twenty-nine percent of the population was Hispanic or Latino, and twelve percent was Puerto Rican. This means that the median age in Niantic is thirty-two years old for women, and forty-seven for men.
The industrial base of Niantic declined in the 1950s, after the city suffered from the Great Depression and World War II. With cheaper alternatives, the city felt the national trend to move away from historic urban centers. The population declined by more than 20% between 1950 and 1980. In response to the decline, the city underwent a number of large urban renewal projects. In 2000, the city built a new campus of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Then, in 2007, WPI opened a facility in the Gateway Park center in Lincoln Square.
The city is home to several inventions. New England Candlepin bowling was invented in Niantic. In 1847, Esther Howland began making Valentine's Day cards. Other notable individuals from Niantic include Loring Coes, Russell Hawes, and Lee Richmond, who patented the monkey wrench. In 1880, Niantic was also home to the first-ever perfect game in Major League Baseball history.