Stamford is a city of approximately 118,422 citizens, consisting of 37.3 square miles. Stamford is 25 miles to the northeast of New York City, and 40 miles southwest of New Haven. Connecticut's Capitol is Hartford, which is 90 miles to the north. Stamford lies within Fairfield County, and borders Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, and Pound Ridge, New York. Stamford is a City that works! Its successes have flourished in the last five years, as the City of Stamford has been recognized and awarded in many different categories. Stamford is an economically sound community and continues to pursue appropriate economic development initiatives to both attract and retain companies and corporations. In the early part of the 20th Century, Stamford progressed from a factory hub to a research center, and in the last quarter of the century, to the country's third largest corporate headquarters community. Today, it is the 4th largest city in Connecticut and its economic growth has soared as we have become known as a financial center. Stamford has also been ranked as the eighth largest business center in the United States. A city with many facets- as it offers both urban and suburban elements ranging from the multi-acre homes in wooded North Stamford, to splendid corporate downtown center, to the beautiful shoreline areas that envelop its parks and beaches. The central core of the city- Stamford Downtown- offers a wide assortment of places of entertainment, fine restaurants, magnificent retail stores, a shopping mall, and a variety of interesting attractions and places that create an atmosphere of fun and excitement for people of all ages and preferences. Downtown is also home to the University of Connecticut's Stamford Campus which is bustling with students coming and going at all times of the day and evening. Stamford's proximity to New York allows those who live and work here ample opportunity to avail themselves of its cultural, retail, employment and other resources. Metro North Railroad provides express train service to New York's Grand Central Station in approximately 40 minutes. The Stamford Transportation Center is located in Stamford's downtown business district, near I-95, which is Connecticut's interstate highway. Stamford's coastal locations and vast amount of open park space are integral parts of its community and creates beautiful atmosphere which distinguishes it from a "big" city ambiance.