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Darien, Connecticut: Two Stations and a Park Service Founder

Darien, Connecticut

Pictures from Darien

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Darien downtown, aerial Mather Homestead Gorham's Pond, near Pear Tree Point

Darien began as part of Stamford: the New Haven Colony purchased land along the Rippowam River in 1640, and the area became Middlesex Parish of Stamford in 1737, with its first church built in 1739. It was incorporated as its own town in May 1820, and tradition holds a sailor suggested the name after the Isthmus of Darien in present-day Panama, since residents could not agree on one. On July 22, 1781, Tories raided the Middlesex Parish meetinghouse and captured minister Dr. Moses Mather and 47 other men; Mather and 26 parishioners spent five months in British prisons. The railroad reached Darien in 1848, shifting its commercial center from the harbor to the new station. Stephen Tyng Mather, founder of the National Park Service, owned the family's 1778 homestead here from 1906 until his death in 1930. The Connecticut Turnpike arrived in 1958, and Darien became part of the shoreline's affluent "Gold Coast."

  1. Darien's only National Historic Landmark, the boyhood home of the NPS founder.

  2. A town beach with a boat launch.

  3. "The crown jewel of Darien's parks."

  4. Ballfields and a playground around the nature center.

  5. A large library with museum passes.

  6. Woodland walking trails.

  7. Overstuffed sandwiches since 1987.

  8. A Post Road pizzeria for four decades.

  9. Family-owned since 1921, near Noroton Heights station.

  10. One of only two locations of this CT-owned taco bar.

A minister's capture and a park founder's homestead

Benjamin Fitch founded the first U.S. home for disabled war veterans and soldiers' orphans at Noroton Heights in 1864. The Mather Homestead, built in 1778, stayed in the Mather family for generations; Stephen Tyng Mather, who became the National Park Service's first director, owned it from 1906 until his death in 1930, and the Mather Homestead Foundation was created in 2016 to operate it as a museum. It is Darien's only National Historic Landmark. Today Darien covers 23.4 square miles, about 12.9 of it land, with roughly 21,500 residents and, by the town's own description, no industrial enterprises.

Getting there

Darien sits on Long Island Sound in lower Fairfield County between Stamford and Norwalk. Interstate 95 (the Connecticut Turnpike, opened 1958) is the main through corridor, with US Route 1 (the Boston Post Road) as the local commercial spine; Route 124 connects Darien north to the Merritt Parkway, which itself runs through Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield and Trumbull, but not Darien. Metro-North's New Haven Line stops in town at both Darien station (33 West Avenue, opened December 25, 1848) and Noroton Heights station (325 Heights Road) — a rare convenience for a town this size, and the easiest car-free arrival from Grand Central. No Amtrak, Shore Line East or CTrail Hartford Line service stops in Darien.

Two beaches and a Post Road institution

Pear Tree Point Beach Park and Weed Beach, which the town calls "the crown jewel" of its parks, are Darien's two Long Island Sound beach parks; both require a beach emblem in season, issued by Parks & Recreation. Cherry Lawn Park surrounds the Darien Nature Center with tennis courts, a baseball field and a playground. On the Post Road, Uncle's Deli has served overstuffed sandwiches since 1987, Post Corner Pizza has passed its 40th anniversary, and Palmer's Market, family-run since 1921, sits an easy walk from the Noroton Heights station.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Darien?
By car on I-95 or US Route 1. By train, Metro-North's New Haven Line stops at both Darien station (33 West Avenue) and Noroton Heights station (325 Heights Road), with service to Stamford and Grand Central Terminal.
Is there an Amtrak stop in Darien?
No. Both of Darien's stations are Metro-North New Haven Line only; Amtrak trains pass through without stopping.
Is the Merritt Parkway in Darien?
No — the Merritt Parkway runs through Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield and Trumbull. Route 124 connects Darien north to the parkway.
What is the Mather Homestead?
Darien's only National Historic Landmark, an 1778 home owned by National Park Service founder Stephen Tyng Mather from 1906 to 1930. Open for tours Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., with Friday-Saturday tours by appointment.
Is there a hotel in Darien?
No lodging could be verified inside Darien, a mostly residential town with no industrial enterprises. The nearest option is in neighboring Stamford, a couple of Metro-North stops west of Darien station.

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