The Noroton section of Darien is defined by two peninsulas that claw their way into Long Island Sound, their curved appendages protecting enough coves and inlets to make the area a haven for beachgoers and sailors. From there, Noroton spreads inland across the congestion of the Boston Post Road, then over Interstate 95 and the train tracks into the closely packed commuter neighborhoods of Noroton Heights. It is the water, however, that gives Noroton both its name -- an Indian word assigned to the river along Darien's border with Stamford -- and its identity.

The neighborhood hub is the busy business district across the street from the train station on Heights Road. This area caters to commuters, providing easy access to dry cleaners, a post office, banks, two supermarkets and a new health club. Traffic here has become an increasing problem in recent years, partly because Noroton Avenue, the main thoroughfare running through the Heights, serves as the primary route to both the middle and high schools.