Connecticut – All About Touring the Constitution State
Connecticut, The Constitution State, is the southernmost of the New England states. Its western coast along the Long Island Sound is a continuous part of the New York City metropolitan area, including the city of New Haven. A significant portion of the state's population resides in this large urban continuum. New Haven, home to Yale University, embodies the essence of New England. To the north, the capital Hartford is a charming city to explore. Its vast metropolitan area boasts many important cities and attractions. West of the city, the Litchfield Hills offer the full splendor of New England's nature. Along the Connecticut River and in its natural expanses, you can witness the stunning fall foliage of New England every autumn.
How many days in Connecticut?
For a complete trip to Connecticut, it's worth dedicating five to seven days. One day in Hartford, one day in New Haven and Yale University, and three to four days touring along the coast and the rural and suburban routes in the north of the state????.
As part of the trip in North Connecticut, it's highly recommended to find lodging in Hartford
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If you're traveling along the Long Island Sound, it's advisable to find accommodation in New Haven
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10 Must-See and Do Things in Connecticut
- Yale University's campus in New Haven
- The historic downtown of Hartford
- The unique home of author Mark Twain in West Hartford
- A countryside tour and stunning foliage in the Litchfield Hills
- The magnificent Gillette Castle
- Nature in the Thimble Islands
- The beautiful cities along the coast of Fairfield County
- The Mystic Aquarium
- The New England Air Museum
- Dinosaur State Park
What is Connecticut?
- Connecticut, The Constitution State, is the southernmost and the most “New Yorker” state in New England.
- It borders in the south with Westchester County in New York State, about a half-hour drive from Manhattan (depending on traffic). As a result, the southern part of Connecticut, the cities along the Long Island Sound, are more or less suburbs of New York City, and many of the state's residents commute to the big city.
- Approximately three and a half million people live in Connecticut in a series of small and medium-sized towns. The largest of them is the grayish Bridgeport.
- The state is considered one of the most urban in New England, with most of the population concentrated along the western coastline of Long Island Sound toward New York and in the Bridgeport metropolitan area
How to get to Connecticut?
There are two ways to get to Connecticut, whether to the south or north of the state. The two main transportation cities in Connecticut are Hartford, the capital, located in the north-central part of Connecticut, and New Haven, in the center of the southern coastline along Long Island Sound.
How to reach southern Connecticut?
The most convenient way to get to New Haven is from New York City. The city's airports, both JFK in Brooklyn and Newark Liberty International Airport, are only about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half drive from the city and Yale University's campus.
On the way between New York and New Haven on the I-95, a row of major cities on the west coast line.
How to get to Northern Connecticut?
Hartford sits on the main travel route between New York and Boston, with a drive of an hour and a half from Boston and two hours from New York. Logan International Airport in Boston – BOS, is the primary gateway to New England and the main airport closest to Hartford. There are quite a few direct flights from Ben Gurion to Boston, both by El Al and Delta.
Bradley International Airport-BDL is a small but efficient regional airport located twenty minutes north of Hartford. This airport also serves the large city of Springfield in southern Massachusetts. It offers domestic flights from many airports on the East Coast of the USA and the Midwest, including New York, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Washington, Chicago, Minneapolis, etc.
Map of Must-See Attractions in Connecticut
When to Visit Connecticut?
- The ideal time to visit Connecticut is in spring and summer. During summer, there might be traffic jams along the route connecting New York with Boston. In summer, there's a massive tourist flow from New York to all New England states.
- In the fall, there's that same massive movement again, so in September, many come to witness the iconic foliage of New England
- In the winter, the whole region is cold and difficult to travel around
- The major cities along the west coast of Long Island Sound, and of course New Haven and Yale University, are inviting all year long, including winter. Even the capital Hartford is a charming place in winter, just be sure it'll be really cold
- In the countryside, it's less recommended to visit when it's freezing
How to plan a trip itinerary in Connecticut?
Planning a travel itinerary along the south coast of Connecticut
- Planning a trip along the western coastline of Connecticut between Westchester County in New York State to New Haven is especially simple and easy. It's a linear line running along the coast of Long Island Sound, along the I-95 freeway or the parallel interstate highway, Route 1, which runs closer to the shore
- The interesting places in the area are geographically close to each other, with a drive time of no more than an hour from Greenwich in the west to New Haven in the east.
- Essentially, the trip is based on a short drive and stop near the centers of the interesting cities, including a short hop north to New Canaan.
- The trip in New Haven and the Yale University campus is primarily in the city center.
- The main sites in the city are located either in downtown, in the streets south of the New Haven Green, or along the avenues heading north along the Yale University campus.
- It is possible to walk around the center of New Haven on foot, with most of the walking done within the university campus itself.
- On the outskirts of the city, there is a line of charming parks with beautiful nature views and the Shore Line Trolley Museum. To reach the sites outside the city center, it is advisable to travel by car.
- The trip through the small towns and cities of Connecticut's eastern coastline, from New Haven towards Rhode Island, can be done along two main travel routes in the area. The I-95 highway runs along the entire coast between New Haven to Providence in Rhode Island. Parallel to it, but much slower and surely more charming, is Route 1
- You can combine the area trip with an urban tour of New Haven and Hartford, and then continue towards Rhode Island and beyond to Cape Cod
- The most beautiful time to explore the area is towards the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. During this period, the visitor crowds slightly thin out, and you'll start to see the glimmering foliage of New England in the forests beside the large rivers
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Planning a Trip in Northern Connecticut and Hartford
- The trip in Northern Connecticut begins and ends in Hartford. As the capital of Connecticut and its largest metropolitan area, Hartford is the key urban space in the region and a vital transportation hub.
- Hartford is easily accessible from the south of the state, from New Haven via the I-91 highway, which continues north to Springfield.
- The city is also well-connected with Boston via the I-84 highway. From Hartford, rural roads lead towards the Litchfield Hills in the northwestern corner of the state.
- Hartford is not a large city, and most of the sites and attractions are located right in its center.
- Downtown stretches west from the bank of the wide Connecticut River. The river isn't an integral part of the city's visit and is more of a traffic function, where Highway 91 runs. The heart of downtown is Atheneum Square, where you'll find Center Church and the ancient cemetery, Connecticut's Old State House, and of course, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art.
- West of the square begins Bushnell Park, home to the Capitol building, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and the city's historical museum.
- A drive west from downtown reveals the Mark Twain House Museum and the splendid Rose Garden in Elizabeth Park.
6 Attractions for a Family Trip in Connecticut
- The Mark Twain House in Hartford
- Gillette Castle towering over the Connecticut River
- Boat cruise and seal watching at Thimble Islands
- The giant aquarium in Mystic
- Planes and hands-on experiences at the New England Air Museum
- Meet giant reptiles at Dinosaur State Park
Everything you need to know about accommodations in Connecticut
6 tips for staying at hotels or motels in New Haven and Southern Connecticut
- New Haven is a small and friendly city, and it has quite a few accommodation options. In the Yale Downtown area, on the streets south of New Haven Green, there's a row of good urban hotels rated three and four stars. These hotels also serve the professors and businesspeople heading to the nearby Yale University campus
- The hotels in central New Haven are mostly private, but there are a few that belong to big chains like Marriott
- Another lodging option in the city, besides the urban hotels, is motels. Motels are the preferred lodging choice throughout the USA (except for New York City and Manhattan) and are directly related to the highway structure
- The motels near New Haven are located close to the I-95 highway and its split to I-91, right near downtown New Haven.
- The motels offer the best bargain in America, with large rooms, often with two queen beds, breakfast, and of course, parking.
- Many of the big hotel chains have motels near New Haven, including Super 8, Best Western, and the brands of Marriott and Hilton.
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Accommodations in Hartford and Northern Connecticut
Accommodations in Hartford are divided into two:
- Staying downtown – There are nice hotels right in the city center, mainly on the lively streets north of the Old State House, with Main Street being the highlight. These streets have restaurants, shopping, and even a bit of a big city feel (relatively).
- Staying in motels outside the city center – Surprisingly, opting for motels, the second lodging option in Hartford, tends to be much more convenient. Due to the proximity of Highway 91 to downtown, there are quite a few good motels right in the city center. Of course, these motels offer parking. They are located near the interchanges descending into the city center and include major chains like Super 8, Travel Inn, Candlewood, and Holiday Inn by IHG, among others.
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Hartford, the state capital of Connecticut
Beautiful Hartford is the capital of the state of Connecticut and one of the loveliest cities in New England. The city exudes a sense of royalty and is intrinsically tied to the state's pride and representation. Hartford is located on the banks of the wide Connecticut River and serves as the governmental and administrative center of the state.
The Capitol Building in the heart of Bushnell Park is the iconic and famous structure in the city, surrounded by numerous museums, historical sites, and churches worth visiting. Mark Twain made the city his home in 1870, where he wrote his most important works. The artist's unique house is now a museum and one of the city's popular attractions.
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Northern Connecticut – Greater Hartford and the Litchfield Hills
The northern part of Connecticut is an attractive travel area combining both urban sites and attractions as well as a particularly enchanting rural space. The largest city in North Connecticut is the state capital, Hartford, a fascinating city full of history with plenty of sites in the downtown. The city where the legendary author Mark Twain operated is a popular tourist destination midway between New York and Boston.
In the metropolitan area of Hartford, there are additional towns (which are now part of the city's large metropolis), full of history and attractions. West of the metropolis lies the countryside of the Litchfield Hills, home to charming towns, national parks, rivers, lakes, and plenty of nature. The hills are especially popular in the fall season when thousands of tourists arrive daily to witness the spectacular New England foliage.
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New Haven and Yale University
New Haven and Yale University are practically a unified urban complex. Yale is perhaps one of the leading and most famous universities in the world, located right in the heart of New Haven city, and the university campus is truly integrated into the city fabric. Yale was established by Puritans from Harvard University, and since then, these two leading universities in the USA have been competing with each other for the title of the number 1 university in the world.
New Haven itself is a charming college town, with a small downtown area where tall buildings cast shadows over 18th-century buildings that still remain from the historic city. The city and the university campus are home to numerous excellent museums, green parks, and fascinating buildings.
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Connecticut – The western shoreline of Long Island Sound
The western coast of Connecticut is a long urban stretch of cities extending west from New Haven through Fairfield County. This urban continuity crosses the border into New York State and continues to intensify all the way to Manhattan.
Along the northern shore of Long Island Sound, there's a series of relatively large cities which today serve as suburban residences for the big city to the south or alternatively, luxurious homes for the very affluent. It's the perfect spot for those who want to live just a stone's throw from Manhattan but with a rural atmosphere.
The series of large cities was once a row of small towns belonging to the historical Fairfield County. These towns were built along numerous river estuaries that flow southward into the sound. Established by British settlers, these towns can still be seen in the downtown areas of today's cities.
Connecticut – Eastern Shoreline of Long Island Sound
The eastern shoreline of Connecticut, east of the main cities Bridgeport and New Haven, offers a first real taste of rural New England for those coming from the direction of New York. Near the vast estuary of the Connecticut River, there is a large number of historic towns dotting the indented shoreline of Long Island Sound. Along Route 95, you'll find a series of small historic towns, stunning natural sites, and even resort towns with popular sandy beaches packed with holidaymakers during the hot summer days.
Unlike the state's western coastline, Connecticut's eastern shore is more rural by nature. The large urban sprawl that generally stretches from Manhattan to the suburban area between Greenwich and Bridgeport is interrupted by the city of New Haven, and to the east from there, the coastline is characterized by small towns and cities, large river estuaries, and a rugged shoreline.
Between New Haven in the west and Rhode Island in the east, you can see the most New England-like side of Connecticut. In this area, you'll find small towns with historic mansions touching the strait's waters, nature sites with seals, enormous river estuaries, and all the fun of nature, sea, and water.
