The Port of New Haven is Connecticut’s third largest city. The Greater New Haven metropolitan area is home to almost 600 thousand people. Located on the north shores of Long Island Sound, the Port of New Haven rests on the Bay of New Haven Harbor about 70 miles northeast of New York City.

Before Europeans arrived, the Quinnipiac tribe lived in villages surrounding the harbor, living from the local fishery and maize farming. Dutch explorer Adriaen Block arrived there in 1614, establishing sporadic trade but not settling there. A group of 500 English Puritans settled there in 1638 hoping to build a better theological community than they had left in Massachusetts. Also seeking the advantage of the excellent port opportunities, they bought the land from the Quinnipiacs who sought protection from neighboring Pequot Indians.

In 1640, the Puritans renamed the village after Newhaven in England. When they sent the first loaded ship back to England in 1646, the ship failed to reach its destination. The Port of New Haven therefore lost its race with Boston and New Amsterdam (New York) for trade power.

Charles II of England pursued three of the judges who signed the death warrant of Charles I into the Port of New Haven. New Haven’s John Davenport helped them hide in the nearby West Rock hills. Resulting political pressure from England forced New Haven to merge with the Connecticut colony in 1665, and it was co-capital of the colony with Hartford until 1875.

While residents had long supported British rule, participating in the French and Indian War, New Haven’s Second Company joined the American Revolution in 1775. Under Benedict Arnold, they stole British arms and marched to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Other New Haven militia escorted George Washington from New Haven to Cambridge.

During the American Revolution, the Port of New Haven was sacked by loyalists, and during America’s Civil War, it was a center for abolitionists. The Port of New Haven has long been a leader in industrial development, with several new inventions first appearing here. Among those are Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and his technique for mass-production of guns, Goodyear’s vulcanized rubber, the Colt repeating rifle, and sulphur matches. The Port of New Haven’s economy has long been supported by diverse manufacturing, educational institutions, and shipping.

The local economy boosted by the Civil War, the Port of New Haven’s population exploded with a flood of immigrants from southern Europe, notably Italy. Today, about half of the city’s suburbs are home to Italian-Americans.

In the 1950s, the Port of New Haven became one of the first cities to begin large-scale urban renewal efforts of its decayed downtown. Despite those efforts, it continued to be run-down with unemployment, crime, and drugs dominating the city center into the late 20th Century. Perhaps the best-known landmark in the Port of New Haven is Yale University, moved from Saybrook in 1716.

The Port of New Haven is Connecticut’s biggest deep-water port and a major port on the United States’ Atlantic Seaboard. Over ten million tons of waterborne commerce passed through the Port of New Haven in 2002, including almost 72% of Connecticut’s petroleum and 99% of the State’s waterborne traffic in manufactured goods.

In 2006, the Port of New Haven exported over 286 thousand metric tons of cargo, primarily to Turkey, Greece, and Canada. On the other hand, it imported over 3 million tons of cargo from a wide range of countries dominated by Canada, the Netherlands, Venezuela, Chile, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

The Port of New Haven offers many opportunities for hiking and bicycling. Nearby East Rock Park, West Rock Park, and Sleeping Giant State Park contain miles of hiking trails and hilltop views of the surrounding area. Bicyclists can take the shoreline or the Farmington Canal Trail for scenic and relaxing recreation.