West Haven, CT

Savin Rock became a seaside resort by the 1870s, when ferries and horse-drawn cars connected West Haven’s shore with New Haven. The city had 55,584 residents in 2020 and lies on Long Island Sound between New Haven Harbor and the Oyster River, while the West River marks much of its boundary with New Haven. British forces came ashore here during the July 5, 1779, invasion of New Haven Harbor. Later industries included buckle shops and Armstrong Rubber, which made tires and rafts for the military during World War II. Yale University purchased a former pharmaceutical campus in 2007 for life-sciences research. West Haven also contains the University of New Haven, a Veterans Affairs hospital, and Yale Field.