Branford

The Town of Branford includes the Thimble Islands. Neighboring towns are North Branford to the north, Guilford to the east, and East Haven to the west. An area called "Totoket", which became Branford, was part of the land bought from the Mattabesech Indians in 1638 by the first settlers of New Haven. The Dutch set up a trading post at the mouth of the Branford River in the 17th century, the source of the name "Dutch Wharf." Branford is a shoreline town located on Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut, eight miles (13km) east of New Haven. The population was 29,089 in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.