East Haven, Connecticut

East Haven is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 29,257. Located 3 mi east of New Haven, it is part of the Greater New Haven area. East Haven is 35 mi from Hartford, 82 mi from New York City, 99 mi from Providence, Rhode Island, and 140 mi from Boston.

History
The area now known as East Haven was obtained by Puritan settlers Reverend John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton on November 29, 1638, as part of the purchase of New Haven from Sachem Momauguin of the local Quinnipiack tribe. Additional land, in what is now known as Foxon, was purchased from Indian Chief Montowese on December 11, 1638.

In 1639 Thomas Gregson petitioned for the purchase of Solitary Cove, later called Morris Cove. This was granted on August 5, 1644, and was the last piece of land that made up the original town of East Haven. The original town boundaries were from the harbor and Quinnipiac River on the west to the Branford and North Branford town line on the east. The southern boundary is the Long Island Sound, and the North Haven town line is the northern boundary.

East Farms, as it was first called, was considered a parish of the New Haven Colony. Settlers settled into Morris Cove and what is now the "center" of East Haven in 1639. The first Connecticut ironworks, the third in New England, was founded on the shores of Furnace Pond in 1655. Originally called Lonotononket (Great Pond) by the Quinnipiac Indians, today it is called Lake Saltonstall. With Branford and North Branford having had settlers since 1643, people from the New Haven Colony started to settle the Foxon section in 1683.

In 1665, the New Haven Colony was merged with the Connecticut Colony (Hartford) under a charter from King Charles II. With the success of the ironwork mill, the area became known as Iron Works Village. In 1675 Iron Works Village petitioned the Connecticut Colony to become a separate town. Negotiations with New Haven regarding land never succeeded. This eventually led to the relinquishing of village privileges in 1685. Efforts were again made in 1703, and the Connecticut Colony granted the town petition for township in May 1707 and the name was changed from Iron Works Village to East Haven. Some outstanding land issues with New Haven and a minor feud with Governor Gurdon Saltonstall resulted in the rescinding of the township status; the area was once again a parish of New Haven.

In 1706 the first public school building was built in East Haven, followed by the appointment of a School Committee in 1707.

Jacob Hemingway, the original Yale student, served as the first pastor (1704–1754) of the Congregational church. Several meeting houses were built in East Haven, and in January 1772 the Society of East Haven authorized the expense of $1,000.00 to build a new 65 by meeting house. As the new meeting house was being built, the building was extended by 8 ft and a steeple was added. In 1774 the Old Stone (Congregational) Church was finished, and Nicholas Street was named its first minister.

During the American Revolution, the area saw troop movement and encampment by both revolutionary and British forces. On July 5, 1779, British forces led by General William Tryon landed from war ships, attacked Black Rock Fort in Morris Cove and captured its 19 defenders. The British were then able to march into New Haven and East Haven. General Lafayette and revolutionary forces also visited town and encamped on the green. During the Revolution, East Haven lost 16 men. John Howe was killed at the Black Rock Fort. Fifteen other men died, mostly on British prison ships in Long Island Sound. After the war, Black Rock Fort was abandoned.

East Haven became an incorporated town in May 1785. At the initial town meeting, on July 5, 1785, Isaac Chidsey was named first selectman.

When relations between the United States and Britain deteriorated in the early 19th century, the government decided to re-fortify Black Rock Fort. A new masonry wall was built for fortification. Six guns were installed and a new barracks for 50 men and a magazine were built. The fort was renamed Fort Nathan Hale, in honor of the Connecticut patriot. During the War of 1812, the fort successfully defended the area from several British raids.



In 1863, during the Civil War, a new Fort Hale was built to defend against possible raids by the Confederate States. Built next to the ruins of the original fort, the fortification included an earthen rampart, five fortified bunkers, eighteen guns and a moat with a drawbridge. The fort did not see any action during the Civil War.

East Haven lost 15 men during the war. Two men, Charles Benoit and James Murphy died at the infamous Andersonville prison in Georgia.

East Haven's western border was the Quinnipiac River, and the town was in charge of four bridges that crossed it. In 1881 East Haven was facing a financial problem. The repair and maintenance of the four bridges that crossed the Quinnipiac River, along with highway maintenance and payments to Civil War soldiers, presented the town with a $200,000 debt. The bridges contributed $180,000 of that debt. Combined with requests for additional town services, the Board of Selectman voted to sell Fair Haven, Granniss Corners and Morris Cove to New Haven. After a public vote where East Haven residents voted 123 to sell and 9 not to sell, the three sections were ceded to New Haven. Overnight the town's debt was paid, the town's population dropped by 70% and its land mass dropped by 33%.

Since the 1850s, Lake Saltonstall had become a major amusement center in the region. The lake was used heavily during the summer and by skaters in the winter. The lake, which borders the towns of East Haven and Branford, was sold in 1895 to the New Haven Water Company.

The new East Haven continued to grow. In 1892, after several businesses and the town hall were destroyed in a fire, the Board of Selectmen voted to install fire hydrants in the center of town and ordered 500 ft of hose. Fighting town fires was handled by citizens that came to the fire. By 1899, several young town members formed a volunteer fire department. They applied for state recognition and started serving the town on January 2, 1900.

Policing East Haven was handled by New Haven sheriffs until 1900 or so when the town hired Jim Smith to be the town's first constable. Smith used the barn on his farm as the jail. The constable staff continued to grow until it was organized in 1925 under the Board of Public Safety which included the East Haven Fire Department and the newly organized East Haven Police Department.

Technology was improving the lives of the residents. 1898 saw gas lights being installed in East Haven. By 1903, four streets were lighted by gas lights. The town established its own telephone company in 1899 and had 75 customers before selling its holding to the local telephone company. Electric lights made their debut in 1918.

The East Haven Library was established in 1909. With an increase in population, especially citizens of Irish and Italian descent, the first Roman Catholic church opened in East Haven in 1916.

World War I cost the lives of 5 East Haven men.

The town voted to build a new town hall in 1927. At a cost of $135,000.00 the new town hall was dedicated on August 11, 1928. Over 5,000 residents attended the open house. The next month, on September 22, 1928, the new East Haven Library was opened and dedicated.

World War II saw many men from East Haven going overseas. 24 of them died in the war.

After World War II, East Haven benefited from families moving out of large cities into the rural areas. The population of East Haven nearly doubled from the end of the war to 1960. The population increase was also assisted by the building of Interstate 95 through the center of town in 1951.

The Vietnam War was kind to East Haven. Lance Corporal Richard J. Wolcheski, USMC, was the only East Haven casualty of this war.

Large retail stores and fast food franchises started to build outlets on both U.S. 1 and State Route 80 in the 1960s and 1970s. The downtown area went through re-development in the 1970s which saw the East Haven Mall built. Condominiums were built in the Center and Foxon sections. The town added its athletic complex, a new swimming pool to the high school. The new East Haven Police headquarters was finished in 1973.

The downtown area is undergoing another re-development effort that started in 2004. The project will transform the downtown area from the 1970s city look back to a look of an old New England town, with period lighting and brick sidewalks.

On March 16, 2009, the town came to an agreement with neighboring New Haven over the future of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, which straddles the boundary between the two municipalities, ending over 40 years of strife.

On August 9, 2013, a Rockwell International Turbo Commander 690B crashed on approach, hitting two houses in an East Haven residential neighborhood near the airport. The impact and the resulting fires destroyed both houses. The private plane had taken off from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The incident resulted in four deaths: the pilot of the plane; his passenger, who was the pilot's 17-year-old son; and two children in one of the homes. The children in the home were a 13-year-old girl and a 1-year-old girl.

Geography and climate
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.8 km2， of which 31.8 km2 of it is land and 3.08 km2 of it (8.57%) is water. East Haven also contains Stony Island, approximately 660 yd from East Haven Town Beach in Long Island Sound.

If one were to look at East Haven on a map, it is taller than it is wide. It is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New Haven, on the north by North Haven, and on the east by Branford, Lake Saltonstall, and North Branford. East Haven shares with New Haven the land belonging to local Tweed New Haven Airport and Alling Memorial Golf Course.

Geology
During the Paleozoic Era, 450 to 250 million years ago, several tectonic plates collided to form the supercontinent called Pangaea. East Haven was located in the middle of this collision, and the results can be seen today with the schists, gneisses and granites which are exposed.

When Pangaea was broken up, during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, volcanic activity occurred, depositing basalt or trap rock. Earthquakes can still be felt in the area. In February 2001 the area was rocked by a 1.8 magnitude earthquake originating in Madison, Connecticut.

It is estimated that Connecticut was covered by glaciers at least two times. The last glacier is estimated to have been 1800 ft thick in the New Haven area. 22,000 years ago, the glacier moved south, eroding mountains and pushing through East Haven to deposit large amounts of glacial till to form Long Island. 14,000 years ago the glacier retreated and shaped the coastline, formed Long Island Sound and created Lake Saltonstall. It also deposited glacial till, soil, sand, rocks and boulders that the ice carried south from the north.

The coast is primarily covered by gneiss rock (including granite), schist and quartzite. The remaining sections are part of the Central Valley of Connecticut and are covered with clastic sedimentary rock (redbeds, conglomerate, sandstone, brownstone and shale). This soft surface has been resedimented by a number of floods, making the soil soft and fertile and ideal for farmland.

Brownstone, a sedimentary rock that erodes easily, was easily dug into by glaciers and carved out many lakes and valleys. The area surrounding Farms River and Lake Saltonstall on the East Haven and Branford border is an example of this. The brownstone that did not erode was used for building foundations and rock fences found throughout New England.

Deposits of basalt (lava flow) can be found in the north and northeast sections of East Haven. Several quarries can be found in this area. Traprock (basalt) is turned into crushed stone. It is primarily used in construction and in the bedding of roads. Sand and gravel from glacial till is the second most profitable quarried rock. They are used as fill, in concrete, leach fields or for road sand.

Animals and plants
When Pangaea was broken up, East Haven had forests. Dinosaurs, reptiles and mammals roamed the area. Dinosaur trackways like those found in Rocky Hill at Dinosaur State Park were recently found at a construction site near Lake Saltonstall. The tracks were made by Eubrontes. Fossils of Triassic period reptiles have been found in the area. Stegomus was covered with armor plates and looked similar to an armadillo.

Today, East Haven is mostly covered with broadleaf, hardwood trees. There are a few conifer (evergreen) forests, mostly around Lake Saltonstall. Salt marshes are located in areas around Long Island Sound.

Dinosaurs have been replaced with deer, coyotes, squirrels, foxes, chipmunks and rabbits. Garter snakes can be found in the area. Pheasants, grouse, ducks and wild turkeys can be found in East Haven, as well as cardinals, blue jays, warblers, crows, sparrows, parrots, woodpeckers and sea gulls. Trout can be found in the fresh water lakes. Bluefish, bass, flounder, blackfish, sand sharks, eels, lobsters, crabs and clams can be found in Long Island Sound.

Communities
The residents of the town divide it into three large "sections" rather than a number of smaller neighborhoods. These sections are:

Foxon
The area which borders Branford and North Branford on the east, New Haven on the west to about Grannis Pond in the south and surrounds State Route 80. This is the hilliest section of town. It counts among its landmarks the town high school, Foxon Park Beverage (a locally famous soda manufacturer), and Camp Murray, a Girl Scouts day camp. Grannis Pond used to host a YMCA camp until the land was sold and developed.

Momauguin
The area is located in the southern section of East Haven, from the Caroline Creek section of East Haven on the west to Branford on the east and starting at Short Beach Road in the north. This section includes the town beach, numerous condominiums, and summer cottages. The area near Tweed New Haven Airport has an industrial park that includes Town Fair Tire Centers Headquarters and Calabro Cheese Corporation.

"The Center"
The Center is not actually the geographical center of town but rather the hub of most things administrative. Landmarks of "The Center" include the Town Hall, Fire Department Headquarters, Hagaman Memorial Library, the "old" East Haven High School and other administrative buildings. The Police Department and Public Works Department reside on the "center" - Foxon line.

The most recognizable landmark in East Haven is the Old Stone Church. Built in 1774, the steeple of the church stands out against the low horizon.

The original high school now houses the East Haven Historical Society, and a teen center.

The Town Green is a 2.4 acre park located at the eastern end of the central business district (two blocks east of the town hall) and is mostly covered by trees. There are monuments dedicated to honor war veterans and firefighters. The focal point of the green is their gazebo or bandstand. The Green is the site of the annual East Haven Fall Festival and summer concerts.

Margaret Tucker Park is considered the second East Haven Green, with its location across the street from Town Hall and the Old Stone Church. Plans are be developed to add additional land to the park, along with a water fountain.

Included in section is the "West End", which borders New Haven. The area has seen a decline of the neighborhood over the past decade or so and blight has stepped in. Efforts are underway to revitalize the area that most residents think have been overlooked with all the focus of the re-development efforts in the center of town.

The Senior Center is located one block from Town Hall. This facility is for all seniors 60 years of age and older. Many activities are planned on a daily basis as well as a daily lunch program. It is a great place for all seniors to visit and enjoy time with friends. Enjoy trips and get information on all senior programs.

Climate
East Haven's climate is tempered by its location on Long Island Sound and experiences a continental climate which is common in New England. Winters are usually milder, with less snow accumulation, than those found inland. In a normal winter East Haven averages 27 inches (68.58 cm) of snowfall. It is not unusual to have a dusting of snow by the coast and an inch of snowfall in the northern areas of East Haven. The town is vulnerable to Nor'easter weather systems that can drop heavy rain or snow in the region. The Blizzard of 1888 dropped about 40 inches of snow, while the Blizzard of 1978 dropped almost 2 ft.

Summers are moderately warm and humid, though cooler than inland. Though rare, the region does experience high [heat waves] and sometime 100 °F days. Precipitation is evenly spread throughout the year.

East Haven enjoys a fairly long growing season with the last frost occurring in mid April and the first frost occurring in mid October. On an average East Haven sees 207 sunny days and 158 cloud or rainy days.

Severe weather does occur in East Haven. The area has been hit by several hurricanes, most recently in August 2011 when Hurricane Irene severely damaged numerous shore areas. In 1985, Hurricane Gloria eye came across the state 22 west of East Haven. The area was without electricity. telephone and cable TV service for 7 days. Tornadoes sometimes occur in Connecticut. Though the town has not been directly affected, a tornado did touch down in Hamden, Connecticut just 3 mi away.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,257 people and 11,492 households residing in the town. The population density was 2,377.7 people per square mile (896.8/km²).

The total gender makeup of the town is 13,956 (47.7%) male and 15,301 (52.3%) female. Age distribution of the estimated 2010 population of the town is as follows:
 * ages 0 to 4 years old - 1,463 (5%)
 * ages 5 to 17 years old – 5,647 (19.3%)
 * ages 18 to 64 years old – 12,259 (58.1%)
 * ages 65 and above – 5,149 (17.6%)

The racial makeup of the town is 82.6% White, followed by 10.3% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American, 3.3% Asian, .7% from other races and 0.2% Native American.

The median age of a house is 40.0 years. The median house purchase price is $240,500.00 and median monthly rental is $1,200.00.

The town is primarily considered a Democratic town, though it has elected a Republican mayor in the last 6 of 7 elections. There are 15,925 registered voters in East Haven. 5,683 registered Democrats, 2,544 Republicans, 7,681 unaffiliated and 17 registered to minor parties.

The median income for a household in the town was $63,136. About 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line.

89% of the adult population (25 years and old) have a high school degree or higher. 23% have some college education and 24% of the same population has a bachelor’s degree or higher.

East Haven has a labor force of 16,751. 15,128 are employed and 1,623 are not. East Haven has an unemployment rate of 9.7%. There are 527 work units in East Haven, employing 6,260 staff members.

There were 25 registered sex offenders living in East Haven as of December 2012.

Government
When the town was incorporated in 1785, the system of government was that of selectmen and town meeting. When elections are held, the three people with the most votes were elected selectmen. The person with the most votes became the first selectman. Over the years the number of selectmen changed until it reached seven during the 1950s.

In 1960, the system of government was changed from selectmen – town meeting system to selectmen – representative town meeting. This system of government lasted until 1969, when the town charter was changed to a mayor – town council based government. In the 1969 general election, Francis W. Messina became the first mayor of East Haven, having been the incumbent first selectman.

April Capone Almon defeated Mayor Joe Maturo on November 6, 2007, by an apparent 21 votes. The slim margin of victory forced an automatic recount. On November 11, 2007, the recount showed Almon increasing her margin of victory to 63 votes, but discrepancies forced a second recount. On November 14, 2007, Almon was certified as the winner over Maturo by 25 votes. Almon became the first female mayor of East Haven and also the youngest at age 32.

Joe Maturo defeated Mayor Almon on November 8, 2011, by an apparent 31 votes. The slim margin of victory forced an automatic recount. On November 12, 2007, Maturo was certified as the winner over Almon by 34 votes. By winning a sixth term, Maturo became the longest serving mayor. In 2013, Maturo defeated Jack Stacey to earn a seventh term.

The 2006 Mill Rate was 30.95. Total revenue in 2010 was $76,940,939.00 with total expenditures of $78,565,834.00. Total Indebtedness was $52,789,047. Moody's Bond rating (2009) for the town was Baa1.

East Haven Police Department
The East Haven Police Department employs over 50 uniformed officers. Crime rose in 2010, but the town's crime index still remains at half the national average.

In 1997, an East Haven police officer, Sergeant Robert Flodquist, was accused of using excessive force in a police action which killed a black suspect. In 2003 a jury awarded the family of Malik Jones two and a half million dollars. The award was later reduced to nine hundred thousand dollars. Flodquist was made the department's public spokesman by Mayor Joseph Maturo. Subsequently state and federal prosecutors failed to find enough evidence for criminal charges against Flodquist. His shooting of Jones, who Flodquist, the only witness that night, testified had tried to run him over, was ruled justified.

The U.S. Department of Justice began investigating the East Haven Police for racial profiling of Latinos in September 2009. On December 2011, the Department of Justice released a report concluding that "EHPD has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against Latinos, a violation of the Constitution and federal law." On January 24, 2012, Sergeant John Miller and three officers were arrested by the FBI on charges of conspiracy, false arrest and excessive force and obstruction of justice in connection with the investigation. The four had been denounced by a local businessman, who had complained that they had at times checked that his employees were legally in the country as they entered and left his place of business. Press reports indicated a suspicion amongst the investigators that the chief of the department, Leonard Gallo, was also involved.

At the arraignment for the officers, several other East Haven officers were present to show their support. Mayor Joseph Maturo and the police union also stood by the officers. The government asked that one, Officer Dennis Spaulding, be barred from entering the town for fear he would intimidate possible witnesses.

In September 2012, Miller plead guilty to having struck a handcuffed person. In October 2012, Officer Jason Zullo plead guilty to obstruction of justice under a deal that will require him to serve one or two years in jail. On January 23, 2014, Officer Dennis Spaulding was sentenced to five years in prison. At his sentencing, he insisted he had done nothing wrong. One officer continues to fight the charges.

Chief Gallo was allowed to retire soon after the arrests. He was replaced by Brent Larrabee, formerly the police chief of Stamford.

In January 2013, the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals rejected a civil claim by Jones's mother against East Hartford.

Crime
2011 is the last reported year. Statistics are published yearly by the FBI.

East Haven Fire Department
The East Haven Fire Department was established in 1900. It was started as an all volunteer fire department with one engine company. Today, EHFD responds to well over 6,000 calls a year, including Fire calls, medical calls and public assist calls. The town is covered by four fire stations: Station 1 (Headquarters Center District), Station 3 (Foxon), Station 4 (Momauguin) and Station 6 (Short Beach Rd). In total there are 3 active Engines, 2 Quints, 2 Squads, and 3 Rescues. It is a split department meaning there are both career and volunteer firefighters within the department.

There is 11 career firefighters on at all times throughout the day. They are IAFF members Local 1205. Their services include paramedic units of both Rescue 1 (Headquarters) and Squad 5 (Station 3). The career firefighters also staff two quints: Engine 1 (Headquarters) and Truck 3 (Station 3). The final career piece is Engine 4 located at Station 4.

The rest of the apparatus is solely volunteer trucks. There are four volunteer companies: Company 1 (Headquarters), Company 3 (Station 3), Company 4 (Station 4) and Company 6 (Station 6). Squad 2 is staffed by the members of Company 1 being used primarily as a rescue unit. Rescue 3 is staffed by the members of Company 3 who also have Engine 5. Rescue 4 is staffed by the members of Company 4 being used as a Rescue truck. Engine 6 is staffed by the members of Company 6, the only house that is all volunteer.

Economy
Retail services dominate three stretches of roads in East Haven; Main Street and U.S. 1 in the center of town and State Route 80 in the Foxon Section. East Haven has two industrial parks on land adjacent to Tweed New Haven Airport which house many manufacturing and distribution companies.

There are approximately 527 companies that employ 6,260 employees in East Haven. The top five employers are Super Stop & Shop, Thermatool Corporation, Village at Mariners Point (healthcare), Laurel Woods (healthcare) and Talmadge Park Health Care.

East Haven Grand List (2008) was $2,968,044,077.00. Retail sales from 2007 was $296,138,827.00. East Haven Labor Force (those of working age) is 16,751 residents. 15,128 are employed while 1,623 of the employable residents are unemployed.


 * Calabro Cheese Corporation, founded in 1953, calls East Haven home. They specialize in producing ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses, and a line of select specialty cheeses. Calabro Cheese was the first Italian cheese company to develop fat-free ricotta cheese with no fat, no salt, and no preservatives added.
 * Town Fair Tires Corporate Headquarters.
 * Foxon Park Beverages, Inc., founded over 80 years ago in nearby New Haven, is a family owned and operated business. Their bottled soda and dispensed syrups can be found in many of New Haven County's popular restaurants and delis. Foxon Park Soda with pizza has become a tradition for many people living in the area.

Schools
Education in the New Haven Colony was important. The colony had required that each parish provide a common school. Prior to 1700, the parish education was being provided by the Congregational Church. The town voted in 1706 to build the first public school. The school was located around what is now 260 Hemingway Avenue. In 1707 the town established a school board to oversee the education system. By 1728 East Haven had split their system into 4 school districts.

The first town high school was opened on September 28, 1936, in the "Center" of town. Prior to the building of the high school, students had to apply to local town high schools for acceptance into their school system. A new junior high school complex was built in 1957. In 1997, a new high school campus was built in the Foxon section of town.

Today the school system operates 9 schools. In 2010 there were 3,413 students enrolled in the East Haven Public School system, with 245.90 teachers and a total staff of 520.90. The town's budget allocated for 2010 was $61,167,000.00 with an expenditure of $57,321,000.00. The cost per student was approximately $17,105.00 per student.

There are an additional 154 students attending St. Vincent DePaul Catholic School with a staff of 10.5 or 13.5 teacher/student ratio.


 * Deer Run School enrolls 344 students and 22.26 teachers in Grades K-2
 * Grove J Tuttle School enrolls 233 students and 18.40 teachers in Grades 3-5
 * D. C. Moore School enrolls 225 students and 15.90 teachers in Grades PK-2
 * Momauguin School enrolls 212 students and 18.70 teachers in Grades 3-5
 * Dominick H. Ferrara School enrolls 197 students and 15.24 teachers in Grades 3-5
 * Overbrook School enrolls 182 students and 9.00 teachers in Grades K-2
 * Joseph Melillo Middle School enrolls 474 students and 34.30 teachers in Grades 6-8
 * East Haven Academy enrolls 237 students and 16.10 teachers in Grades 3-8
 * East Haven High School enrolls 968 students and 70.50 teachers in Grades 9-12

Library
The East Haven Library was established in 1909. The library occupied several locations in the center of town before a gift from Isaac Hagaman allowed for a permanent building to be built. On September 22, 1928, the East Haven Library was opened. During the years of 1973 and 1974, the library added a two story addition to the complex. Today the Hagaman Memorial Library, named to honor of Isaac Hagaman, holds approximately 65,290 books, 2,065 Audio Materials, 4,128 Video Materials and 90 serial subscriptions. The library has an extensive children's library, and facilities are available for community meetings.

Health and medicine
East Haven does not have its own hospital; the area has several  facilities within 3 to 5 mi in New Haven: Yale-New Haven Hospital, a major teaching hospital affiliated with the Yale School of Medicine, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, and Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. A VA medical center is located in West Haven. Yale-New Haven Hospital Urgent Care Center is located in Foxon.

Transportation
East Haven is served by Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, which is located on the border between East Haven and New Haven.

Though East Haven does not have a train station, there are two stations within close driving distance. Union Station is located 3 mi from the center of town in New Haven, and a commuter station is located an equal distance away in Branford. Both offer commuter railroad service to New York and to coastal Connecticut towns, and New Haven's Union Station has Amtrak train service to Boston and many other cities.

Interstate 95 runs from east to west through the central portion of East Haven. Interstate 91, which is located west of the town, connects with State Route 80 which passes through the town in Foxon, running east to west. State Route 100 connects Foxon with the town center, running north to south. U.S. 1 crosses the town through the "Center", paralleling Interstate 95.

The Connecticut Transit Bus Company, a state-run mass transportation system, serves the town.

Utilities
Water supply is provided by the Regional Water Authority. Lake Saltonstall, located on the border between East Haven and Branford, provides drinking water to the south section of East Haven and is a recreational facility for hiking and fishing. The northern section of town is served by Lake Guillard in North Branford. The New Haven Regional Water Pollution Control Authority is responsible for sewage-disposal services with facilities located in New Haven.

United Illuminating is the exclusive distributor of electric power to the town. Natural gas is distributed by the Southern Connecticut Gas Company with several sections being served by local propane distribution companies. AT&T is the primary wired telephone service provider for the area. Phone service is also available from various national wireless companies and the local cable television provider. Cable television is available from Comcast and AT&T. Satellite television is available from AT&T (Dish Network) and DirecTV.

People and culture
East Haven is known for its Italian-American ethnic heritage.

Media and newspapers

 * Newspapers: The town is served by one daily newspaper and two weekly newspapers.  The New Haven Register is printed seven days a week.  The East Haven Courier is the weekly paper.
 * Media: The town is served by ETV, a local public-access television cable TV channel on the Comcast system.  A local ABC affiliate is in New Haven, WTNH TV Channel 8.  East Haven can receive 15 on-air television channels, 13 AM radio stations, and 20 FM radio stations.

Museums

 * East Haven Historical Society
 * The Shore Line Trolley Museum was founded in 1945 as the Branford Electric Railway Association (BERA). The Branford Electric Railway Association was founded to preserve the heritage of the trolley car, as well as artifacts and documents from the trolley era. The museum holds nearly one hundred trolley vehicles.  The Shore Line Trolley Museum, just past the East Haven Green, operates the Branford Electric Railway, a National Historic Site. The railway is the oldest continuously operating suburban trolley line in the United States.

National Register of Historic Places
East Haven has two nationally registered historic sites:
 * East Haven Green Historic District (added April 11, 2002)
 * First Congregational Church of East Haven (added March 25, 1982)

Town events

 * Every fifth year the town hosts the Columbus Day Parade (which is shared between New Haven, West Haven, North Haven, and Hamden).
 * The town of East Haven sponsors a town-wide beach party to celebrate Independence Day.
 * The town also hosts the Fall Festival, which is patterned after a New England town fair.

Notable residents

 * Cy Bentley (1850–1872), Major League Baseball player for one season with the Middletown Mansfields, born in East Haven
 * Kori Gardner and Jason Edward Hammel of the pop music duo Mates of State
 * Henry Winkler, actor and director who played "The Fonz" on the hit show Happy Days, resided in the Momaugin area of East Haven while he attended the Yale School of Drama.