New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut after Bridgeport. It is in New Haven County, on New Haven Harbor, on the northern coast of Long Island Sound. New Haven's nickname is the Elm City, as it historically contained many elm trees. While most succumbed to Dutch Elm disease in the middle of the 20th Century, New Haven nevertheless remains a very 'green' city. It is considered the first planned city (1638) in the United States. The city is probably best known as the home of Yale University. New Haven claims to be where pizza was introduced to the United States (This is disputed; see History of pizza). New Haven also claims the origination of the Frisbee as a flying toy.

New Haven is one of the most walkable cities in the country, ranking near the top of the list of places with the most pedestrian commuters. From the mid-1990s, the city has seen a major revitalization of Downtown New Haven that has extended into the city's neighborhoods.