New Haven
A Connecticut harbor city on Long Island Sound, home to Yale University, its museums and New Haven-style apizza.
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New Haven is a city of about 134,000 people on the Connecticut coast, with a harbor that opens onto Long Island Sound. English Puritans founded it in 1638, and it was one of the first planned cities in the United States, laid out on a three-by-three street grid called the Nine Square Plan. Yale University sits downtown and is the city's largest employer, and the 16-acre New Haven Green anchors the center.
The main draws are the Yale campus museums, including the Yale Center for British Art, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Peabody Museum of Natural History. Apizza, the local pizza with a thin crust baked in coal- or wood-fired ovens, is the other reason to stop. Plan a full day for the Green, the campus and two or three museums. October is a mild month to visit; summers are hot and humid, and winters are cold.
New Haven in five
- Ride the train instead of driving inUnion Station is a short ride or walk from the Yale campus, and rail from New York City and Boston is the easiest way in. Downtown parking is slow and costly on game and graduation weekends.Getting around the USA
- Spend your museum time at YaleThe Yale Art Gallery, the Peabody Museum and the Yale Center for British Art sit within walking distance of each other. Check each museum's site for current hours and closing days before you plan the day.
- Eat apizza on Wooster StreetNew Haven's coal-fired thin-crust pizza is the city's best-known food, and the Wooster Square streets hold several famous shops. Expect lines at peak dinner hours and look for places that take reservations.
- Pair it with New York or NewportNew Haven sits between the two on the corridor, and a night here splits a long New England trip. Newport is the usual coastal stop on the way to Boston.Newport
Things to do in New Haven
See all attractions in New Haven
Need to know
- Airport
- Tweed New Haven is small; most visitors use JFK, LaGuardia, Newark or Hartford
- Getting there
- Metro-North and Amtrak from New York City; Amtrak from Boston
- Getting around
- Walking downtown; buses and rideshare for farther spots
- Best base
- Downtown near the Yale campus
- Time needed
- One long day; two for museums and a slower pace
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryPartly cloudy10 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh3°Low-3°Cold, quietJanuaryPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 3°
- Low
- -3°
- Precipitation
- 112 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- FebruaryPartly cloudy11 rainy days3 snowy daysHigh5°Low-2°Cold, quietFebruaryPartly cloudy
Poor
- High
- 5°
- Low
- -2°
- Precipitation
- 103 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 3
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchPartly cloudy11 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh8°Low1°Cool, dampMarchPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 125 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, damp
- AprilRain12 rainy daysHigh13°Low5°Spring, quietAprilRain
Mixed
- High
- 13°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 132 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Spring, quiet
- MayRain13 rainy daysHigh19°Low11°Mild, greenMayRain
Best
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 129 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, green
- JunePartly cloudy10 rainy daysHigh24°Low16°Warm, graduationsJunePartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 24°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 108 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, graduations
- JulyPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh28°Low20°Hot, humidJulyPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 20°
- Precipitation
- 146 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, humid
- AugustPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh27°Low20°Hot, quiet campusAugustPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 27°
- Low
- 20°
- Precipitation
- 123 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, quiet campus
- SeptemberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh23°Low16°Mild, move-inSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 141 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, move-in
- OctoberRain10 rainy daysHigh18°Low11°Fall colorOctoberRain
Good
- High
- 18°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 161 mm
- Rainy days
- 10
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Fall color
- NovemberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh11°Low4°Cool, quieterNovemberPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 11°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 114 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, quieter
- DecemberRain11 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh5°Low0°Cold, lightsDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 5°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 173 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, lights
Average daily high and low in New Haven, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in New Haven
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
19
- Feels like
- 15°
- Humidity
- 32%
- Wind
- 15 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 2%
New Haven
05:38 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today18°6°2%Monday: Cloudy. High 18°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Tue20°8°4%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 20°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 4%.
- Wed19°14°2%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 19°, Low 14°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Thu19°15°47%Thursday: Drizzle. High 19°, Low 15°. Chance of rain 47%.
- Fri17°16°63%Friday: Rain. High 17°, Low 16°. Chance of rain 63%.
- Sat16°10°50%Saturday: Rain. High 16°, Low 10°. Chance of rain 50%.
- Sun14°8°20%Sunday: Partly cloudy. High 14°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 20%.
Updated 03:13 PM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 EUR = 1.116 USD
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- New York Cityabout 1.5 to 2 hours by trainThe city is the usual base, with New Haven as an easy day out.Read the guide
- Newportabout 1.5 to 2 hours by carMansions and a cliff path; a car is the practical way to link the two.Read the guide
- Bostonabout 2.5 to 3 hours by AmtrakContinue north on the Northeast Corridor for a longer New England trip.Read the guide
Before you go to New Haven
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Rules for New Haven, checked
- Citizens of visa waiver countries need an ESTA before flying to the USA. Apply on the official CBP site and check your status before you book.Source
- Call 911 for police, fire or ambulance emergencies in New Haven.
- Check crime rates for the neighborhood you plan to visit. They vary sharply, and city-wide rankings are disputed.
- Tipping is expected in sit-down restaurants and taxis.
Plan around New Haven
Two hours south by Metro-North
Read the guideBoston in 3 daysNorth along the Northeast Corridor
Read the guideNewportA coastal stop between New Haven and Boston
Read the guideAll of New EnglandSix states, with Boston as the gateway
Read the guideGetting around the USATrains, buses and rental cars compared
Read the guideAll of the USAStates, parks and cities in one planning hub
Read the guideNew Haven FAQ
Is New Haven worth visiting?
Yes if you like campus architecture, art and natural history museums and regional food. It is a small city with limited nightlife compared with New York, so one long day or one night is usually enough.
How do you get from New York City to New Haven?
Metro-North's New Haven Line runs from Grand Central, and Amtrak serves Union Station from Penn Station. Check the MTA and Amtrak sites for current fares and schedules, since they change by time of day.
Can you visit Yale without a tour?
You can walk the outside of campus freely, and the museums have their own entry rules. Check the Yale visitor site for tour times and any building closures before you go.
What is New Haven apizza?
A thin, charred, coal-fired pizza style, usually served with simple toppings. The white clam pie is the local specialty, and each shop has its own loyal fans, so lines can be long on weekends.
Is it better to stay in New Haven or New York City?
Stay in New York if you want more to do at night and in the morning, and take New Haven as a day trip. Stay in New Haven only if Yale events, a long museum day or a quieter base is the point.