The Southeastern Connecticut region comprises, as the name suggests, the southeastern corner of the state of Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. It is sometimes referred to as Greater New London or by the tourist slogan Mystic

Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic is a village and census-designated place in New London County, Connecticut, in the United States. The population was 4,001 at the 2000 census. A historic locality, Mystic has no independent government because it is not a legally recognized municipality in the state of Connecticut...

 and More.

Southeastern Connecticut has historically been an area heavily dependent on traditional New England economic activities such as fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, whaling

Whaling

Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...

, oystering, and the defense industry

Defense industry

The defense industry, also called the military industry, comprises government and commercial industry involved in research, development, production, and service of military materiel, equipment and facilities...

. In the present day, the area remains the primary home of the state's fishing and shellfish activity, but has since diversified its economic base to include tourism, gambling

Gambling

Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...

, and other services.

The area is home to the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

 Academy

United States Coast Guard Academy

Founded in 1876, the United States Coast Guard Academy is the military academy of the United States Coast Guard. Located in New London, Connecticut, it is the smallest of the five federal service academies...

 in New London

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

, a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 base in Groton

Groton, Connecticut

Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....

 (also home to Electric Boat

Electric boat

While a significant majority of water vessels are powered by diesel engines, with sail power and gasoline engines also remaining popular, boats powered by electricity have been used for over 120 years. Electric boats were very popular from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the internal combustion...

 where the first U.S. nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958...

, was launched, on January 21, 1954), a Pfizer

Pfizer

Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...

 research facility, and the Mohegan Sun

Mohegan Sun

Mohegan Sun, located in Uncasville, Connecticut, is the second largest casino in the United States with of gaming space. It is located on along the banks of the Thames River. It is at the heart of the scenic foothills of southeastern Connecticut, where 60 percent of the state's tourism is...

 and Foxwoods

Foxwoods Resort Casino

Foxwoods Resort Casino is a hotel-casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States. Together with the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, it is one of the largest casino complexes in the world in terms of floor space for gaming. The entire resort comprises of space. The casino has over 380 gaming tables...

 casinos.

Definitions

There are several official definitions for the region. In all definitions, the following 16 towns are always included:

• Bozrah
  Bozrah, Connecticut
  Bozrah is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2000 census. Bozrah contains three villages: Fitchville, the town center; Leffingwell, a crossroads on Route 82; and Gilman, a mill village along Fitchville Road....
  
  
• East Lyme
  East Lyme, Connecticut
  East Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,118 at the 2000 census. The latitude of East Lyme is 41.353N...
  
  
• Franklin
  Franklin, Connecticut
  Franklin is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,835 at the 2000 census. The town also includes the village of North Franklin.-Geography:...
  
  
• Griswold
  Griswold, Connecticut
  Griswold is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,807 at the 2000 census. Griswold contains one borough, Jewett City, and also contains the villages of Doaneville,Rixtown, Glasgo, Hopeville, and Pachaug...
  
  
• Groton
  Groton, Connecticut
  Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
  
  
• Ledyard
  Ledyard, Connecticut
  As of the census of 2000, there were 14,687 people, 5,286 households, and 4,101 families residing in the town. The population density was 385.1 people per square mile . There were 5,486 housing units at an average density of 143.8 per square mile...
  
  
• Lisbon
  Lisbon, Connecticut
  Lisbon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,069 at the 2000 census. The town center is also known as the village of Newent...
  
  
• Montville
  Montville, Connecticut
  Montville is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 18,546 at the 2000 census and 19,571 at the 2010 census....
  
  
• New London
  New London, Connecticut
  New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
  
   (central city)
• North Stonington
  North Stonington, Connecticut
  North Stonington is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,991 at the 2000 census. North Stonington was split off from Stonington in 1724.-Geography:...
  
  
• Norwich
  Norwich, Connecticut
  Regular steamship service between New York and Boston helped Norwich to prosper as a shipping center through the early part of the 20th century. During the Civil War, Norwich once again rallied and saw the growth of its textile, armaments, and specialty item manufacturing...
  
   (central city)
• Preston
  Preston, Connecticut
  Preston is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,688 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of Long Society, Preston City, and Poquetanuck.-History:...
  
  
• Salem
  Salem, Connecticut
  Salem is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,858 at the 2000 census.- Pre-incorporation :The area was originally inhabited by Mohegans. The very first settlement of European origin in present-day Salem was deeded in 1664. In the early 18th century, more...
  
  
• Sprague
  Sprague, Connecticut
  Sprague is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town was named after William Sprague, who laid out the industrial section. The population was 2,971 at the 2000 census...
  
  
• Stonington
  Stonington, Connecticut
  The Town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic...
  
  
• Waterford
  Waterford, Connecticut
  Waterford is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. It is named after Waterford, Ireland. The population was 19,152 at the 2000 census. The town center is listed as a census-designated place .-Geography:...
  
  

Southeastern Connecticut

This is an official region administered by the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments. It consists of 18 towns and oversees land use and transportation infrastructure planning for its member towns. In addition to the towns listed above, the towns of Colchester

Colchester, Connecticut

Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN...

 and Voluntown

Voluntown, Connecticut

Voluntown is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2000 census. From 1726 to 1881 Voluntown had been part of Windham County.-Geography:...

 are also included.

Southeast Service Delivery Area

This definition adds the towns of Lyme

Lyme, Connecticut

Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,016 at the 2000 census. Lyme and its neighboring town Old Lyme are the namesake for Lyme disease.-Geography:...

, Old Lyme

Old Lyme, Connecticut

Old Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Main Street of the town is a historic district. The town has long been a popular summer resort and artists' colony...

, and Voluntown to the 16 core towns listed above for a total of 19 towns.

New England City and Town Area

The Norwich-New London NECTA is the metropolitan area surrounding the Norwich/New London urbanized area using towns as building blocks. This definition contains 21 towns and adds the towns of Canterbury

Canterbury, Connecticut

Canterbury is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 4,692 at the 2000 census.-History:The area was first settled in the 1680s as Peagscomsuck, consisting mainly of land north of Norwich, south of New Roxbury, Massachusetts and west of the Quinebaug River and the...

, Lyme, Old Lyme, Voluntown, as well as the town of Westerly in Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

.

Metropolitan Statistical Area

The Norwich-New London MSA is a metropolitan area definition using counties as building blocks. It consists of the 21 towns of New London County

New London County, Connecticut

New London County is a county located in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010 the population was 274,055. The total area of the county is , including inland and coastal waters....

 and adds the towns of Colchester

Colchester, Connecticut

Colchester is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,551 at the 2000 census. In 2005 it was ranked 57th on the "100 Best Places to Live" in all of the United States, conducted by CNN...

, Lebanon

Lebanon, Connecticut

Lebanon is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,907 at the 2000 census. The town lies just to the northwest of Norwich, north of New London, and east of Hartford...

, Lyme, Old Lyme, and Voluntown.

New London Labor Market Area

This definition contains 22 towns and adds the towns of Canterbury, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook

Old Saybrook, Connecticut

Old Saybrook is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,367 at the 2000 census. It contains the incorporated borough of Fenwick, as well as the census-designated places of Old Saybrook Center and Saybrook Manor.-History:...

, and Plainfield

Plainfield, Connecticut

Plainfield is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,619 at the 2000 census. The town comprises four villages: Plainfield , Moosup , Wauregan , and Central Village . Each village has their own respective United States Post Office and fire department...

, as well as two towns in Rhode Island: Hopkinton

Hopkinton, Rhode Island

Hopkinton is a town in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 8,188 at the 2010 census.The villages of Ashaway and Hope Valley are located in Hopkinton.-Geography:Hopkinton is found at 41.461 N latitude and 71.778 W longitude...

and Westerly.