1646Government
founded the first English settlement here in 1646, making it about the 13th town settled in Connecticut.
1649History
Towns set off since include:
Stonington in 1649
This large area ran from the Mystic River to the Pawcatuck River, including Pawcatuck, Wequetequock, and the easterly half of My...
1658Civil Rights
The legislature relented, and the town was officially named New London on March 24, 1658.
1705History
Sections of the original town were ceded to form newer towns between 1705 and 1801.
1758Culture
=== Sites of interest ===
Lyman Allyn Art Museum
Ocean Beach Park
New London County Historical Society, Shaw-Perkins Mansion (1758)
New London Maritime Society, U.S.
1775Military
The first Fort Trumbull was an earthwork built 1775–1777 that took part in the Revolutionary War.
1784Government
Connecticut's independent legislature made New London one of five cities simultaneously brought from de facto to formalized incorporations in its January session of 1784.
1807History
North Stonington was created from the northern half of Stonington in 1807.
1812Military
=== 19th century ===
After the War of 1812 began, the Royal Navy established a blockade of the East Coast of the United States, including New London.
1819Culture
Salem created from parts of Montville, Colchester, and Lyme in 1819
Waterford in 1801.
1839Military
The second Fort Trumbull was built 1839–1852 and still stands.
1845History
=== Literature ===
In her Scenes in My Native Land, 1845, Lydia Sigourney includes the poem Sunrise at New London with descriptive passages relating to the district.
1853Disaster
Many distinctive structures built in the 19th century remain, but the First Church built in 1853 collapsed in January 2024.
1879Culture
Fishers Island officially left Connecticut and became part of New York in 1879.
1888Culture
== Arts and culture ==
=== Eugene O'Neill ===
Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953) lived in New London and wrote several plays in th...
1903Disaster
Hurricane landfalls have occurred along the Connecticut coast in 1903, 1938, 1944, 1954 (Carol), 1960 (Donna), 1985 (Gloria).
1910Military
By 1910, the fort's defensive function had been superseded by the new forts of the Endicott Program, primarily located on Fishers Island.
1915Education
The Revenue Cutter Service was merged into the United States Coast Guard in 1915, and the Academy relocated to its current site in 1932.
1919Crime
During the Red Summer of 1919, there were a series of racial riots between white and black Navy men stationed in New London and Groton.
1925Government
United States Coast Guard Band, founded in 1925 with the assistance of John Philip Sousa.
1946Government
=== Music ===
Notable artists and ensembles include:
Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1946 and led by Toshiyuki Shimada, who is also conductor of the Yale Sym...
1950Military
From 1950 to 1990, Fort Trumbull was the location for the Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory, which developed sonar and related systems for US Navy submarines.
1951Military
The Naval Submarine Base New London is physically located in Groton, but submarines were stationed in New London during World War II and from 1951 to 1991.
1960Civil Rights
In the summer of 1960, peace activists from around the country gathered in New London to protest the all-nuclear submarines being based there.
1990Military
In 1990, the Sound Laboratory was merged with the Naval Underwater Systems Center in Newport, Rhode Island, and the New London facility was closed in 1996.
1991History
USS Fulton was decommissioned, after 50 years of service, in 1991 and Submarine Squadron 10 was disbanded at the same time.
2005Infrastructure
This measure was supported in a 5–4 ruling in the 2005 Supreme Court case Kelo v.
2006History
== Demographics ==
=== Recent estimates on demographics and economic status ===
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, non-Hispanic whites made up 54.6% of New ...
2008History
Total pages: 930
Voogd, Jan (2008).
2011Disaster
Tropical Storm Irene (2011) also caused moderate damage along the Connecticut coast, as did Hurricane Sandy (which made landfall in New Jersey) in 2012.
2019History
Retrieved July 19, 2019.
2020History
=== 2020 census ===
As of the census of 2020, there were 27,374 people and 11,125 households.
2023History
The new 2023 USDA Garden Zone Map has New London in zone 7a.
2025History
Retrieved November 20, 2025.