Guilford is a coastal community located on the North Shore of Long Island Sound approximately 17 miles East of New Haven, CT and around 90 miles northeast of New York City. Guilford was founded in 1639 as a small farming community. Slow changes over the next 300 years included the growth of specialty industries and development of the shoreline as a vacation/second home destination. The town's greatest transformation occurred in the 1950's with the growth of the suburbs as bedroom communities for urban centers such as New Haven. Today's Guilford is an enjoyable mix of the old and new. The town features New England's third-largest collection of antique residences. Four of these are maintained as museums. Homes continue to be renovated or replaced in ways that pay homage to the antique New England flavor of the town. The community actively works to protect and preserve its most valuable natural habitats. Dedicated open space owned by the town and the Guilford Land Trust exceeds 5,000 acres. The proximity to the Long Island Sound provides a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities, including town beaches. According to the 2020 census the population of Guilford was 22,031 and the median household income was $115,171. Initially, the economy of Guilford was centered on its harbor and numerous farms. However, with the development of I-95 (a 4 and 6 lane highway linking New York City and Boston) the population of Guilford grew substantially. Today Guilford is primarily a commuter town for New Haven and, to a lesser extent, Hartford, CT. Many Guilford residents work at Yale University or the Yale New Haven Hospital complex. A unique feature of Guilford is its almost eight acre Town Green which anchors downtown Guilford. The Town Green hosts numerous events throughout the year including free Summer Concerts, Shakespeare on the Green, arts and crafts fairs, the Strawberry Social and ecumenical services including tree and menorah lightnings. Because of the highly regarded public schools and extensive recreational facilities (the large Free Library, the Community Center, the municipal and private marinas, the 3 beaches, 12 parks and 16 Conservation Trust Recreational Properties) many families with young children are attracted to Guilford. Recently, there has been an influx of retirees moving to Guilford. One of the key features of Guilford is its public school system. Guilford has four elementary schools, two middle schools and a modern (2015) high school. The schools district has a total enrollment of 3,122 students of which 1049 are at the high school. In the 2021-22 school year, the average spending per pupil in Guilford was $20,702. In recent years, the Guilford school district has consistently ranked in the top 10% of the districts in the State. Eighty four percent of the 2022 Guilford high school graduates went on to post-secondary education.