Much of the town's border with East Haven to the west is dominated by Lake Saltonstall, a reservoir owned by the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority, and Saltonstall Mountain, part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border.

An area called Totoket, which became Branford, was part of the land bought from the Mattabesech Indians in 1638 by the first English settlers of New Haven.

[2] The area was also described by Ezra Stiles as containing a "Dutch Fort", as hinted at by archaeological excavations completed in the 1990s.

The Stony Creek granite quarries also rose to prominence as a direct consequence of railroad construction.

[citation needed] These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture.

One example is Harrison House and Museum, a 1724 structure, which has period furnishings, local historical items, archives, a barn and an herb garden.

[6] Branford's recreational facilities include several town-maintained parks and beaches owned by private foundations, hiking trails along Lake Saltonstall and a stretch of the Shoreline Greenway Trail, and 20 miles (32 km) of coastline with more than 12 marinas.

Branford Hill sits on the western end of town and centers on the heavily commercialized strip of U.S. Route 1.

Fast-food and sit-down restaurants, auto dealers, grocery stores, and several strip malls are located there.

The original site of Connecticut Hospice (now the Monastery of the Glorious Cross—a semi-cloistered community of Benedictine nuns) is located in this area, on Burban Drive.

Also on Burban Drive is St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church, which was originally located in Short Beach.

These included Harry's General Store, Bud's Bait Box, and on Limewood Ave the Waverly Inn, Madelyn's Restaurant, Surfside Restaurant, a news, comics, candy, variety store named Lounsberry's, and Dairy Joy Ice Cream.

The landmark Waverly Inn burned to the ground in the early 1970s truly marking the end of an era.

Notable residents include Dr. Nicholas Perricone and Edward M. Kennedy Jr. Stony Creek is a shore front neighborhood in the southeastern section of Branford, centered on a harbor on Long Island Sound.

The Thimbles are a jumble of glacial rocks, ranging from 17 acres (6.9 ha) down to stepping-stone size, at the mouth of the harbor.

Despite their small size, they possess a wealth of history and local lore, as well as providing pleasant scenery for a summer cruise.

Granite from Stony Creek was chosen to be used in New York City's Statue of Liberty museum, which opened in May 2019.

Short Beach is home to half of the famous Shore Line Trolley Museum, which is also in neighboring East Haven.

Now that Malleable Iron Fittings has been largely demolished and the site turned into housing, Branford is known for high-technology and pharmaceutical companies such as 454 Life Sciences and Durata Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of differentiated therapeutic solutions for physicians and providers to advance patient care in infectious disease and acute illnesses.

Schools in Branford: The main artery through the town is Interstate 95, running along the eastern coast of the United States.

Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is located 3 miles (5 km) west of Branford.

A book sale is held annually each autumn on the Branford Green to raise money for the town library.