The sections from New Haven to Tariffville totaling 47.6 miles (76.6 km) are part of the East Coast Greenway, a 36 percent completed trail intended to link Maine with Florida.

In 1991, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) provided states the ability to utilize federal funds to finance the conversion of derelict railroad corridors into rail trails.

[7] As of October 2018, the FCHT extends uninterrupted from Northwest Drive in Northern Plainville to the Massachusetts border in Suffield (24.6 miles).

[14] There is a gap extending from north of the Westfield River through Southampton to Coleman Road (8.4 miles).

The site of the greenway was originally used by the native Quinnipiac tribes as a path prior to its expansion as a road by the colonists.

The Farmington Valley Trails Council was founded in 1992 to preserve the canal by converting it into a park.

"[16][19] The developed section within state park boundaries runs 17.7 miles (28.5 km) south from Hart Street in Southington to Todd Street in Hamden and includes the Farmington Canal's restored Lock 12, located south of Brooksvale Road in Cheshire.