[3] Prior to European colonization, the area that became Guilford was the site of Menunkatuck, a Quinnipiac village.

By 1614, the Dutch had surveyed, charted, and established New Netherland, a colonial province, with claimed territories from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod.

However, a lack of any significant Dutch presence in the area gave English settlers an opportunity to settle in the Quinnipiac territory.

[6] In 1639, after landing in the plantation of Quinnipiaic (later known as New Haven) via ship from England, a group of 24 English Puritan families led by Rev.

), the colonists secured a land grant for their settlement from Shaumpishuh, the female sachem of Menunkatuck.

[11] It is assumed that Guilford was named after the town of Guildford, England,[12] the native home of a share of its first English settlers.

Guilford is considered by some to have the third largest collection of historic homes in New England, with important buildings from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

[15] In June 1781, during the American Revolution, a skirmish was fought on Leete's Island between the Associated Loyalists and local militia under Captain Peter Vail.

[16] The northwest side of Guilford is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border.

Important features of the Metacomet ridge in Guilford include Totoket Mountain; its most notable peak, Bluff Head; and two eastern high points on the Totoket Mountain ridge named East Sugarloaf and West Sugarloaf.

US 1, known locally as Boston Post Road, also runs through downtown Guilford, serving as the town's main commercial area.

Route 146 is a scenic coastal road connecting downtown Guilford to the neighboring town of Branford.

From there it passes along the South side of the town green where it connects to the Southern terminus of Route 77.

Route 80 cuts across the town, forming the dividing line between North and South Guilford.

In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.02% of the town vote, against 38.06% for Republican John McCain.

The Guilford Free Library is a resource for the community, providing access to a vast collection of books, digital media, historical materials about Guilford’s history and genealogy, and educational programs for all ages.

[36] The library hosts numerous events, workshops, and activities aimed at promoting literacy and lifelong learning.

The town government operates these parks:[37] Guilford, Connecticut is noted for its rolling farmland, its avoidance of the density and sprawl that has occurred from land use regulations of its neighboring communities, and its numerous historic homes and sites.