Updated August 2026
Best beaches in Connecticut by water quality
Connecticut has 78 public beaches in the EPA monitoring dataset, 71 of them with enough bacteria samples to grade. 3 earn an A for consistently clean water, while 24 grade an F for frequently exceeding the safe-swimming limit. Full ranking below.
| Grade | Beach | County | % over limit | Samples | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Surf Club Beach | New Haven | 0% | 32 | Excellent |
| A | Westbrook Town Beach/West Beach | Middlesex | 0% | 27 | Excellent |
| A | West Wharf Beach | New Haven | 0% | 24 | Excellent |
| B | Anchor Beach (Merwin Point) #2 | New Haven | 3.3% | 30 | Good |
| B | Bell Island Beach | Fairfield | 3.4% | 58 | Good |
| B | Town Beach (Old Saybrook) | Middlesex | 3.4% | 29 | Good |
| B | Pear Tree Point Beach | Fairfield | 4.5% | 110 | Good |
| B | East Wharf Beach | New Haven | 5% | 20 | Good |
| B | Hammonasset Beach State Park Beach | New Haven | 5.1% | 79 | Good |
| B | Harvey's Beach | Middlesex | 5.4% | 37 | Good |
| C | Ocean Beach Park | New London | 7.6% | 79 | Fair |
| C | Soundview Beach | New London | 7.7% | 26 | Fair |
| C | East Haven Town Beach | New Haven | 8% | 50 | Fair |
| C | Long Beach (Proper) | Fairfield | 8.8% | 68 | Fair |
| C | Altschuler Beach | New Haven | 9.1% | 33 | Fair |
| C | Seaview Beach | New Haven | 9.5% | 42 | Fair |
| C | South Pine Creek Beach | Fairfield | 9.7% | 31 | Fair |
| C | Quigley Beach | Fairfield | 10.3% | 29 | Fair |
| C | Oak Street A Beach | New Haven | 10.5% | 38 | Fair |
| C | Pent Road Beach | New Haven | 11.3% | 213 | Fair |
| C | Sherwood Island State Park Beach | Fairfield | 11.6% | 112 | Fair |
| C | Morse Beach | New Haven | 11.8% | 34 | Fair |
| D | Weed Beach | Fairfield | 12% | 50 | Poor |
| D | McCook Point Beach | New London | 12% | 25 | Poor |
| D | Lighthouse Point Beach | New Haven | 12.3% | 203 | Poor |
| D | Great Captain's Island Beach | Fairfield | 12.3% | 57 | Poor |
| D | Long Beach (Marnick's) | Fairfield | 12.5% | 40 | Poor |
| D | Shady Beach | Fairfield | 12.7% | 134 | Poor |
| D | Calf Pasture Beach | Fairfield | 12.8% | 125 | Poor |
| D | Jennings Beach | Fairfield | 12.9% | 62 | Poor |
| D | Cummings Beach | Fairfield | 13.8% | 138 | Poor |
| D | Stony Creek Beach | New Haven | 14% | 43 | Poor |
| D | Penfield Beach | Fairfield | 14.3% | 56 | Poor |
| D | Rock Street Beach | New Haven | 14.3% | 42 | Poor |
| D | South Street Beach | New Haven | 14.3% | 28 | Poor |
| D | Branford Point Beach | New Haven | 15% | 40 | Poor |
| D | Waterford Town Beach | New London | 15.4% | 26 | Poor |
| D | Short Beach | Fairfield | 16.4% | 122 | Poor |
| D | Oak Street B Beach | New Haven | 17% | 47 | Poor |
| D | Anchor Beach (Merwin Point) #1 | New Haven | 17.4% | 46 | Poor |
| D | Dawson Beach | New Haven | 17.6% | 34 | Poor |
| D | Clark Avenue Beach | New Haven | 18.9% | 37 | Poor |
| D | Greenwich Point Beach | Fairfield | 19.3% | 140 | Poor |
| D | Town Beach (Clinton) | Middlesex | 19.6% | 46 | Poor |
| D | Silver Sands State Park Beach | New Haven | 20.9% | 460 | Poor |
| D | Jacobs Beach (Town Beach) | New Haven | 21.4% | 70 | Poor |
| D | Woodmont Beach | New Haven | 21.9% | 32 | Poor |
| F | Green Harbor Beach | New London | 26.2% | 65 | Failing |
| F | Island Beach | Fairfield | 27% | 74 | Failing |
| F | Sasco Beach | Fairfield | 27.5% | 69 | Failing |
| F | Dubois Beach | New London | 28.4% | 134 | Failing |
| F | Noank Dock | New London | 28.6% | 217 | Failing |
| F | Seabluff Beach | New Haven | 29.3% | 41 | Failing |
| F | Byram Beach | Fairfield | 33.4% | 299 | Failing |
| F | West Beach | Fairfield | 34.7% | 262 | Failing |
| F | Rowayton Beach | Fairfield | 34.7% | 49 | Failing |
| F | Gulf Beach | New Haven | 41.1% | 90 | Failing |
| F | White Sands Beach | New London | 41.6% | 154 | Failing |
| F | Rocky Neck State Park Beach | New London | 43.9% | 501 | Failing |
| F | Esker Point Beach | New London | 45% | 160 | Failing |
| F | Hickory Bluff Beach | Fairfield | 49.5% | 204 | Failing |
| F | Marvin Beach | Fairfield | 50.5% | 204 | Failing |
| F | East (Cove Island) Beach | Fairfield | 51.2% | 205 | Failing |
| F | Eastern Point Beach | New London | 63.1% | 179 | Failing |
| F | Burying Hill Beach | Fairfield | 64.6% | 161 | Failing |
| F | Southport Beach | Fairfield | 65.5% | 458 | Failing |
| F | Compo Beach | Fairfield | 74.2% | 233 | Failing |
| F | Walnut Beach | New Haven | 83.4% | 229 | Failing |
| F | Seaside Park Beach | Fairfield | 87.8% | 246 | Failing |
| F | Seabright Beach | Fairfield | 91.4% | 255 | Failing |
| F | Pleasure Beach-Bridgeport | Fairfield | 95.4% | 414 | Failing |
Download the full Connecticut beach safety ranking
All 71 graded Connecticut beaches with their Beach Safety Grade, exceedance rate, sample counts, and program status — from EPA monitoring data. Enter your email to download; you'll also get swim-advisory alerts. A grade is a multi-year classification, not a same-day safety clearance.
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