Waterford, CT Real Estate and Homes for Sale

Waterford, Connecticut, is a coastal town with water on three sides, next to New London and about 15 minutes from Naval Submarine Base New London. This guide covers Quaker Hill, Jordan Village, Pleasure Beach, Ridgewood Park, Mago Point, Oswegatchie and Cohanzie: what it is like to live here, things to do, places to eat, and what to know before buying or selling a home.

Waterford is a coastal town in southeastern Connecticut with water on three sides: Long Island Sound to the south, the Niantic River to the west and the Thames River to the northeast. It borders New London, Montville and East Lyme and faces Groton across the Thames.

Waterford has no single downtown. It is a group of named villages and neighborhoods:

• Quaker Hill. The northeastern corner of town, on the west bank of the Thames River. Its village center is a National Register historic district, and the Mamacoke Conservation Area of the Connecticut College Arboretum lies along its shoreline.
• Jordan Village. On Rope Ferry Road at the head of Jordan Cove. Its National Register historic district is mostly mid and late 19th-century buildings, including Greek Revival and Queen Anne houses. Town Hall and Waterford High School are close by.
• Pleasure Beach and Ridgewood Park. Shoreline neighborhoods in the Great Neck area, near Waterford Beach Park.
• Mago Point. On the Niantic River, where the state boat launch and marine businesses are located.
• Oswegatchie and Cohanzie. Other village areas named in the town plan.

The town plan describes Waterford as predominantly residential, with housing that is primarily owner-occupied, single-family homes. Some homes in the beach communities are used seasonally.

Two interstates cross the town. Interstate 95 runs east to New London and Groton, and Interstate 395 begins at the East Lyme line and runs north to Norwich.

Naval Submarine Base New London is on the east bank of the Thames in Groton, about 15 minutes from most of Waterford by Interstate 95 and Route 12. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the Electric Boat engineering offices are next door in New London, and the Electric Boat shipyard is in Groton. In Waterford itself, Millstone Power Station is the largest employer, and most stores and offices sit between Route 85 and the two interstates.

Recreation in Waterford centers on the shoreline, with two state parks, a town beach and boating on the Niantic River.

• Harkness Memorial State Park. 230 acres on Long Island Sound with the 42-room Eolia mansion, formal gardens, picnic lawns and shore fishing. Swimming is not allowed.
• Waterford Beach Park. The town beach on Great Neck Road, with nearly a quarter mile of sand and a tidal marsh. Pass rules for non-residents have changed in recent years, so check the town's current policy.
• Seaside State Park. 30 acres of shoreline for walking, fishing and picnicking. Its historic buildings are closed to visitors.
• Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Founded in 1964 on Great Neck Road, where new plays and musicals are developed each summer.
• Niantic River State Boat Launch. A state launch on Mago Point Way with a year-round floating dock.
• Jordan Green. The Waterford Historical Society keeps the 1838 Beebe-Phillips House, the Jordan Schoolhouse and other historic buildings here.
• Great Neck Country Club. A private club on Lamphere Road with an 18-hole golf course.
• New London-Waterford Speedbowl. A racetrack that opened in 1951 and holds weekly races in season.

More ideas: Things to do in Waterford on Tripadvisor.

Waterford has no single downtown, so its restaurants are spread along Boston Post Road and Rope Ferry Road, and most large stores sit near Route 85 and the interstates. On the Niantic River side of town, Rope Ferry Road has waterfront dining, with the state boat launch close by at Mago Point. On a weekend, people walk the lawns and gardens at Harkness Memorial State Park, go to Waterford Beach Park, watch races at the Speedbowl in season or see new plays at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in summer.

• Filomena's. Italian-American restaurant with private dining rooms in the Utopia Centre on Boston Post Road.
• The Shack. Breakfast, lunch and dinner restaurant on Boston Post Road, part of a local company that began in 1989 and also has East Lyme and Groton locations.
• The Fat Tuna. Seafood and Italian restaurant on Rope Ferry Road at the Niantic Bay waterfront.
• Little Neck Restaurant. Restaurant at Great Neck Country Club on Lamphere Road, open to the public, with a bar and a patio that looks over the golf course.
• Illiano's Real Italian Pizzeria. Pizzeria and Italian restaurant on Broad Street Extension with dine-in, takeout and delivery.

More places to eat: Restaurants in Waterford on Tripadvisor.

Flood zones. FEMA flood maps place parts of the Waterford shoreline, including land around Jordan Cove, Goshen Cove, Alewife Cove and the Niantic River, in high-risk coastal flood zones. A buyer who uses a government-backed mortgage for a home in a high-risk zone must carry flood insurance. Check the flood zone for the address and get a quote early.

Beach associations. Some shoreline neighborhoods have their own associations. The Pleasure Beach Waterford Association is a private membership association that owns its beach. The Mago Point Beach Association is on the State of Connecticut list of special taxing districts. Ask for an association's current fees, tax bills and rules before making an offer.

Water and sewer. The town supplies public water from the New London system at Lake Konomoc and has built an extensive public sewer network since 1976. Not every property is connected. Buyers should confirm whether a home is on public utilities or on a private well and septic system.

VA, FHA and conventional loans. The VA says its home loans can be used for existing single-family homes, condominiums and properties of two to four units, usually with no down payment.

Schools. Waterford Public Schools serves the whole town with Waterford High School, Clark Lane Middle School and three elementary schools: Great Neck, Oswegatchie and Quaker Hill. School information is available from the district. For school profiles from an independent source, see Waterford School District on Niche.com.

Pricing a Waterford home starts with a comparative market analysis built from recent Waterford sales. The buyer pool includes people moving here for work at the submarine base, the Coast Guard Academy, Electric Boat or Millstone, and a 3D tour and video let them study a home before they can visit. For homes near the Sound, the coves or the rivers, drone footage shows the lot and how close it is to the water.