East Hartford

East Hartford, town, Hartford County, central Connecticut, on the Connecticut River, opposite Hartford; settled 1635, separated from Hartford and incorporated 1783. It grew as a transportation and petroleum-products distribution center and as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, fabricated steel, paper, stamp and die plates, and processed food. Population 52,563 (1980); 50,452 (1990); 49,575 (2000); 49,173 (2005 estimate).