Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, the state of New York to the west, and by the Long Island Sound to the south. Named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately bisects the state, Connecticut's capital city is Hartford. The Knowledge Corridor surrounding Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, the latter of which lies only 5 miles north of the Connecticut state line, constitute New England's second most populous metropolitan region (with approximately 1.8 million residents and 110,000 university students.)