Commissioned in 1932, Route 213 originally extended 4.71 miles, from Route 85 to a dead end at Ocean Beach, along Jefferson Avenue and Ocean Avenue. In the mid-1900s, a trip to the shore from Hartford might include Route 2, Route 85 and finally Route 213.

In 1963, Route 213 was changed significantly. It was extended westward from Ocean Beach, then north along Great Neck Road, to a new terminus at Route 156 in Waterford. The other end of Route 213 was relocated to follow Colman Street northward from the Boston Post Road, to end at I-95.

Circa 1976, when US 1 was separated from I-95 in East Lyme, to absorb the local US 1A, Route 213 was truncated to leave its northern terminus where it is today, at US 1.

• Route 213 Ends (Photos; Doug Kerr at state-ends.com)
• Route 213 - Google Maps