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Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the tenth most populous in New England. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 115,644.

Manchester is, along with the city of Nashua, one of two seats of New Hampshire's most populous county, Hillsborough County. Manchester lies near the northern end of the Northeast megalopolis and straddles the banks of the Merrimack River. It was first named by the merchant and inventor Samuel Blodget(t), eponym of Samuel Blodget Park and Blodget Street in the city's North End. His vision was to create a great industrial center similar to that of the original Manchester in England, which was the world's first industrialized city.

During the Industrial Revolution, Manchester was a major industrial and economic hub for New England, with the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company being the largest cotton textile plant in the world. After World War II, many textile manufacturing jobs left Manchester, but new industries and companies were introduced to the city, such as DEKA.

History
The native Pennacook people called Amoskeag Falls on the Merrimack River—the area that became the heart of Manchester—Namaoskeag, meaning "good fishing place". In 1722, John Goffe III settled beside Cohas Brook, later building a dam and sawmill at what was dubbed "Old Harry's Town". It was granted by Massachusetts in 1727 as "Tyngstown" to veterans of Queen Anne's War who served in 1703 under Captain William Tyng. But at New Hampshire's 1741 separation from Massachusetts, the grant was ruled invalid and substituted with Wilton, Maine, resulting in a 1751 rechartering by Governor Benning Wentworth as "Derryfield"—a name that lives on in Derryfield Park, Derryfield Country Club, and the private Derryfield School.

In 1807, Samuel Blodget opened a canal and lock system to allow vessels passage around the falls, part of a network developing to link the area with Boston. He envisioned a great industrial center arising, "the Manchester of America", in reference to Manchester, England, then at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. In 1809, Benjamin Prichard and others built a water-powered cotton spinning mill on the western bank of the Merrimack. Apparently following Blodgett's suggestion, Derryfield was renamed "Manchester" in 1810, the year the mill was incorporated as the Amoskeag Cotton & Woolen Manufacturing Company. It would be purchased in 1825 by entrepreneurs from Massachusetts, expanded to three mills in 1826, and then incorporated in 1831 as the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company.

Amoskeag engineers and architects planned a model company town on the eastern bank, founded in 1838 with Elm Street as its main thoroughfare. Incorporation as a city followed for Manchester in 1846, soon home to the largest cotton mill in the world—Mill No. 11, stretching 900 ft long by 103 ft wide, and containing 4,000 looms. Other products made in the community included shoes, cigars, and paper. The Amoskeag foundry made rifles, sewing machines, textile machinery, fire engines, and locomotives in a division called the Amoskeag Locomotive Works (later, the Manchester Locomotive Works). The rapid growth of the mills demanded a large influx of workers, resulting in a flood of immigrants, particularly French Canadians. Many current residents descend from these workers. In 1871, the arch dam was built on the Merrimack River, enhancing the mill's water power delivery system. By 1912, the production of woven cloth in the Millyard had reached a production rate of 50 miles in length per hour.

Throughout the late 19th century and the early 20th century, the city began to expand outward, and many streetcar suburbs such as Mast Road were built. Manchester was formerly home to a streetcar network, the Manchester Street Railway. The streetcar network was replaced with a bus network in the 1940s.

In 1922, 17,000 workers from two of the city's largest companies (Amoskeag and Stark Manufacturing Companies) went on strike for a period of nine months. After the strike, the textile industry began a slow decline, with the Great Depression hitting the city particularly hard. The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company declared bankruptcy in 1935. During the Great Flood of 1936, the McGregor Bridge was destroyed and $2.5 million of damage was incurred to the city's mills and buildings. After the flood, the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company reorganized out of bankruptcy as Amoskeag Industries, diversifying its manufacturing operations with new industries in the Millyard.

Manchester's economy benefitted from World War II, as the city was already well-positioned and equipped with industry to handle war-time production. In 1941, Grenier Field, on the city's border with Londonderry, was converted to a U.S. Army air base.

The city faced a decline in manufacturing in the 1950s and 1960s, with many Millyard buildings becoming abandoned during this time. An anthrax incident in 1957 led to the abandonment and later razing of the Arms Textile Mill along the river (today a parking lot in front of Arms Park). As part of urban renewal projects, the city filled in the Millyard canals to make room for roads and demolished several mill structures to make way for parking and roads. The Mall of New Hampshire opened in 1977, leading to further decline of downtown. However, during this time several important buildings were constructed in the downtown area, including the Hampshire Plaza in 1972 (the tallest building in New Hampshire until 1994, later renamed Brady Sullivan Plaza).

The 1980s brought renewed interest in the Millyard and downtown. The University of New Hampshire at Manchester opened a campus in the Millyard during this time, and Segway inventor Dean Kamen purchased two old mill buildings which became the headquarters for DEKA. Kamen purchased more buildings in 1984 and 1991, aiming to convert the Millyard into a high-tech center for smart manufacturing and offices. John Madden, a local developer, and Kamen worked with the city to implement capital improvements to the Millyard in the 1980s and early 1990s.

City Hall Plaza was built in downtown Manchester in 1992, to this day the tallest building in New Hampshire and northern New England. In 1991, the city went into economic decline as four major banks were shut down by federal regulators. Many shops and restaurants along the Elm Street thoroughfare closed during this time, as foot traffic declined. At the turn of the century, renewed interest in the Millyard led to a boom in development and business. Several high-tech firms opened offices or relocated to the Manchester Millyard in the 2000s, including Autodesk in 2000 and Dyn in 2004. Brady Sullivan, a local real estate developer, opened its first Millyard apartments in 2013. During the early to mid 2010s, Manchester saw an uptick in opioid-related deaths,  reporting more opioid-related deaths per capita than any city in the United States in 2016. Since 2018, the death rate has declined through the efforts of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and local outreach organizations, hitting a 10-year low in 2023.

Manchester has continued to grow steadily and transform itself into a cultural and commerce hub for the state of New Hampshire. The mill town's 19th-century affluence left behind some of the finest Victorian commercial, municipal, and residential architecture in the state.

Geography
Manchester is in south-central New Hampshire, 18 mi south of Concord, the state capital, and the same distance north of Nashua, the second-largest city in the state. Manchester is 51 mi north-northwest of Boston, the largest city in New England.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 90.5 sqkm, of which 85.7 sqkm are land and 4.8 sqkm are water, comprising 5.33% of the city. Manchester is drained by the Merrimack River and its tributaries the Piscataquog River and Cohas Brook. Massabesic Lake is on the eastern border. The highest point in Manchester is atop Wellington Hill, where the elevation reaches 570 ft above sea level.

Neighborhoods
The Manchester Planning Board, in its 2010 Master Plan, defines 25 neighborhoods within the city. LivableMHT has drawn maps of the neighborhoods and neighborhood village centers as defined by the city. Recognition of particular neighborhoods varies, with some having neighborhood associations, but none have any legal or political authority.

The major neighborhoods, historically, include Amoskeag, Rimmon Heights, Notre Dame/McGregorville and Piscataquog/Granite Square, also known as "Piscat", on the West Side; the North End, Janeville/Corey Square, Hallsville and Bakersville on the East Side; and Youngsville and Goffes Falls on the periphery of the city.

In 2007, the city began a Neighborhood Initiatives program to "insure that our neighborhoods are vibrant, livable areas since these are the portions of the city where most of the residents spend their time living, playing, shopping and going to school." The purpose of this initiative is to foster vibrancy and redevelopment in the neighborhoods, and to restore the sense of neighborhood communities that had been overlooked in the city for some time. The city began the program with street-scape and infrastructure improvements in the Rimmon Heights neighborhood of the West Side, which has spurred growth and investment in and by the community. Despite the success of the program in Rimmon Heights, it was unclear in recent years how the city planned to implement similar programs throughout the city. The city announced plans for extending the Neighborhood Initiatives program to the Hollow neighborhood in February 2012.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Hooksett (north)
 * Auburn (east)
 * Londonderry (southeast)
 * Merrimack (south)
 * Bedford (southwest)
 * Goffstown (west)

Climate
Manchester has a four-season humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with long, cold, snowy winters, and very warm and somewhat humid summers; spring and fall in between are crisp and relatively brief transitions. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 25.6 °F in January to 73.8 °F in July. On average, there are 16 days of highs at or above 90 °F and 3.0 days of lows at or below 0 °F annually. Precipitation is well-spread throughout the year, though winter is the driest season while early spring tends to be the wettest. Record temperatures range from −29 °F on February 16, 1943, up to 103 °F on July 22, 2011.

Demographics

The city is the center of the Manchester, New Hampshire, New England City and Town Area (NECTA), which had a population of 187,596 as of the 2010 census. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644. The Manchester-Nashua metropolitan area, comprising all of Hillsborough County, with a population of 422,937 at the 2020 census, is home to nearly one-third of the population of New Hampshire.

As of the 2010 census, there were 109,565 residents, 45,766 households, and 26,066 families in the city. The population density was 3,320.2 PD/sqmi. There were 49,288 housing units at an average density of 1,493.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 86.1% White, 4.1% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from some other race, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 82.0% of the population, down from 98.0% in 1980.

In 2011, the largest ancestry groups within the city's population were: French and French-Canadian (23.9%), Irish (19.5%), English (9.9%), German (8.6%), and Italian (8.1%).

At the 2010 census, there were 45,766 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.0% were non-families. Of all households 32.4% were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 persons and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, 21.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.2% were age 18 to 24, 30.4% were 25 to 44, 26.0% were 45 to 64, and 11.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males.

In 2011, the estimated median income for a household in the city was $51,082, and the median income for a family was $63,045. Male full-time workers had a median income of $43,583 versus $37,155 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,131. Of the population 14.1% and 9.6% of families were below the poverty line, along with 21.8% of persons who were under the age of 18 and 9.9% of persons 65 or older.

Economy

Manchester is northern New England's largest city. Its economy has changed greatly, as Manchester was primarily a textile mill town throughout much of its history. Manchester is nicknamed the Queen City, as well as the more recently coined "Manch Vegas". The Mall of New Hampshire, on Manchester's southern fringe near the intersection of Interstates 93 and 293, is the city's main retail center. In 2001, the Verizon Wireless Arena, a venue seating more than 10,000, opened for major concerts and sporting events, enhancing the city's downtown revitalization efforts with a major hotel and convention center already in place across the street from the arena. The building was renamed the SNHU Arena in 2016, after Manchester's Southern New Hampshire University.

Manchester is the home of Segway, Inc., manufacturers of a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen.

As of 2017, the following organizations and companies were the largest employers in the Manchester ZIP Code area:

In 2021, Business Insider named Manchester number 12 on its list of the 25 best cities to start a business in.
 * Elliot Hospital, 3,682 employees
 * Catholic Medical Center, 2,600 employees
 * Southern New Hampshire University, 2,093 employees
 * Eversource Energy, 1,400 employees
 * FairPoint Communications, 1,050 employees
 * TD Bank, 900 employees
 * Citizens Bank, 700 employees
 * Saint Anselm College, 689 employees
 * Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, 500 employees

Downtown
Downtown Manchester's One City Hall Plaza stands 22 stories high, quickly followed by the all-black, 20-story Brady Sullivan Plaza, formerly known as the Hampshire Plaza. They are the tallest New England buildings north of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Sullivan Plaza is shorter than City Hall Plaza by a mere 16 ft. Other major buildings include the 18-story Wall Street Apartments tower; the 14-story, recently renamed Brady Sullivan Tower, which was the former New Hampshire Insurance building; the 12-story DoubleTree Hotel and Convention Center Manchester (which serves the SNHU Arena across the street), the Carpenter Center (a former hotel), and the Hampshire Towers condominium building; the 10-story Citizens Bank Building, which was, for much of the early- and mid-20th century, Manchester's iconic Amoskeag Bank "skyscraper"; and several high-rises of or exceeding 10 stories on the city's West Side. This partial list only includes residential and commercial buildings and does not include hospitals, spires and domes, etc.

The SNHU Arena has become the centerpiece of downtown Manchester. The venue can seat slightly less than 12,000 patrons for concerts, and at least 10,000-seat configurations for sporting and other forms of entertainment. It has also hosted major recording artists and comedians, national touring theatrical productions, family-oriented shows, and fairs since it opened in 2001. The Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (formerly MerchantsAuto.com Stadium) is a baseball park on the Merrimack River in downtown Manchester and is home to the local AA baseball affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Historic Gill Stadium supported professional minor-league baseball into the early 21st century and continues to be a viable and popular downtown venue for many sporting and entertainment events, seating nearly 4,000 patrons, depending on the event format.

In recent years there has been continual redevelopment of the Amoskeag Millyard and its residential Historic District. The increasing popularity of downtown living has caused many properties originally built as tenement housing for mill workers in the 19th century to be converted to stylish, eclectic residential condominiums. Many new retail stores and higher education institutions, including the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, have been uniquely retro-fitted into properties along Commercial and Canal Street.

Shopping
Manchester has three main retail areas: downtown Manchester, South Willow Street (NH Route 28), and Second Street (NH Route 3A) on the West Side. The Mall of New Hampshire is on South Willow Street, and, with more than 125 stores, is one of the largest shopping centers in southern New Hampshire and central New England.

Arts and culture

Cultural landmarks include the historic Palace Theatre, the Currier Museum of Art, the New Hampshire Institute of Art, the Franco-American Center, the Manchester Historic Association Millyard Museum, the Massabesic Audubon Center, the Amoskeag Fishways Learning and Visitors Center, the Lawrence L. Lee Scouting Museum and Max I. Silber Library, the Zimmerman House and Kalil House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the SEE Science Center. Valley Cemetery, the resting place of numerous prominent citizens since 1841, is an early example of a garden-style burial ground.

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Coliseum is another, smaller venue in downtown Manchester with a capacity of approximately 3,000 seats. It was completed in 1963, serves as home ice for the Manchester Central and Memorial High School hockey teams, and is home to the Southern New Hampshire Skating Club.

The nickname "ManchVegas" was derived from illegal gambling in local businesses during the late 1980s or early 1990s. Many pizza shops and local bars had video poker machines that would pay out real money. The nickname was coined following a citywide campaign of law enforcement. It was then adopted as a lampoon of the city's limited entertainment opportunities. The term has since become a source of pride as the city's entertainment scene has grown. By 2003, it was well enough known that a note on Virtualtourist.com said, "Residents reflect the regional dry humor by referring to sedate Manchester as 'ManchVegas'." By 2005, an article in Manchester's Hippo (a local alternative weekly) said that then-Mayor Robert A. Baines "is pushing to replace the nickname ManchVegas with Manchhattan" (meaning Manchester+Manhattan). In 2009, the film Monsters, Marriage and Murder in ManchVegas was released referencing Manchester's popular nickname and using much of the city as its backdrop.

Manchester has a growing collective of artists, due in large part to the influx of young students at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Southern New Hampshire University, and the University of New Hampshire at Manchester. Slam Free or Die, New Hampshire's only weekly slam poetry venue, is in Manchester.

The Manchester City Library has served the city's residents since the mid-1850s and has been housed in the Carpenter Memorial Building on Pine Street since 1914. There is a branch location on North Main Street on the West Side.

Chicken Tender Capitol of the World
At a public meeting on December 6, 2022, comedian Nick Lavallee suggested that Mayor Joyce Craig and the Board of Aldermen declare Manchester "The Chicken Tender Capital of the World". Lavallee's initiative, documented by New Hampshire magazine, included paying respect to the Puritan Backroom for having invented the chicken tender and celebrating all chicken tenders offered by other Manchester establishments. Mayor Craig positively recognized the effort on her Facebook page on February 16, 2023. Lavallee first mentioned Manchester's association with the chicken tender during his appearance on The Beat with Ari Melber, a nationally broadcast television program hosted by Ari Melber, on February 7, 2020. Mayor Craig officially declared Manchester "The Chicken Tender Capital of the World" on July 27, 2023. Lavallee read the city's official resolution on field at Delta Dental Stadium before the New Hampshire Fisher Cats played as "The Manchester Chicken Tenders".

Sports
The city is home to McIntyre Ski Area, which opened in 1971. There are also college sports teams that play in and out of the city. Saint Anselm College is located less than a mile outside the city's border in Goffstown, although it has a Manchester postal address, and Southern New Hampshire University is located primarily in Hooksett, but has its campus partially within city limits. The two colleges participate in the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference, and the school with the most head-to-head victories in a school year earns the Queen City Cup.

Professional
Manchester is the only city in New Hampshire with a professional sports team: three-time Eastern League champions, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, play at Delta Dental Stadium - formerly Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. In 2021, the Eastern League was abolished and the Fisher Cats joined the newly established Double-A Northeast. The name, "Double-A Northeast" lasted only a single season and the league was renamed the Eastern League in 2022.

From 2001 to 2015, the Manchester Monarchs played in the American Hockey League. In their final season in Manchester, the Monarchs won the league championship. From 2015 to 2019, the city hosted the lower-division Manchester Monarchs in the ECHL. Both teams were based at the SNHU Arena (formerly known as the Verizon Wireless Arena.)

From 2002 through 2009, the arena was also the home of a professional arena football team: the Manchester Wolves of AF2.

Government
Manchester is incorporated as a city under the laws of the state of New Hampshire, and operates under a strong mayoral form of government. The mayor serves as chairman of the fourteen-member Board of Mayor and Aldermen, the city's legislative body. Each of Manchester's twelve wards elects a single alderman, and two additional at-large members are elected citywide. Jay Ruais is the current mayor.

The mayor also serves as the chair of the board of school committee. Like the board of aldermen, the school board has twelve members elected by ward and two at-large members. The school board is not a city department; rather, it is a school district coterminous with the city, which obtains financing from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

In the New Hampshire Senate, Manchester is represented by three state senators:

 * Keith Murphy (Republican-District 16): includes Manchester Ward 1
 * Donna Soucy (Democrat-District 18): Wards 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
 * Lou D'Allesandro (Democrat District 20): Wards 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12

In the New Hampshire Executive Council, Manchester is included within the 4th District and is represented by Republican Ted Gatsas, the city's former mayor. Manchester is included within New Hampshire's 1st congressional district and is represented by Democrat Chris Pappas.

At the presidential level, Manchester leans Democratic. George W. Bush narrowly carried the city by 170 votes in 2004, but no other presidential elections since then have been nearly as close. In 2020, Joe Biden won the highest percentage of the vote in Manchester since 1964.

Public schools
Manchester's public school system is run by the Manchester School District. Manchester School District has four public high schools:

 * Manchester High School West
 * Manchester High School Central
 * Manchester Memorial High School
 * Manchester School of Technology

Manchester School District has four public middle schools and fourteen elementary schools.

Private and charter schools
Manchester is served by three private high schools:

 * Trinity High School, a private, Roman Catholic high school
 * The Derryfield School, a private school serving sixth through twelfth grades
 * Holy Family Academy, a small Roman Catholic private school serving seventh through twelfth grades

There are several charter schools in the city:

 * The Founders Academy, a public charter school that began in the 2014–2015 school year for children in 6th to 12th grades
 * Making Community Connections Charter School Manchester Campus, also known as MC2 (M.C. Squared), a 6th to 12th grade public charter school
 * Mills Falls Charter School, a public charter school offering a Montessori education from kindergarten to 6th grade
 * Polaris Charter School, a public charter school that offers elementary education
 * Kreiva Academy, a public charter school in downtown Manchester for 6th to 12th grades

Other schools:

 * Robert B. Jolicoeur School, a private special education school
 * Mount Zion Christian Schools, a non-denominational, evangelical Christian school serving kindergarten through twelfth grade
 * Saint Benedict Academy, a Catholic elementary school serving kindergarten through sixth grade (formerly Saint Raphael School and Westside Regional Catholic School)
 * Cardinal Lacroix School, a K–6 Catholic elementary school that combines St. Anthony School and St. Casimir School
 * St. Catherine of Siena School, a Pre-K to 6th grade parochial elementary school
 * St. Joseph Regional Junior High School, a grade 7–8 regional Catholic junior high school

Post-secondary schools
Area institutions of higher education, together enrolling more than 8,000 students, include:

 * Franklin Pierce University, Manchester branch campus
 * Granite State College, Manchester branch campus
 * Hellenic American University
 * Manchester Community College
 * Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Manchester, New Hampshire Secondary Campus
 * New Hampshire Institute of Art (formerly called the Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences)
 * Southern New Hampshire University on the boundary between Manchester and Hooksett
 * University of New Hampshire at Manchester, an integral college of the University of New Hampshire

Saint Anselm College, in the Pinardville neighborhood of the town of Goffstown, is adjacent to the city line and has a Manchester mailing address and telephone exchange.

Media
The city is served by the New Hampshire Union Leader (formerly the Manchester Union Leader), The Hippo, and Manchester Ink Link.

Radio
The Manchester radio market, which contains Hillsborough County and portions of Merrimack and Rockingham counties, is home to the following FM radio stations:

 * WEVO 89.1 (NPR), "New Hampshire Public Radio")
 * WLMW 90.7 (religious programming, "New Hampshire Family Radio")
 * WDER-FM 92.1 (Christian programming, "Life-Changing Radio")
 * W231BR (classic hits, "Rewind 94.1")
 * WMNH (Public Access - 95.3)HOME
 * WZID 95.7 (adult contemporary)
 * WMLL 96.5 (classic hits, "96.5 The Mill")
 * WOKQ 97.5 (country music)
 * WNNH 99.1 (Adult Contemporary, "Frank FM, New Hampshire's Greatest Hits")
 * WGIR-FM 101.1 (rock music, "Rock 101")
 * W276BJ 103.1 (country music, "103.1 the Outlaw")
 * WBNH-LP 105.1 (alternative rock, "Bedford 105-1")
 * WJYY 105.5 (top 40, "105-5 JYY")
 * WFNQ 106.3 (Adult Contemporary, "Frank FM, New Hampshire's Greatest Hits")
 * W295BL 106.9 (classical music, simulcast of WCRB from Lowell, Massachusetts)
 * WTPL 107.7 (news/talk and sports, "107.7 The Pulse of New Hampshire")

Additionally, almost all stations from Boston can be received throughout the market, along with some stations (depending on location) from Worcester, the Seacoast and/or the Lakes Region.

Television
Manchester is on the northern edge of the Boston television market. The following stations are based in Greater Manchester:

Air
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the fourth-largest passenger and third-largest cargo airport in New England, serves the city.

Roads
Two Interstate Highways, one U.S. Route, and six New Hampshire State Routes in the city. These include:
 * Interstate 93
 * Interstate 293
 * U.S. Route 3
 * New Hampshire Route 3A
 * New Hampshire Route 28
 * New Hampshire Route 28A
 * NH 28 Bypass, known as Londonderry Turnpike.
 * New Hampshire Route 101
 * New Hampshire Route 114A

Bus
The Manchester Transit Authority runs several local bus routes throughout the city and surrounding areas, and operates three regional bus routes called the Zip Line service, which offers express service from Manchester to Concord, Nashua, and Salem, New Hampshire. Greyhound Lines operates bus service between Manchester and destinations in the Northeast.

Passenger rail
Into the 1950s, numerous Boston and Maine Railroad trains operated out of Manchester Union Station, going to points northwest as far as Montreal, north to Woodsville, east to Portsmouth and south to Boston, among these the Alouette and the Ambassador (both of these being Boston - Montreal trains). The last services were a once a day train between Boston and Concord; this service ended in 1967.

A proposed extension of the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line would see MBTA Commuter Rail service running as far north as Manchester with service frequencies similar to that of the current Lowell Line. A study currently being carried out by AECOM and the State of New Hampshire to design and make a financial plan for the project is due to be completed by 2023. The proposed Manchester station location would be located behind the Market Basket grocery store on Elm Street.

With the expansion of Interstate 93 to eight lanes from Salem to Manchester under construction, space is being reserved in the median for potential future commuter or light rail service along this corridor. The I-93 transit study also suggested restoring service on the Manchester and Lawrence branch for commuter and freight rail. This corridor would support freight rail along with commuter, something that light rail cannot do.

In late 2011, Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway and owner of several buildings in the Millyard, as well as co-founder of FIRST, proposed a rail loop for downtown and the Millyard. Several meetings have been held with area business and property owners, city officials and local developers, but the idea is in the early conceptual stages.

The downtown rail loop, if approved by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, would be about three miles long. The loop would go from the Manchester Millyards, down south for about half a mile, then turn over Elm Street, separate into two rails (the other going towards Manchester-Boston Regional Airport), and climb north to Bridge Street, ending at the Brady Sullivan Tower at the northern end of Elm Street. More concrete plans were revealed in 2018.

In 2021, Amtrak announced plans to implement new service from Boston to Concord, including a stop at Manchester, by 2035.

Law enforcement
Law enforcement is provided by the Manchester Police Department. The Manchester police station is at 405 Valley Street on the corner of Valley and Maple.

The Hillsborough County Department of Corrections is at 445 Willow Street. The prison houses an average of 500 inmates.

Fire department
The city of Manchester is protected all year by the 200 paid, professional firefighters (IAFF Local 856) of the City of Manchester Fire Department. The department is commanded by a Chief of Department, Daniel Goonan, one Assistant Chief, and five District Chiefs. The Manchester Fire Department operates out of ten fire stations throughout the city, and operates a fire apparatus fleet of ten engines, four ladder trucks (two staffed/two cross-staffed by the engine), one rescue, and one district chief (two if manpower permits). The Manchester Fire Department responds to over 26,000 emergency calls annually.

Sister cities

 * 🇩🇪 Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany
 * 🇹🇼 Taichung, Taiwan

title: Manchester, New Hampshire


text:
Mason, New Hampshire

Mason is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,448 at the 2020 census. Mason, together with Wilton, is home to Russell-Abbott State Forest.

History
Mason was first known as "Number One", the easternmost in a line of border towns including area allotted to the Province of New Hampshire after its border with neighboring Massachusetts was fixed in 1739. The town was granted its own charter in 1749 by colonial governor Benning Wentworth, and in 1768 his nephew, Governor John Wentworth, named it in honor of New Hampshire's founder, Captain John Mason, who along with Sir Ferdinando Gorges had been granted the territory in 1622 by the Council of New England. In 1629 the land grant was split between the two proprietors, with Gorges retaining the eastern portion of the territory (present-day Maine), and Mason holding the patent with title to the land that became New Hampshire.

Greenville was set off from Mason in 1872.

Near the center of Mason is the boyhood home of Samuel Wilson, the meat supplier who is believed to have inspired the Uncle Sam character. The private house is today identified by a state historical marker. Another prominent local figure was Elizabeth Orton Jones, an author, illustrator and teacher better known as "Twig". Jones is noted for her recording of town history and her dedication to Andy's Summer Playhouse, a renowned youth theater founded in Mason. Pickity Place, a local cottage built in 1759 by Ebenezer Blood, was the model for the grandmother's house in Jones' 1948 illustrated version of "Little Red Riding Hood". Pickity Place was created by David and Judith Walter.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 62.1 sqkm, of which 0.1 sqkm are water, comprising 0.23% of the town. Mason is drained to the east by Spaulding Brook, Gould Mill Brook, and Wallace Brook, tributaries of the Nissitissit River, and to the south by Walker Brook, a tributary of the Squannacook River in Massachusetts. The Nissitissit and Squannacook are both tributaries of the Nashua River, and the entire town is thereby part of the Merrimack River watershed. The town's highest point is 1100 ft above sea level, on an unnamed summit near the border with Greenville.

Mason is bordered by New Ipswich and Greenville to the west, Wilton to the north, Milford to the northeast, Brookline to the east, and Ashby, Massachusetts, and Townsend, Massachusetts, to the south.

The town is served by state routes 31, 123 and 124.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Wilton (north)
 * Milford (northeast)
 * Brookline (east)
 * Townsend, Massachusetts (southeast)
 * Ashby, Massachusetts (southwest)
 * New Ipswich (west)
 * Greenville (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,147 people, 433 households, and 328 families residing in the town. The population density was 48.0 PD/sqmi. There were 455 housing units at an average density of 19.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.08% White, 0.17% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.44% Pacific Islander, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 433 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,433, and the median income for a family was $61,908. Males had a median income of $43,558 versus $26,042 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,503. About 3.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Town facilities
Mason is immediately north of the Massachusetts border, with the center of town about 3 mi from the state line. At the center of town are five public buildings: the library, elementary school, meetinghouse, church, and police station, all situated where Darling Hill, Old Ashby, Merriam Hill, Meetinghouse Hill and Valley roads meet. The students at the public middle and high school are tuitioned to Milford, which is northeast of Mason. Tto the west is Greenville, location of the shared post office. On Depot Road, less than a mile down the hill from town center, is the Volunteer Fire and EMS Department and Town Highway Department.

Notable people

 * C. W. Anderson (1891–1971), author, illustrator
 * John Boynton (1791–1868), founder of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
 * F. Ross Holland, Jr. (1927–2005), historian; best known for his books about American lighthouses
 * Elizabeth Orton Jones (1910–2005), children's book author and illustrator
 * Elizabeth Augusta Russell (1832–1911), philanthropist, reformer, and restaurateur
 * Samuel Wilson (1766–1854), meat-packer, legendary potential origin of "Uncle Sam"
 * Walter A. Wood (1815–1892), US congressman

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Mason, New Hampshire


text:
Crystal City, Missouri

Crystal City is a city in eastern Jefferson County, Missouri, United States and is a suburb of St. Louis. The population was 4,855 at the 2010 census. It was 4,740 at the 2020 census.

Crystal City and its neighbor Festus are often collectively known as the "Twin Cities".

History
Crystal City was originally called New Detroit. A post office called Crystal City has been in operation since 1872. In the 1880s, Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company opened a glass manufacturing plant, which is the origin of the city's name. Currently, the PPG plant property remains empty and undeveloped. It was purchased by Wings Enterprises in the mid-2000s with the intentions of constructing an iron ore smelter on the property. In the early 2000s, the state of Missouri forced Doe Run Company to purchase 160 homes in Herculaneum after it was found over 56% of children within a quarter-mile (0.4 km) of the plant had high levels of lead in their blood. This prompted greater concern when Crystal City engaged in discussions over building a $1 billion dollar iron-ore smelter on the lands of the abandoned factory.

Geography
Crystal City is located adjacent to the Mississippi River floodplain to the east and the city of Festus to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.57 sqmi, of which 4.56 sqmi is land and 0.01 sqmi is water.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,855 people, 1,894 households, and 1,228 families living in the city. The population density was 1064.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,078 housing units at an average density of 455.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.2% White, 3.7% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 1,894 households, of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.06.

The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,247 people, 1,622 households, and 1,111 families living in the city. The population density was 1,136.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 473.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 92.11% White, 5.34% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 1.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.

There were 1,622 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,117, and the median income for a family was $45,288. Males had a median income of $41,111 versus $23,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,816. About 12.6% of families and 15.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.6% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Crystal City 47 Public Schools operates one elementary school and Crystal City High School.

The town has a lending library, the Crystal City Public Library.

Notable people

 * Bill Bradley, former NBA player and United States Senator
 * Margaret B. Kelly, former Missouri State Auditor
 * Danny Kladis, auto racer
 * Dan LaRose, football player
 * Tom Santschi (Paul William Santschi), silent film actor

title: Crystal City, Missouri


text:
De Soto, Missouri

De Soto is a city in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 6,449 at the 2020 census and the city is part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Van Metre family were first to settle in 1803. The town was organized in 1857 and is named for the explorer Hernando De Soto, who claimed the Louisiana Territory for Spain. De Soto was the city closest to the mean center of U.S. population in 1980. The city celebrated its Bicentennial in 2003. The city made national news on and after May 6, 2003, when straight-line winds and a tornado struck.

History
De Soto was platted in 1857 and named after Hernando de Soto (c. 1496/1497–1542), Spanish conquistador. A post office has been in operation at De Soto since 1858.

The city is known as "Fountain City" because of its numerous artesian wells. Water from these wells and springs were bottled and shipped by tank car to the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis.

The Central School Campus and Louis J. and Harriet Rozier House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tornado activity
On December 21, 1967, an F4 tornado 16.8 miles away from the city center killed three people, injured 52 people, and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.

On June 22, 1969, an F4 (max. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 13.5 miles away from the De Soto city center killed two people and injured 22 people and caused between $500,000 and $5,000,000 in damages.

On April 22, 1981, a tornado destroyed the Joachim Savings & Loan, the offices of the Republic and Press newspaper, and a tire store. One person was killed in the Savings & Loan.

On May 6, 2003, at approximately 3:45 pm, a tornado outbreak began in Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee. At 5:14pm, a tornado touched down two miles northwest of De Soto. Fourteen minutes later, the tornado sirens went off in Jefferson County. The tornado hit De Soto at F3 intensity, causing $12,800,000 in damage. The tornado destroyed the junior high gymnasium, caused significant damage to the high school and Vineland Elementary, destroyed 58 houses and a local grocery store. It injured 23 and killed nine inside De Soto.

Local Attractions

 * Melba Theater
 * De Soto Public Library
 * Spross Park
 * Walther's Park
 * Richter Park

Geography
The community is located along Joachim Creek in southwest Jefferson County. Missouri Route 21 passes just west to the west and Missouri Route 110 connects to US Route 67 approximately three miles east of the town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.30 sqmi, all land.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 6,400 people, 2,629 households, and 1,633 families residing in the city. The population density was 1488.4 PD/sqmi. There were 2,927 housing units at an average density of 680.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.8% White, 1.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 2,629 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.0% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.9% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the city was 36.8 years. 24.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.2% male and 52.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,375 people, 2,544 households, and 1,656 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,673.6 PD/sqmi. There were 2,741 housing units at an average density of 719.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 96.71% White, 1.71% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.

There were 2,544 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,725, and the median income for a family was $37,486. Males had a median income of $33,163 versus $20,039 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,971. About 11.4% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The local economy is fueled by Union Pacific Railroad which operates a car repair shop on the east side of Main Street. Wal-Mart and De Soto School District #73 are the largest employers.

Transportation
De Soto's main train station on the Missouri Pacific Railroad was constructed in 1919 and demolished in 1982. It had passenger service until April 30, 1971; for several decades afterward, Amtrak's Texas Eagle passed through De Soto without stopping. Amtrak announced in 2023 that it would add a De Soto stop to the Texas Eagle, pending agreements with Union Pacific and construction of a platform, after the city government had campaigned for its inclusion.

Education
Public schools are run by the De Soto School District #73:
 * De Soto Senior High School
 * De Soto Junior High
 * Vineland Elementary
 * Athena Elementary

St. Rose of Lima School is the only private school in town run by St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

The closest institution of higher education is in Hillsboro, Missouri at Jefferson College.

The town has a lending library, the De Soto Public Library.

Notable people

 * Mel Bay, musician, music teacher, and publisher of sheet music
 * Thomas Clement Fletcher, Governor of Missouri
 * Whitey Ford, comedian known as "The Duke of Paducah"
 * Michael H. Hall, Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Juanita Hamel, newspaper illustrator and writer
 * Burdette Johnson, numismatist
 * William E. Lewis, Missouri state representative
 * Jay Nixon, 55th Governor of Missouri and former state Attorney General
 * Frank Wilcox, actor

title: De Soto, Missouri


text:
Merrimack, New Hampshire

Merrimack is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 26,632 as of the 2020 census.

There are four villages in the town: Merrimack Village (formerly known as Souhegan Village), Thorntons Ferry, Reeds Ferry, and South Merrimack.

History
The first known settlers of the area appeared sometime after the last ice age. Merrimack is a Native American term meaning sturgeon, a type of fish. The Pennacook people named the Merrimack River after this fish because of the vast population that once existed there. The Pennacooks spelled it Monnomoke or Merramake. "When the town was incorporated, it took the name of the river and spelled it Merrymac," according to the Merrimack Historical Society.

The first mention of the territory containing the current town of Merrimack among written records was the petition of Passaconaway to the General Court of Massachusetts for a grant of land to include a part of this region. This was in 1662, and in the autumn of that year the court acceded to the request, and the aged sachem and his associates were granted a strip of country a mile and a half wide on both banks of the Merrimack at this section of the river. Although the boundaries of this grant are not specifically known today, it is probable that the chieftain held at least a portion of the current town of Merrimack. European settlers first came to the area in the late 17th century when the area was still in dispute between the Province of New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The town of Merrimack was originally part of the 1673 Dunstable grant. On June 25, 1734, Massachusetts granted the town organization as "Naticook", which was made up of Litchfield and part of Merrimack. In 1746 the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was revised, and the land which was originally part of Massachusetts became part of New Hampshire. When it went back into New Hampshire, the province disincorporated the towns of Dunstable, Naticook, and Nottingham and formed it into one giant territory again, roughly the size of the old Dunstable Grant from the 1670s.

On April 2, 1746, Governor Benning Wentworth signed a charter establishing that the land from Pennichuck Brook to the Souhegan River became the Town of Merrymac. At that time fewer than 50 families lived here. Pawtucket, Nashaway and Pennacook people camped along the banks of the Merrimack and Souhegan rivers. The Pennacooks were greatest in numbers, and their chief, Passaconaway, was the ruler of all the tribes in the Merrimack Valley. On June 5, 1750, the town's charter was ratified, giving the town an additional 3 mi to the north. The new portion called "Souhegan East" was made up of the land north of the Souhegan River.

Matthew Thornton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, lived and was buried in Merrimack. The Signer's House and Matthew Thornton Cemetery are still located in the town.

The original meetinghouse was built at the exact center of town. There were two cemeteries. Turkey Hill on Meetinghouse Road is the first mentioned in the town records, but Thornton Cemetery on Route 3 has the oldest gravestone.

The nineteenth century saw much growth in Merrimack. The meetinghouse was too small and too far from what had become the center of town. The church and government became separate and two new churches were built in more convenient locations, one in South Merrimack and one on Baboosic Lake Road. A new town hall was built to replace the meetinghouse.

The Boston and Maine Railroad laid tracks through the town in the 19th century, with several stations operating until the mid-20th century, when the advent of the automobile transformed Merrimack from a largely agricultural community to a bedroom community of Boston and nearby cities in New Hampshire. Since 1970 the town has been the home of an Anheuser-Busch brewery, their easternmost, and one of their smallest plants in the United States. It is home to a brewery tour and one of the five stables for the Budweiser Clydesdales.

The Merrimack School Board attracted national attention in 1995 when it passed a "prohibition of alternative lifestyle instruction" act, which resulted in the removal of a work by William Shakespeare from the school curriculum. The board members who supported the act were voted out in the subsequent board election.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 86.6 km2, of which 84.4 sqkm are land and 2.2 sqkm are water, comprising 2.55% of the town. The highest point in Merrimack is an unnamed hill in the northwestern part of town that reaches 512 ft above sea level.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Bedford, New Hampshire (north)
 * Manchester, New Hampshire (northeast)
 * Litchfield, New Hampshire (east)
 * Nashua, New Hampshire (south)
 * Hollis, New Hampshire (southwest)
 * Amherst, New Hampshire (west)

Areas of Merrimack
Shadows of the former villages that now make Merrimack still exist. However, the boundaries and exact definitions are unclear due to the expansion of suburban development in the town during the latter half of the 20th century.

Thorntons Ferry
The area of town near Naticook Lake and Continental Boulevard, its name comes from Matthew Thornton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence who lived in Merrimack and is now buried in a cemetery near the intersection of Daniel Webster Highway (U.S. Route 3) and Greeley Street. Thorntons Ferry Elementary School is located on Camp Sargent Road.

Reeds Ferry
The northern portion of the town, Reeds Ferry is centered on the current intersection of Bedford Road and Daniel Webster Highway. The boundaries of the area are unclear, as the northwestern part of town near Baboosic Lake is not traditionally considered a portion of Reeds Ferry. While as a defined village it was located mostly near the Merrimack River, the area near Baboosic Lake may now possibly be seen as part of Reeds Ferry. Reeds Ferry Elementary School is located on Lyons Road.

South Merrimack
Centered on Pennichuck Square on Rte. 101A and Continental Boulevard, South Merrimack is usually considered to be the southwestern part of town near Rte. 101A and Boston Post Road. However, the southeastern portion of town near Harris Pond might also be considered part of South Merrimack or Thornton's Ferry.

Merrimack Village
The center of town is not known as "Merrimack Village" per se, but constitutes the area between the more defined Reeds Ferry and Thorntons Ferry areas. Largely considered to be located at the Public Library on the corner of Baboosic Lake Road and Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack Village was built along the Souhegan River that roughly cuts the current town in half. The elementary school in this part of town is named after James Mastricola, who deeded the land to the town upon his death. One of the three elementary schools, the upper elementary school, Merrimack High School, the library, and the current town hall, among other buildings, are all located on the land formerly owned by Mastricola.

The "village" is considered to extend westward to the Amherst border. This is due in large part to the former Town Meetinghouse, which was located on the corner of Turkey Hill Road and Meetinghouse Road.

Demographics
As of the 2010 census, there were 25,494 people, 9,503 households, and 7,150 families residing in the town. There were 9,818 housing units, of which 315, or 3.2%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the town was 95.0% White, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.5% some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. 2.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 9,503 households, 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were headed by married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.7% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67, and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, 24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% were from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 32.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.4 males.

For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $90,708, and the median income for a family was $101,786. Male full-time workers had a median income of $69,937 versus $50,184 for females. The per capita income for the town was $39,695. 4.0% of the population and 2.3% of families were below the poverty line. 4.7% of the population under the age of 18 and 4.4% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.

Economy
PC Connection and Brookstone are based in Merrimack. Merrimack Canoe Company was started in Merrimack before being relocated to Tennessee. Other notable employers include Fidelity Investments, Anheuser-Busch, Campers Inn, and BAE Systems. Opened in 2012, the Merrimack Premium Outlets are a 560000 sqft retail mall area with 12 buildings, parking lots, and other site improvements located off exit 10 of the Everett Turnpike.

Education
The six public schools in Merrimack are managed by the Merrimack School District and include Thorntons Ferry Elementary School, Reeds Ferry Elementary School, James Mastricola Elementary School, James Mastricola Upper Elementary School, Merrimack Middle School and Merrimack High School.

Merrimack High School has won one state championship in baseball (2007), three in softball (1980, 1988, 2001), one in football (1987), two in soccer (1998 girls, 2008 boys), three in indoor track (1999, 2007, 2008), four in outdoor track (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007), one in cross-country (2006), one in girls lacrosse (2012), one in skiing (1979), two in volleyball (2001, 2014), and four in basketball (1967, 2003, 2004, 2012).

The Academy for Science and Design was a charter school established for the 2007–2008 academic year; it was New Hampshire's first charter school to concentrate on science, math, engineering, and design and is free of tuition fees. The school has since moved to Nashua. In 2014, the Gate City Charter School for the Arts opened its doors to students.

Also within the town lies the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts. The college is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts schools in the country.

Annual events
The Rock'N Ribfest, hosted by the Nashua West Rotary Club, was an annual event held from 2003 through 2018, the proceeds of which benefited many local charities. In 2019 the event was hosted by the Merrimack Rotary Club and renamed the Great American Ribfest and Food Truck Festival. The ribfest is held on the Anheuser-Busch grounds in Merrimack and features BBQ, children's games and activities, music, and other entertainment.

Government
The town government consists of a seven-member town council. This form of government was adopted by a ballot measure on May 25, 2006. More information on Merrimack's local government can be found at Charter commission website.

Each March, the town conducts two deliberative sessions (school and general) to decide what warrant articles will be on the Town General Election ballot in April, one of which is always election of town officers, and another is the budget. If the budget is not approved by the voters, the town's governing council either holds an emergency hearing regarding a new budget or goes forward with the priors years' budget, amended with any time-sensitive information pending upon the current year.

The Merrimack Village District administers the water system that serves the central area of the town.

As a large, suburban community located directly between the state's two largest cities (Manchester and Nashua), Merrimack plays a disproportionate role to its size every four years in the New Hampshire primary; in almost every Fourth of July preceding a presidential election, every presidential candidate will march or have a float in the town's Fourth of July parade.

In the New Hampshire Senate, Merrimack is in the 11th district and is currently represented by Democrat Shannon Chandley. On the New Hampshire Executive Council, Merrimack is in district 5 and is currently represented by Republican Dave Wheeler. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Merrimack is included in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district and is currently represented by Democrat Chris Pappas.

Merrimack leans Republican in presidential elections, but in recent years has shifted to become a battleground town. In 2020, Joe Biden was the first Democrat to carry the town with a majority of votes since Lyndon B. Johnson's landslide victory in 1964.

Republicans currently hold five of the town's eight seats in the General Court. The current General Court district of Merrimack is Hillsborough 12.

Notable people

 * Christy Karacas (born 1975), creator of Superjail! and director of Robotomy; born in Merrimack
 * Walter Kittredge (1834–1905), Civil War-era musician
 * David Lozeau, artist, children's book writer
 * Tim Schaller (born 1990), former NHL player
 * Forrest Sherman (1896–1951), admiral in the United States Navy who served as Chief of Naval Operations
 * Matthew Thornton (1714–1803), Founding Father, signer of the United States Declaration of Independence

title: Merrimack, New Hampshire


text:
Mont Vernon, New Hampshire

Mont Vernon is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,584 at the 2020 census, up from 2,409 at the 2010 census.

Toponymy
It is not clear why the name of the community is spelled differently from the many other towns in the United States named after Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. Some say the "u" in "Mount" was accidentally dropped by a town clerk filling out official papers; some say the change was made deliberately to draw attention to the town; some say it uses the French spelling of mont as a nod to what was then the region's large French-Canadian population. According to town history, there was some dispute about how to spell the name as late as the 1920s, with the post office and one of its most prominent hotels using a "u" for many decades.

History
Mont Vernon broke away from neighboring Amherst in 1803, following a dispute over the town parish. It later added a small portion of neighboring Lyndeborough.

Mont Vernon's general history follows that of many towns in this region. Originally settled for agriculture, its farms were hard hit after the Civil War when railroads opened up better farming land in the Midwest. The town's population peaked in 1870 and began to decline.

By the late 1890s, it had become a tourist town, drawing summer visitors from points south, notably Boston, who escaped the heat in Mont Vernon's hills. At one point, it had five large summer hotels, including the Grand Hotel, located on top of Grand Hill.

The hotel business began to wither with the development of the automobile, which allowed tourists to reach places like the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and it was killed by the Great Depression. The town's population bottomed out at barely 300 in 1930, at which time the Grand Hotel was destroyed in a fire. The remaining hotels were torn down before World War II.

Since the war, Mont Vernon has slowly become a suburban community. This was significantly accelerated in 1962–1963 when engineers and technicians employed at Sanders Associates in Nashua found homes in Mont Vernon attractive. It wasn't until the 1970 census that the town's official population passed mid-19th century highs.

Agriculture, including a 1940s and 1950s boom in chicken and egg farming, has all but disappeared. As of 2019, the town has one dairy farm. The town has one general store that except for a two-year period from 2010–2012 has operated for more than 120 years in the same location.

Mont Vernon made national news in March 2012 due to debate during the annual town meeting over whether to rename a small fishing hole called Jew Pond. The town eventually renamed it Carleton Pond, after the family which donated the surrounding property to the town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.8 km2, of which 43.6 sqkm are land and 0.2 sqkm are water, comprising 0.49% of the town. Mont Vernon is drained by Beaver Brook, Hartshorn Brook, and Purgatory Brook, south-flowing tributaries of the Souhegan River. The northwestern corner of town is drained by Lords Brook, a northward-flowing tributary of the South Branch Piscataquog River. The entire town is part of the Merrimack River watershed. The town's highest point is on its northern border, at 1015 ft above sea level, near the summit of Storey Hill.

Mont Vernon is served by one state highway, New Hampshire Route 13, which passes through the center of town and leads south to Milford and north to New Boston.

Adjacent municipalities

 * New Boston (north)
 * Amherst (east)
 * Milford (south)
 * Lyndeborough (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,034 people, 693 households, and 575 families residing in the town. The population density was 122.4 PD/sqmi. There were 720 housing units at an average density of 43.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.57% White, 0.15% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.

There were 693 households, out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.9% were non-families. 12.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $71,250, and the median income for a family was $77,869. Males had a median income of $50,353 versus $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,772. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The only public school in town is the Mont Vernon Village School. It is an elementary school, with grades kindergarten to six. For seventh and eighth grades, Mont Vernon sends its students to Amherst Middle School. For ninth through 12th grades, the students are sent to Souhegan High School, which is in Amherst but jointly owned by Amherst and Mont Vernon. Mont Vernon and Amherst comprise the school administrative unit SAU 39.

Mont Vernon had a private school that started as the Appleton Academy in 1853 and was renamed the McCollom Institute in 1871, which closed shortly before the turn of the century. The building was used as a public high school for a few years, and later became the private Stearns School, which operated from 1906 to 1937, when it closed its doors due to low enrollment during the Great Depression. The building was later used for a public elementary school and now houses the police department and town offices.

Fire department
The former two-story Mont Vernon Fire Station, built in 1947, was located on North Main Street next to the Town Hall. This station had 6 apparatus bays. In March 2007 the town voted to raze the deteriorating building and replace it with a new fire station on the same lot. The new station has 5 apparatus bays facing North Main Street, and 1 bay facing Pinkham Avenue. The Fire Chief has his office in the station, along with a radio and report room, a meeting room, and an office for the Emergency Management Director. The station also contains maintenance, storage, and work rooms. Emergency medical services are provided by Amherst.

Crime
Mont Vernon made national news in 2009 when a home invasion in the town resulted in the murder of Kimberly Cates. The case received significant coverage due to the crime’s brutality, the randomness by which the home was chosen with intent to murder (the victims and perpetrators did not know each other prior to the home invasion), the apparent lack of remorse, and the perpetrators’ ages.

On October 4, 2009, 17-year-old Steven Spader and 19-year-old Christopher Gribble murdered Kimberly Cates (age 42) and severely maimed her 11-year-old daughter, Jaimie, during a home invasion in Mont Vernon. Both victims were assaulted with a machete. Spader admitted to hacking Kimberly Cates to death with 36 blows to the head and torso.

The case also led to debate and changes to New Hampshire's capital punishment laws.

Culture
The town has two major annual celebrations: On the last Saturday in September, it hosts "Lamson Farm Day" at a town-owned farm to celebrate its agricultural past. In late April or early May, it has a celebration of spring called the "Mont Vernon Spring Gala". Both feature games, food and local entertainers.

Sports
The town has two sports teams that compete regionally. They are the Mont Vernon Falcons basketball team and the Mont Vernon Acers volleyball team. Both teams are for girls age 9–12. The Mont Vernon Village School (grades K–6) has a basketball court and volleyball court. Adult volleyball has been playing on Monday nights at the school since the early 1990s. The town owns land near the school that has a baseball field with bases, fencing and two dugouts. The adjacent field is also used for many other sports. Golf was played behind what is now the site of the post office is in the early 1900s.

There is a gun sporting range in town (the Purgatory Falls Fish & Game Club), and local hunting can be widely found in the fall. There was a ski hill with a rope tow that disbanded in the middle of the 20th century. Mont Vernon is known for views over the Souhegan Valley and has hiking trails, especially in town-owned Lamson Farm and along Purgatory Brook, which forms most of its western border. The Morrissette Trail, opened in May 2012, goes from the lowest to the highest points in Mont Vernon for an elevation gain of 700 ft (315 to 1015 ft). It is sponsored by Summit for a Cure.

Notable people

 * Doc Adams (1814–1899), baseball pioneer, New York Knickerbockers player and executive
 * George Wilkins Kendall (1809–1867), journalist, Mexican–American War correspondent, and founder of The New Orleans Picayune
 * Erland Van Lidth De Jeude (1983–1987), actor and amateur wrestler
 * Ryan M. Pitts (born 1985), Congressional Medal of Honor recipient
 * Alex Preston (born 1993), musician, American Idol (season 13) top 3 finalist

title: Mont Vernon, New Hampshire


text:
Phillipsburg, Missouri

Phillipsburg is a village in Laclede County, Missouri, United States. The population was 202 at the 2010 census.

History
A post office called Phillipsburg has been in operation since 1871. The community was named after Rufus Phillips, a local merchant.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.80 sqmi, all land.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 202 people, 72 households, and 53 families living in the village. The population density was 252.5 PD/sqmi. There were 82 housing units at an average density of 102.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 99.0% White and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 72 households, of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 12.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.4% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.13.

The median age in the village was 31.8 years. 34.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 21.8% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 45.0% male and 55.0% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 201 people, 73 households, and 55 families living in the village. The population density was 394.4 PD/sqmi. There were 85 housing units at an average density of 166.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 87.56% White, 1.49% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 2.49% Pacific Islander, 2.49% from other races, and 4.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.47% of the population.

There were 73 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.3% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 18.9% from 18 to 24, 20.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28 years. For every 100 females, there were 118.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $21,875, and the median income for a family was $25,938. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $18,036 for females. The per capita income for the village was $9,083. About 32.7% of families and 40.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 67.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 26.1% of those 65 or over.

title: Phillipsburg, Missouri


text:
Alma, Missouri

Alma is a city in Lafayette County, Missouri, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area within the United States. The population was 400 at the 2020 census.

History
Alma was laid out in 1879 when the railroad was extended to that point. A post office called Alma has been in operation since 1879. The community has the name of Alma Woodson, the daughter of one of the founders.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.28 sqmi, all land.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 402 people, 173 households, and 116 families living in the city. The population density was 1435.7 PD/sqmi. There were 193 housing units at an average density of 689.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.3% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.

There were 173 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 44 years. 24.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 399 people, 179 households, and 117 families living in the city. The population density was 1,476.7 PD/sqmi. There were 190 housing units at an average density of 703.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 99.50% White, and 0.50% from two or more races.

There were 179 households, out of which 25.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 24.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city the population was spread out, with 19.8% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 74.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,426, and the median income for a family was $49,375. Males had a median income of $28,942 versus $21,607 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,000. About 0.9% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Alma is home to Santa Fe High School. The school mascot is the Chiefs. In 2000, the Chiefs football team defeated St. Vincent 12–0 to win the Missouri Class 1A state football title. In May 2008 and again in 2012, the Chiefs took first in Missouri Class 1A State baseball title, after coming in fourth in baseball the year before.

Trinity Lutheran School is an accredited Lutheran LCMS Elementary School and is associated with Trinity Lutheran Church. Upon graduation, most students go on to Santa Fe High School, while some go on to either St Paul Lutheran High in Concordia or other local public high schools. Athletically, Trinity's mascot is a Tiger.

title: Alma, Missouri


text:
Nashua, New Hampshire

Nashua is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, whith which shares the county seat of New Hampshire's most populous county, Hillsborough.

Built around the now-departed textile industry, in recent decades Nashua's economy has shifted to the financial services, high tech, and defense industries as part of the economic recovery that started in the 1980s in the Greater Boston region. Major private employers in the city include Nashua Corporation, BAE Systems, and Teradyne. The city also hosts two major regional medical centers, Southern New Hampshire Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital. The South Nashua commercial district is a major regional shopping destination, lying directly on the Massachusetts border and taking advantage of New Hampshire's lack of sales tax. It is anchored by the Pheasant Lane Mall and numerous smaller shopping centers.

It is one of several U.S. cities nicknamed Gate City, which references a reputation for being a travel gateway - in this case between the Boston region and New Hampshire. A number of civic groups and institutions have adopted the title.

History
The area was part of a 200 sqmi tract of land in Massachusetts called "Dunstable", named after Edward Tyng of Dunstable in England. Located at the confluence of the Nashua and Merrimack rivers, Dunstable was first settled about 1654 as a fur trading town. Nashua lies approximately in the center of the original 1673 grant. In 1732, Dunstable was split along the Merrimack River, with the town of Nottingham West (now the town of Hudson, New Hampshire) created out of the eastern portion. The previously disputed boundary between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was fixed in 1741 when the governorships of the two provinces were separated. As a result, the township of Dunstable was divided in two. Tyngsborough and some of Dunstable remained in Massachusetts, while Dunstable, New Hampshire, was incorporated in 1746 from the northern section of the town.

Like many 19th century riverfront New England communities, New Hampshire's Dunstable was developed during the Industrial Revolution with textile mills operated from water power. In 1823, the Nashua Manufacturing Company was incorporated. The company eventually had four mills and employed approximately 1,000 people. The following year, the Jackson Manufacturing Company was incorporated.

In 1836, the New Hampshire half of Dunstable was renamed "Nashua", after the Nashua River; the Dunstable name lives on across the Massachusetts border. The Nashua River was named by the Nashaway people, and in the Penacook language it means "beautiful stream with a pebbly bottom", with an alternative meaning of "land between two rivers". In 1842, the town split into two towns. Eleven years later, they joined back together under the name "Nashua", and were re-incorporated as a city. During the split, the northern area, known today as "French Hill", called itself "Nashville", while the southern part kept the name Nashua.

Six railroad lines crossed the mill town, namely the Nashua and Lowell, Worcester and Nashua, Nashua and Acton, Nashua and Wilton, Concord and Nashua, and Rochester railroads.

Like the rival Amoskeag Manufacturing Company upriver in Manchester, the Nashua mills prospered until about World War I, after which a slow decline set in. Water power was replaced with newer forms of energy to run factories, such as coal, and cotton could be manufactured into fabric where it grew, saving transportation costs.

In 1922, it was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike, shutting down the mills in the city over an attempted wage cut and hours increase.

The textile business started moving to the South during the Great Depression, with the last mill near Nashua closing in 1949.

But then Sanders Associates, a newly created defense firm that is now part of BAE Systems, moved into one of the closed mills and helped restart the city's economy. Sanders Associates also played a key role in the development of the home video game console market. Ralph H. Baer, an employee of Sanders, developed what would become the Magnavox Odyssey, the first commercial home video game system. The arrival of Digital Equipment Corp., now part of Hewlett-Packard, in the 1970s made the city part of the Boston-area high-tech corridor.

Geography
Nashua is in southeastern Hillsborough County. It is bordered to the south by Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 82.2 sqkm, of which 79.9 sqkm are land and 2.3 sqkm are water, comprising 2.84% of the city. The eastern boundary of Nashua is formed by the Merrimack River, and the city is drained by the Nashua River and Salmon Brook, tributaries of the Merrimack. The Nashua River roughly bisects the city. Pennichuck Brook forms the city's northern boundary. The highest point in Nashua is Gilboa Hill in the southern part of the city, at 426 ft above sea level.

Climate
Nashua has a four-season humid continental climate, which has transitioned to the hot summer subtype, (Köppen Dfa), as of the 1991 to 2020 normals, with short spring and autumn transitions, long humid and warm to hot summers, and cold winters full of snow. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 22.7 °F in January to 70.9 °F in July. On average, there are 9.4 days of 90 °F+ highs and 8.7 days of sub-0 °F lows. Precipitation is well-spread throughout the year, though winter is the driest. Snowfall, the heaviest of which typically comes from nor'easters, averages around 55 in per season, but can vary widely from year to year. Nashua recorded the New Hampshire state record high temperature of 106 F during the deadly 1911 heat wave.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 PD/sqmi. There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 83.4% White, 2.7% African American, 0.3% Native American, 6.5% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 4.6% from some other race, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of the population.

There were 35,044 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

In 2011 the estimated median income for a household in the city was $60,923, and the median income for a family was $76,612. Male full-time workers had a median income of $60,365 versus $43,212 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,937. About 4.6% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Nashua has three main commercial districts. Centered on Main Street near the geographic center of the city, Downtown Nashua is the oldest of the commercial districts, featuring commercial, entertainment, and dining venues, near historic commercial buildings and homes as well. Recent plans have incorporated the Nashua River into the design of a pedestrian-friendly walkway. The downtown Nashua Riverwalk is a large, public/private venture funded through the use of tax increment financing (TIF). Amherst Street (Route 101A) is in the northwestern part of the city and is a large thoroughfare with commercial centers along both sides. The South Nashua Commercial District, centered on Daniel Webster Highway near the Massachusetts border, is anchored by the Pheasant Lane Mall, attracting many people from Massachusetts taking advantage of the lack of sales tax in New Hampshire.

The city is home to a number of technical firms, including Nashua Corporation, which took its name from the city and river. Nashua Corp. was a leading producer of floppy disks through the early 1990s, making the Nashua name well known in the world of personal computers.

Defense contractor BAE Systems (formerly Sanders Associates), computer firm Dell, and software company Oracle Corporation are the largest representatives of the high-tech industry prominent in the region. The Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center is in Nashua. The three-building campus that once housed a Digital Equipment Corporation software development facility was sold to the John Flatley Company, which has renamed it "Nashua Technology Park".

Sports

Nashua has had a series of amateur, semi-professional, and professional baseball teams. The Nashua Silver Knights, part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England (FCBL), is the city's current team. The Nashua Pride, a Can-Am minor league baseball team, played at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, then changed to the American Defenders of New Hampshire in the 2009 season. The Defenders were evicted from the venue in August 2009, however, because of non-payment of rent, and moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts to become the Pittsfield Colonials. Before the Pride, Holman was the home stadium for the independent Nashua Hawks; the AA Nashua Pirates; the AA Nashua Angels; and the A Nashua Dodgers, the first racially integrated professional baseball team in the 20th century. After minor league baseball began in Nashua in 1885, the team hosted the Nashua Millionaires franchise, with the team playing in the New England League from 1901 to 1933.

In collegiate sports, Nashua is home to the Rivier University Raiders, who compete in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC).

The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps (1997, 1998, 2004, 2007 Drum Corps International Division II Champions and 2019 Open Class Champions) is based in Nashua.

Government

The city's government is headed by a mayor and fifteen aldermen: six at-large aldermen elected three at a time every four years, and nine ward aldermen, one for each ward in the city, elected every two years.

In the New Hampshire General Court, Nashua is represented in the House by Hillsborough County's 3rd (Ward 4), 4th (Ward 2), 5th (Ward 1), 6th (Ward 3), 7th (Ward 7), 8th (Ward 6), 9th (Ward 5), 10th (Ward 9), and 11th (Ward 8) districts and in the Senate by District 12 (Wards 1, 2, and 5, shared with Hollis, Mason, Brookline, Greenville, New Ipswich, and Rindge) and District 13 (Wards 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9).

In the New Hampshire Senate, Nashua is represented by two state senators:
 * Republican Kevin Avard (District 12) – Wards 1–2, 5
 * Democrat Cindy Rosenwald (District 13) – Wards 3–4, 6-9

In the New Hampshire Executive Council, Nashua is included within the 5th District and is currently represented by Republican Dave Wheeler. Nashua is included within New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district and is currently represented by Democrat Ann McLane Kuster in the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the presidential level, Nashua leans strongly towards Democrats. George H. W. Bush was the last Republican presidential nominee to win Nashua, in 1988.

Education

In the 2000 U.S Census, 22,700 residents over age three were enrolled in a Nashua educational institution, approximately a fourth of the city.

Public

 * Nashua High School South (formerly Nashua High School, 1976–2004)
 * Nashua High School North
 * Brentwood Academy
 * Clearway Alternative High School

Private

 * Bishop Guertin High School, a coeducational Catholic high school

Public charter school

 * Academy for Science and Design

Public

 * Elm Street Middle School
 * Fairgrounds Middle School
 * Pennichuck Middle School

Private

 * Saint Christopher Academy (Upper Campus)
 * World Academy

Public

 * Amherst Street Elementary School
 * Bicentennial Elementary School
 * Birch Hill Elementary School
 * Broad Street Elementary School
 * Charlotte Avenue Elementary School
 * Dr. Norman W. Crisp Elementary School
 * Fairgrounds Elementary School
 * Ledge Street Elementary School
 * Main Dunstable Elementary School
 * Mount Pleasant Elementary School
 * New Searles Elementary School
 * Sunset Heights Elementary School

Colleges

 * Nashua Community College (NCC)
 * Granite State College, which shares a campus with NCC.
 * Rivier University
 * Hellenic American University

Former colleges

 * Daniel Webster College (DWC): closed in May 2017.
 * Southern New Hampshire University's Nashua campus

Media
The local newspaper is The Telegraph, with daily news published online and a weekly printed edition.

Nashua radio stations include oldies station WGHM 900 AM (ESPN affiliate), talk station WSMN 1590 AM, and 106.3 WFNQ, a classic hits station owned by Binnie Media. WEVS 88.3 and 90.3 serve as the stations for New Hampshire Public Radio. The city is part of the Manchester radio market and can also receive almost all Boston-market stations clearly.

One television station is licensed to Nashua. WBTS-CD (channel 15) is owned by NBC Owned Television Stations, and serves as the NBC owned-and-operated station for the Boston market. The station moved from its own transmitter to a channel share with PBS member station WGBX-TV from their Needham, Massachusetts tower in 2018 upon NBC's assumption of ownership, letting it broadcast the "NBC Boston" service (previously carried by a low-power station in Boston and subchannels of other stations) across the entire market. As WYCN-CD, it formerly carried a number of smaller networks, along with local programming and community calendar information of interest to Nashuans, until the sale to NBC.

Roads
The Everett Turnpike is the major highway running through the city. U.S. Route 3 follows the turnpike from the Massachusetts border north to Exit 7E, where it branches to the northeast along the two-lane Henri A. Burque Highway to Concord Street and then heads north into the town of Merrimack. Other New Hampshire state highways in the city include:
 * NH 101A, which enters the city from the northwest and follows Amherst Street to its terminus at Main Street.
 * NH 111, which enters the city from the southwest and follows Hollis Street to the city's eastern border at the Merrimack River, crossing into Hudson on the twin-span Taylor Falls/Veterans Memorial bridges.
 * NH 111A, which enters the city from the southwest and follows Groton Road to Main Dunstable Road to its terminus at Hollis Street.
 * NH 130, which enters the city from the west and follows Broad Street to its terminus at Amherst Street.

Maps of the Nashua area often show a stretch of freeway forming a circumferential highway through Nashua and the neighboring town of Hudson. Only a small section of the south end of this highway (Exit 2 off U.S. Route 3) has been built, and it is unclear whether the highway will ever be completed. If finished, the Nashua-Hudson Circumferential Highway would be part of the Everett Turnpike, and would rejoin the mainline highway at a hypothetical Exit 9 in northern Nashua.

In 2015, after four years of construction, the city completed the Broad Street Parkway, which connects Exit 6 of the Everett Turnpike to the city's downtown area ("Tree Streets" neighborhood), with the goal of easing traffic congestion and opening up Nashua's old mill-yard as part of the city's economic development. The new parkway provides a third crossing of the Nashua River and a way for traffic to avoid Library Hill, a busy downtown intersection. The idea of a road connecting Broad Street with Hollis Street within the city had been discussed since the 1960s.

Public transportation is provided by the Nashua Transit System, which has nine scheduled bus routes in the city. Boston Express, a subsidiary of Concord Coach Lines, operates a Nashua-Boston bus line that runs out of the Nashua Transit Center off Exit 8 on the Everett Turnpike. This line transports passengers to South Station and Logan International Airport in Boston.

Airports
Nashua Airport (Boire Field), a general aviation facility, is in the city's northwest corner. The nearest airports with scheduled airline service are Manchester–Boston Regional Airport in Manchester and Logan International Airport in Boston.

Past trolleys
Historically, Nashua was a hub for the trolley system in New Hampshire. Trolleys could be taken south to Boston, as well as north into Manchester and to locations as far east as Hampton, New Hampshire. The trolley also connected different areas of the city, with the Nashua line ending at the city dance hall. The trolley system decreased in popularity in the 20th century, finally closing in 1932.

Future railroads
Efforts are being made to extend the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line from Lowell to Manchester, stopping at Nashua along the way. The state legislature created the New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority (NHRTA) in 2007 with the goal of overseeing the development of commuter rail in the state. The proposed line would connect Lowell, Massachusetts, to Bedford, New Hampshire, with the end station being near the Manchester–Boston Regional Airport. As of November, 2022, an ongoing study by AECOM and the State of New Hampshire for design and financing is due to be completed by early 2023, and the project is awaiting federal funding. Nashua is proposed to have two station stops on the line, South Nashua, which would be located behind the Pheasant Lane Mall just north of the state line, and Nashua, which would be located in a rail yard near Crown Street in downtown Nashua and would utilize the existing Crown Street park-and-ride lot.

Separately on October 11, 2017 the Nashua Board of Aldermen signed a memorandum of understanding with the now bankrupt Boston Surface Railroad Company for the creation of a rail line.

Firefighting
The fire department of Nashua, Nashua Fire, has 176 full-time members and is responsible for 31.9 sqmi, protecting a population of 91,322. In the city, there are six stations. There is one fire chief, one assistant chief, and four deputy chiefs. The department has six engines, three ladder trucks, one haz-mat/rescue truck (known as Special Hazards 1), two brush trucks, two spare engines, and one spare ladder truck. Nashua uses a private ambulance service, American Medical Response. The department has five fire commissioners. The commission has overall responsibility for the policy decisions, promotions, discipline, hiring and terminations. The fire chief reports directly to the commission. Their responsibility is to also work with fire administration with planning and prioritizing the department budget.

Health care
There are two hospitals in Nashua, St. Joseph Hospital and Southern New Hampshire Health System.

In popular culture
An episode of MTV's MADE was filmed in 2004 at Nashua High School North.

Russian dressing was created in Nashua by James E. Colburn, likely in the 1910s.

In the American version of The Office, a branch of the fictional paper company Dunder Mifflin is located in Nashua and features in several episodes.

Sister city

 * 🇮🇳 Mysore, Karnataka, India

title: Nashua, New Hampshire