Lake Winnipesaukee is New Hampshire's largest lake which covers
72 square miles (186 km²), located in New Hampshire's east-central region.

Lake Winnipesaukee

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One of the original 13 states (1788), New Hampshire was named after the English county of Hampshire. New Hampshire is called the "Granite State" because of the numerous granite quarries; the nickname may also reflect the state's attachment to tradition and its history of a frugal government. There are no general sales or individual income taxes, which fits with the state motto of "Live free or die." A relatively small state, New Hampshire plays a major role every four years in the presidential election, as it holds the first primary election. New Hampshire's state bird is the purple finch and the capital is Concord.

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Acworth New Hampshire

Zip Code 03601, in Sullivan County.

Acworth was incorporated 1766, first chartered in 1752 as Burnet, in honor of William Burnet, colonial governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1728. However, no settlements were made under this charter. In 1766, the town was regranted under the name Acworth, honoring Sir Jacob Acworth of the British Admiralty, who had Portsmouth shipping interests.

Albany New Hampshire

Zip Code 03818, in Carroll County.

The Town of Albany was Incorporated in 1833. First chartered in 1766 as Burton, for General Jonathan Burton of Wilton. The town was incorporated and renamed Albany in 1833, when the New York Central railroad from New York City to Albany was chartered. Albany includes Mount Chocorua, Mount Paugus and the southeastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest.

Alexandria New Hampshire

Zip Code 03222, in Merrimack County.

Alexandria was incorporated in 1782, first granted in 1753, Alexandria was named for Alexandria, Virginia, location of a conference that resulted in the declaration of the French and Indian War. Alexandria NH was the birthplace of Luther C. Ladd, the first enlisted soldier to lose his life in the Civil War.

Allenstown New Hampshire

Zip Code 03275, in Merrimack County.

Allenstown was Incorporated in 1831. First granted in 1721, the town was named after Samuel Allen, governor of the province in the late 1600's. A portion of Bow was annexed in 1815, and a portion of Hooksett in 1853. Home of Bear Brook State Park, the area was once known as excellent bear country, and a good hunting ground for wild geese and ducks.

Alstead New Hampshire

Zip Code 03602, in Cheshire County.

Alstead was incorporated in 1763. Alstead began in 1735 as one in a line of nine forts intended to protect southwestern New Hampshire from Indian attacks. The town was named for Johann Henrich Alsted, who compiled an early encyclopedia that was popular at Harvard College. Alstead was one of the towns that wavered in its allegiance after the Revolutionary War. It decided to join Vermont in April 1781, but returned to N.H. authority early the next year. The first paper mill in New Hampshire was established by Ephraim and Elisha Kingsbury in 1793 on Cold River.

Alton New Hampshire

Zip Code 03809, in Belknap County.

Alton was incorporated in 1796. Originally called New Durham Gore, the town was settled by a group from Roxbury, Massachusetts. The name Roxbury had already been used, so the town was named for the Alton family. The town's boundary evelopes the five-mile long Alton Bay, the southeastern point of Lake Winnipesaukee, and includes the southern side of Wolfeboro Harbor and all of the largest islands in the southeast end of the lake. Alton's 19.3 square miles of inland water area is the largest of any town in New Hampshire.

Amherst New Hampshire

Zip Code 03031, in Hillsborough County.

Amherst was incorporated in 1760, first granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, the town was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the colonials in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune. The town is home to Baboosic Lake.

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Andover New Hampshire

Area Code 03216, in Merrimack County.

Andover was incorporated in 1779. According to the "Topographical and Historical Sketch of the Town of Andover" published in 1822 by Jacob B. Moore, Andover was originally called New Breton "in honor of those brave men who achieved the capture of Cape Breton in 1745." Most of the original grantees were out of this expedition. The regimental surgeon, Dr. Anthony Emery, was a college friend of John Phillips, founder of the Phillips Andover Academy in Massachuetts, which was completed in 1779. The town was incorporated as Andover in that same year. Andover, New Hampshire's first private school, as referenced in John R. Eastman's "History of Andover, NH 1751-1906," was started in 1822 and closed in 1828; another was started in 1848 and became Proctor Academy.

Antrim New Hampshire

Zip Code 03440, in Hillsborough County.

Antrim was incorporated in 1777. This town was settled prior to the American Revolution, but did not get its incorporated name until 1777. It was named for County Antrim in Ireland, which was the native home of the land's owner, Philip Riley. The town was home to the now-defunct Nathaniel Hawthorne College.

Ashland New Hampshire

Zip Code 03217, in Grafton County.

Ashland was Incorporated in 1868. Ashland was once the southwest section of Holderness. It was named in honor of Henry Clay, for his birthplace in Ashland, Virginia, and his estate in Kentucky. Ashland includes the geographic center of the state, located just west of Lake Winnipesaukee.

Atkinson New Hampshire

Zip Code 03811, in Rockingham County.

Atkinson was incorporated in 1767, named for Colonel Theodore Atkinson, whose farm once covered nearly all of the area set aside from Plaistow that became the town. He was a brother-in-law to Governor Benning Wentworth, and served as secretary of the colony until the Revolution.

Auburn New Hampshire

Zip Code 03032, in Rockingham County.

Auburn was incorporated in 1845. Once part of Chester, it was known as Chester Woods, Chester West Parish, Long Meadow, and then Auburn. The name comes from English literature by Goldsmith, as did Auburns in New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. Auburn includes a large portion of Lake Massabesic, which has served as the water supply for Manchester and portions of six surrounding communities.

Barnstead New Hampshire

Zip Code 03218, in Belknap County.

Barnstead was incorporated in 1727. Granted in 1727, the town was established to deal with rapidly expanding population in the seacoast area. A majority of new settlers came from either Barnstable on Cape Cod or Hampstead on Long Island, and the town's name is a conjunction of the two. The town includes three villages, South Barnstead, Center Barnstead, and Barnstead; and is home to at least nine lakes and ponds.

Barrington New Hampshire

Zip Code 03825, in Strafford County.

Barrington was incorporated in 1722. Barrington bears the family name of the English governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Samuel Shute of Barrington Hall, whose brother was Viscount Barrington. It was once the third most populous town in the state. The smelting of iron ore was at the time the area's primary industry.

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Bartlett New Hampshire

Zip Code 03812, in Carroll County.

Bartlett was incorporated in 1790, named for Dr. Josiah Bartlett, the first chief executive to bear the name "governor," a representative to the Continental Congress, and one of New Hampshire's three signers of the Declaration of Independence, placing his signature directly under that of John Hancock. Dr. Bartlett founded the New Hampshire Medical Society in 1791. The town includes the villages of Glen, Lower Bartlett, and Intervale.

Bath New Hampshire

Zip Code 03740, in Grafton County.

Bath was incorporated in 1760. The charter of the town of Bath, granted in 1761, set aside land in equal shares for 68 families, with a church and a school. The town was named for one of England's prominent statesmen, William Pulteney, first Earl of Bath.

Bedford New Hampshire

Zip Code 03110, in Hillsborough County.

Bedford was incorporated in 1750, established in 1730 as Narragansett Number 5 for the benefit of soldiers who fought against the Narragansett Indians in Rhode Island. It was regranted first as Souhegan East, then as Bedford in 1750. The town was named for Lord John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth.

Airport Code BED

Belmont New Hampshire

Zip Code 03220, in Belknap County.

Belmont was incorporated in 1727. First chartered in 1727 as a parish of Gilmanton, known as Upper Gilmanton. In 1859, the voters of the town petitioned to rename the town Belmont, to honor Mr. August Belmont, a New York financier, in hopes that he might make a financial contribution to the town. Mr. Belmont, however, never even bothered to acknowledge the act. The town borders Lake Winnisquam.

Bennington New Hampshire

Zip Code 03442, in Hillsborough County.

Bennington was incorporated in 1842. Taken from portions of Hancock, Greenfield, Deering, and Francestown, the town was named in commemoration of the Battle of Bennington, fought on August 14-16, 1777, near Bennington, Vermont. Vermont's Bennington was named for Governor Benning Wentworth, who was responsible for naming many towns in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Benton New Hampshire

Zip Code 03785, in Grafton County.

Benton was incorporated in 1764. Originally granted in 1764 as Coventry, after a town in Connecticut. Renamed Benton after Thomas Hart Benton, senator from Missouri, and incorporated as such in 1840. Senator Benton was known for championing Western expansion. Benton is the site of Mount Moosilauke.

Berlin New Hampshire

Zip Code 03570, in Coos County.

Berlin was incorporated in 1829, first granted in 1771 as Maynesborough, after Sir William Mayne, an associate of Governor John Wentworth in the West Indies trade. The area was not settled by the original grantees, and the town was renamed Berlin in 1829 by new settlers from Berlin, Massachusetts. Berlin was incorporated as a city in 1897. It is the northernmost city in the state, and includes the village of Cascade.

Airport Code BML

Bethlehem New Hampshire

Zip Code 03574, in Grafton County.

Bethlehem was incorporated in 1799. It was first established in 1774 as Lloyd's Hills, the town was incorporated on December 27, 1799, as Bethlehem. The name was selected on the last Christmas Day in the century. Bethlehem was the last of the provincial land grants in the state. The town is home to Mount Agassiz, named for Jean Louis Rudolph Agassiz, explorer and naturalist. Today, the town is known for its special Christmas postal cancellation stamp.

Boscawen New Hampshire

Zip Code 03303, in Merrimack County.

Boscawen was incorporated in 1760. Named for an English admiral, Edward Boscawen, who fought under General Amherst in the conquest of Canada. One of the first log forts was located here. The Contoocook Fort on the Merrimack, built in 1739, was used for protection against the Indians. Boscawen includes the village of Gerrish, and is home to the State Veterans Cemetery.

Bow New Hampshire

Zip Code 03304, in Merrimack County.

Bow was incorporated in 1727. One of several towns established in the Merrimack Valley to alleviate population congestion in the seacoast, which formed a 'bow' on the map. There is also a bend in the Merrimack River within its borders, and the name Bow may have come from either source. Bow is the birthplace of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the First Church of Christ, Scientist and leader of the Christian Science movement.

Bradford New Hampshire

Zip Code 03221, in Merrimack County.

Bradford was incorporated in 1787. First granted in 1771, the town was named New Bradford, then Bradfordton, and finally was incorporated as Bradford in 1787, the year of the constitutional convention. New Hampshire's delegation was not going to approve the constitution, but under the leadership of Bradford's Thomas Stickney the delegation approved ratification, and, being the ninth state to do so, gave the United States its constitution. Bradford includes the villages of Bradford Center and Melvin Mills, and Lake Massasecum.

Bretton Woods New Hampshire

Zip Code 03575, in Coos County.

Brookline New Hampshire

Zip Code 03033, in Hillsborough County.

Brookline was incorporated in 1769. First a part of Dunstable, then settled as West Hollis, the town was granted in 1769 as Raby. Governor John Wentworth named the town in honor of his cousin, fourth Earl of Strafford and Baron of Raby Castle, in County Durham, England. The town was renamed in 1798 at the suggestion of one of the town's leading citizens, who came from Brookline, Massachusetts.

The Nissitissit River flows therough the town of Brookline, and is known for its trout.

Campton New Hampshire

Zip Code 03223, in Grafton County.

Campton was incorporated in 1767. First granted in 1761, the town was probably named Campton by Governor Benning Wentworth in honor of his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington. Compton was influential in Wentworth's becoming governor in 1741. Campton was the boyhood home of Sylvester Marsh, builder of Mount Washington's Cog Railway.

Canterbury New Hampshire

Zip Code 03224, in Merrimack County.

Canterbury was incorporated in 1741. First granted in 1727, the town was named for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury. Canterbury in England is famous for its cathedral, and for being the center of English Christianity since 597 AD. The town was originally a fort or trading post where the Penacook Indians came to trade. Canterbury was home to the last colony of Shakers, and the Canterbury Shaker Village is now a museum.

Center Conway New Hampshire

Zip Code 03813, in Carroll County.

Chesterfield New Hampshire

Zip Code 03443, in Cheshire County.

Chesterfield was incorporated in 1752. Established in 1735, this town was the site of Fort Number 1 in the line of forts bordering the Connecticut River, and was later known as Fort Dummer. The town was incorporated in 1752 as Chesterfield, after Philip Stanhope, fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Chesterfield includes the village of Spofford, and Spofford Lake.

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Claremont New Hampshire

Zip Code 03743, in Sullivan County.

Claremont was ncorporated in 1764, named in honor of Thomas Pelham Holles, Earl of Clare and Duke of Newcastle, builder of Claremont Castle, and a cousin to Governor Benning Wentworth. The original grant was a six-mile square area bordering the Connecticut River. Claremont was incorporated as a city by popular vote in 1947.

Concord New Hampshire

Zip Code 03301, in Merrimack County.

Concord was incorporated in 1733, the first settlement in 1659 was named Penacook, for the Indian name 'Pannukog,' meaning crooked place or bend in the river. The first land grant was in 1725, and the town was incorporated as Rumford in 1733. The name was changed to Concord in 1765 upon resolution of a bitter boundary dispute between Rumford and Bow. Concord became the state capital in 1808. The State House, built in 1818 and first occupied in 1819, is the oldest in continuous use in the country. In 1853, the State granted Concord a city charter. It was in Concord that the Abbotts built the famous Concord Coach, modeled after King George III's coronation coach.

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Conway New Hampshire

Zip Code 03818, in Carroll County.

Conway was incorporated in 1765, named for Henry Seymour Conway, ambitious son of a prominent English family, who was elected to the House of Commons at age twenty, fought at Culloden, and became Secretary of State. Early settlers had named the area Pequawket, known colloquially as Pigwacket, after the nearby mountain. Conway boasts many natural features such as Cathedral Ledge, Echo Lake, and Mount Cranmore. Conway includes the villages of North Conway, Center Conway, Intervale, Redstone, and Kearsarge.

Cornish New Hampshire

Zip Code 03745, in Sullivan County.

Cornish was Incorporated in 1765, established in 1763, the town was once known as Mast Camp, because it was the shipping point for the tall masts floated down the river by the English. It was named for Sir Samuel Cornish, a distinguished admiral of the Royal Navy. Cornish is now a well-known summer resort for artists and writers, with residents including Maxfield Parish and Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

Deering New Hampshire

Zip Code 03244, In Hillsborough County.

Deering was incorporated in 1774. Granted in 1774 by Governor John Wentworth, the town was named Deering, the family name of his wife, Frances Deering Wentworth. At the time of the Revolution, John and Frances Wentworth left for Nova Scotia, then went to England, where Frances became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III.

Derry New Hampshire

Zip Code 03038, in Rockingham County.

Derry although first settled in 1719, Derry was not incorporated until 1827. It was for a long time part of Londonderry, which included Windham and portions of Manchester, Salem, and Hudson. The town was named for the Isle of Derry, Ireland, the Gaelic word "Doire" meaning oak woods. Derry is the location of Robert Frost's farm, and the birthplace of astronaut Alan Shepard. It is also the location of two of America's oldest private schools, Pinkerton Academy, founded in 1814 and still in operation, and the Adams Female Seminary.

Dover New Hampshire

Zip Codes 03820, 03821, and 03822, in Strafford County.

Dover was incorporated in 1623. For the first fifty years of New Hampshire's history, Dover was one of only three communities established in the state. Settled in 1623 on the banks of the Piscataqua River, Dover was first called Hilton's Point, named after Edward Hilton, leader of the company of Englishmen who landed at Dover Point. It was also known by the Indian names of Newichwannock (place of wigwams) and Cocheco. The town was probably named for Dover, England. In 1855, Dover was incorporated as a city.

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Durham New Hampshire

Zip Code 03824, in Strafford County.

Durham was a parish of Dover settled in 1669 as Oyster River Plantation, Durham was incorporated in 1732. The name probably honored Richard Barnes, Bishop of Durham, England, the first Puritan bishop. A descendent of an early settler, Benjamin Thompson, bequeathed the family estate, Warner Farm, to be used for establishment of an agricultural college. The state agricultural school, originally set up in Hanover in 1866, was moved to Durham in 1890, becoming the University of New Hampshire in 1923.

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East Derry New Hampshire

Zip Code 03041, in Rockingham County.

Eaton, Eaton Center New Hampshire

Zip Code 03832, in Carroll County.

Eaton was incorporated in 1760. Named for Governor Theophilus Eaton of Connecticut, a generous contributor to the funds needed to settle Massachusetts in 1630. He later founded a colony at New Haven, Connecticut, along with John Davenport and David Yale, great-grandfather of Yale University's founder. Eaton includes the village of Snowville, named for the Snow family who started a sawmill there in 1825.

Enfield New Hampshire

Zip Code 03748, in Grafton County.

Enfield was incorporated in 1761, First named Enfield by settlers from Enfield, Connecticut, the town was renamed Relhan in 1766 to honor Dr. Anthony Relhan. The doctor was a promoter of sea-bathing as a curative, making Brighton a fashionable English resort. The town was renamed Enfield in 1784 after the Revolution. Enfield was the site of a Shaker community in the early 1800's, whose buildings are now occupied by the La Salette Brotherhood of Montreal. The Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette is well-known for its Christmas holiday display. Enfield is home to Mascoma Lake and includes the villages of Upper and Lower Shaker Village, and Lockehaven.

Epping New Hampshire

Zip Code 03042, in Rockingham County.

Epping was incorporated in 1741. Granted in 1741, Epping was the last town chartered by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher prior to the establishment of New Hampshire as an independent province. It was at one time a part of Exeter, and was named for Epping Forest, a suburb of London.

Epsom New Hampshire

Zip Code 03234, in Merrimack County.

Epsom was incorporated in 1727. One of seven towns granted by the Governor of Massachusetts before New Hampshire became an independent province. Epsom was named for Epsom, England, home of the Earl of Derby, whose horse racing 'derby' at Epsom Downs was famous. Epsom, England was also known for its mineral springs, the source of Epsom salts. New Hampshire's Epsom includes the village of Gossville.

Exeter New Hampshire

Zip Code 03833, in Rockingham County.

Exeter was one of the four original towns established in New Hampshire, and was first settled in 1638 as Squamscott. It was given the name Exeter by the settlement's managers, known as the Exeter Combination. The riverside location of the town made it a shipbuilding center and West Indies trading port. Exeter's charter included the present-day towns of Epping, Newmarket, Newfields, and Brentwood. Exeter was the birthplace of Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the figure of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. Both the Phillips Exeter Academy, endowed by Colonel John Phillips in 1781, and the American Independence Museum are located in Exeter.

Franconia New Hampshire

Zip Code 03580, in Rockingham County.

Franconia was incorporated in 1772, first granted in 1764 as Indian Head, settlers were unable to meet the terms of charter, and it was regranted in 1772 as Morristown. In 1782 the town was renamed Franconia, due to its resemblance to the Franconian Alps in Germany. The area of Franconia Notch is well known for its natural features, including the Old Man of the Mountains; Profile and Echo Lakes, The Flume, The Basin, and Mounts Lafayette, Lincoln, and Garfield. The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway was the first passenger tramway built in North America. Franconia is also the site of a rich iron deposit.

Franklin New Hampshire

Zip Code 03235, in Merrimack County.

Frankin was incorporated in 1828. Situated as the junction of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee Rivers, the town was originally known as Pemigewasset Village. It was taken from portions of Salisbury, Andover, Sanbornton, and Northfield. The name Franklin was adopted in 1820 in honor of Benjamin Franklin, and the town was incorporated as a city in 1895.

Gorham New Hampshire

Gorham was incorporated: in 1836. First chartered as a part of Shelburne in 1770. The town was incorporated in 1836 and renamed Gorham at the suggestion of Sylvester Davis, a resident from Gorham, Maine, and a relative of the Gorham family who founded that town in 1764.

Greenfield New Hampshire

Zipo Code 03047, in Hillsborough County.

Greenfield was incorporated in 1791. First settled in 1753 by the Lynde family, the town was known as Lyndeborough Addition. The Monadnock hills cut residents off from church and school, so in 1791 they petitioned for the right to form their own town. The name was chosen to indicate the town's location on a level, fertile ground between the hills. Greenfield is home to the Crotched Mountain Foundation, a rehabilitation center for handicapped children; the Crotched Mountain Ski Area; and Greenfield State Park, on Otter Lake.

Hanover New Hampshire

Zipo Code 03755, in Grafton County.

Hanover was incorporated in 1761. Granted in 1761, the town was named for Hanover Parish, home parish of settlers from Lisbon, Connecticut. Governor Benning Wentworth selected Hanover as the site of Dartmouth College, with Eleazer Wheelock, minister at Lebanon, Connecticut, as its first president. Dartmouth College's first mission was education of the Indians, and later added the mission to educate English youths to be missionaries among the Indians. Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, now the Dartmouth Medical School, is also located here. Hanover includes the village of Etna, named for Sicily's volcanic mountain.

Hillsboro, Hillsborough New Hampshire

Zip Code 03244, in Hillsborough County.

Hillsborough was incorporated in 1772. First granted in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts as Number 7, one in a line of nine towns set up as defense barriers against Indian attacks. The towns were renamed following the 1741 establishment of New Hamps