Concord, New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire
State capital city
New Hampshire State House Main Street in Downtown Concord View from Eagle Square New Hampshire State Library City Hall Old Post Office St. Paul's School chapel
Flag Seal Logo
Location in Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Concord Show map of New Hampshire Concord Show map of the United States Concord Show map of North America
Coordinates: 43°12′24″N 71°32′17″W / 43.20667°N 71.53806°W / 43.20667; -71.53806
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Merrimack
Region	New England
Settled	1659[1]
Incorporated	1733[1]
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Mayor	Byron Champlin
• City council	Members Brent Todd Michele Horne Jennifer Kretovic Karen McNamara Stacey Brown Paula McLaughlin Jim Schlosser Ali Sekou Kris Schultz Jeff Foote Nathan Fennessy Amanda Grady Sexton Fred Keach Judith Kurtz
• City manager	Thomas J. Aspell Jr.
Area [2]
• Total	67.19 sq mi (174.02 km2)
• Land	63.96 sq mi (165.66 km2)
• Water	3.23 sq mi (8.36 km2)
Elevation [3]	272 ft (83 m)
Population  (2020)[5]
• Total	43,976
• Density	687.52/sq mi (265.46/km2)
• μSA	155,238[4]
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	03301, 03302, 03303, 03305
Area code	603
FIPS code	33-14200
GNIS feature ID	873303
Website	www.concordnh.gov

Concord (/ˈkɒŋkərd/)^[6] is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976,^[5] making it the 3rd most populous city in New Hampshire after Manchester and Nashua.

The area was first settled by Europeans in 1659.^[1] On January 17, 1725, the Province of Massachusetts Bay granted the Concord area as the Plantation of Penacook,^[7]: 107 and it was incorporated on February 9, 1734 as the Town of Rumford.^[7] Governor Benning Wentworth gave the city its current name in 1765 following a boundary dispute with the neighboring town of Bow; the name was meant to signify the new harmony between the two towns.^[8] In 1808, Concord was named the official seat of state government,^[7] and the State House was completed in 1819; it remains the oldest U.S. state capitol wherein the legislature meets in its original chambers.^[9]

Concord is entirely within the Merrimack River watershed^[10] and the city is centered on the river. The Merrimack runs from northwest to southeast through the city. The city's eastern boundary is formed by the Soucook River, which separates Concord from the town of Pembroke. The Turkey River passes through the southwestern quarter of the city. The city consists of its downtown, including the North End and South End neighborhoods, along with the four villages of Penacook, Concord Heights, East Concord, and West Concord.^[11] Penacook sits along the Contoocook River, just before it flows into the Merrimack.

As of 2020, the top employer in the city was the State of New Hampshire, and the largest private employer was Concord Hospital.^[12] Concord is home to the University of New Hampshire School of Law, New Hampshire's only law school; St. Paul's School, a private preparatory school; NHTI, a two-year community college; the New Hampshire Police Academy; and the New Hampshire Fire Academy. Concord's Old North Cemetery is the final resting place of Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the United States.^[13]

Interstate 89 and Interstate 93 are the two main interstate highways serving the city, and general aviation access is via Concord Municipal Airport. The nearest airport with commercial air service is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport, 23 miles (37 km) to the south. There has been no passenger rail service to Concord since 1981.^[14] Historically, the Boston and Maine Railroad served the city.