Hampton Beach is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

district,

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

, and beach resort in the town of Hampton,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, United States, along the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Its population at the 2020 census was 2,598. Hampton Beach is in Rockingham County, about south of

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

. The community is a popular tourist destination and the busiest beach community in New Hampshire. Ocean Boulevard, the main street along the beach, includes a

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bridge ...

, many shops and businesses, several seasonal hotels, and the

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is a seasonal live music and comedy venue located on the boardwalk of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, United States. The venue is open from April to November, and within those eight months schedules upwards of 70 sh ...

, which hosts national acts in the summer. Hampton Beach State Park was named one of four "Superstar" beaches in the United States in 2011, for having had perfect water-quality testing results in each of the previous three years.

History

The Hampton Beach Village District was established on June 26, 1907, to provide electric power and water to the summer tourist community. In 1923, the village's first fire station was built, after two fires destroyed a large section of the beach settlement in 1919 and 1922. The original fire station was razed and replaced in 2014. On February 26, 2010, a windstorm-fueled fire burned down all the buildings in a block at Hampton Beach, including the Surf Hotel, Happy Hampton Arcade, and Mrs. Mitchell's Gift Shop. The fire started in the Surf Hotel and was spread to the other buildings by high winds. The cause of this fire is unknown. The area has been rebuilt, with a larger hotel and a new Mrs. Mitchell's.

Geography

Most of the resort village lies on a

barrier A barrier or barricade is a physical structure which blocks or impedes something. Barrier may also refer to: Places * Barrier, Kentucky, a community in the United States * Barrier, Voerendaal, a place in the municipality of Voerendaal, Netherl ...

spit separated from the mainland by a large

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...

system known as Hampton Harbor. The estuary serves as the mouth of several rivers, the largest being the

Hampton River The Hampton River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tidal estuary which empties into Hampton Roads near its mouth. Hampton Roads in turn empties into th ...

from the northwest.

New Hampshire Route 1A New Hampshire Route 1A is an long state highway located in southeast New Hampshire. The route runs along the Atlantic coastline from the Massachusetts border north to Rye, then turns toward downtown Portsmouth. The southern terminus is at the Mas ...

serves as the main north-south route through the beach area, connecting the village to Seabrook Beach to the south (across the

Hampton Bridge The Hampton Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Hampton River near Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, United States. Constructed with steel and concrete, the bridge is officially named for Neil R. Underwood. Its predecessor was constructed of w ...

traversing the Hampton Harbor Inlet) and Little Boar's Head in North Hampton to the north. Access from the west is provided by three roads:

New Hampshire Route 101 New Hampshire Route 101 (NH 101) is a state-maintained highway in southern New Hampshire extending from Keene to Hampton Beach. It is the major east–west highway in the southern portion of the state. The western terminus of NH 101 is in Keene ...

is the main access point to the densely populated southern resort area from most points west, while Winnacunnet Road (officially New Hampshire Route 101E) provides access to the less developed areas in the northern part of the village near a large

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

conservation area. Winnacunnet Road marks the northern edge of the census-designated place, but

New Hampshire Route 27 New Hampshire Route 27 (abbreviated NH 27) is a long east–west highway in southeastern New Hampshire. The western terminus of NH 27 is in Hooksett at U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 28 north of Manchester. The eastern terminus is in Hamp ...

, known locally as High Street, marks the northern edge of the resort area. The heaviest development lies south of the Ashworth-by-the-Sea hotel, located at the eastern terminus of NH 101 where it meets NH 1A, known locally as Ocean Boulevard. From this point south, NH 1A splits into two one-way streets: the southbound Ashworth Avenue, and the northbound Ocean Boulevard. Cross streets through this area run from A Street in the north to M Street in the south. The southern end of the spit is mostly

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

, with little to no buildings or development. North of the junction of 101 and 1A, the area is much less developed, dominated mostly by a large salt marsh conservation area, with small businesses and bungalows along Ocean Boulevard (NH 1A). North of Winnacunnet Road (and outside the CDP), a second area of heavier development begins with Kings Highway parallel to Ocean Boulevard, and cross streets numbered from 1st Street in the south to 19th Street in the north. The resort ends at the Windjammer Hotel at its northern end, at the junction of NH 27 and NH 1A. The

(CDP) portion of Hampton Beach extends from the Seabrook town line in the south to Winnacunnet Road in the north. The western border, separating it from the Hampton CDP, follows Tide Mill Creek within the Hampton Saltmarsh, and the eastern border is the

shoreline. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the Hampton Beach CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 14.88%, are water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 2,275 people, 1,227 households, and 555 families residing in the CDP. There were 3,158 housing units, of which 1,931, or 61.1%, were vacant on Census Day. 1,443 of the vacant units were seasonal or vacation rental units. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.8%

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.7%

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

n, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.8% some other race, and 1.9% from two or more races. 1.6% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race. Of the 1,227 households in the CDP, 14.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.6% were headed by married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.8% were non-families. 45.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.83, and the average family size was 2.49. 12.0% of residents in the CDP were under the age of 18, 6.6% were from age 18 to 24, 23.6% were from 25 to 44, 41.7% were from 45 to 64, and 16.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males. For the period 2011-15, the estimated median annual income for a household was $53,095, and the median income for a family was $78,929. Male full-time workers had a median income of $56,875 versus $70,461 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $48,728. 14.8% of the population and 12.7% of families were below the poverty line, along with 44.7% of people under the age of 18 and 0.0% of people 65 or older.

Attractions and events

The New Hampshire Marine Memorial is located on the beach along Route 1A at the terminus of

. The

carries Route 1A south across the Hampton Harbor inlet into Seabrook. The

has been the center attraction at Hampton Beach for more than 100 years. The Ballroom continues to draw some of the top names in entertainment. Recently, the Ballroom placed in the top 30 for worldwide ticket sales in venues under 3,000 seats. Hampton Beach Seafood Festival - Since 1988, the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Seafood Festival Committee have helped put New Hampshire on the map as a vacation destination. The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival has a profound effect on seacoast businesses, the community, and the overall economy of the area. Restaurants, lodging, shops, and businesses in general depend on the Seafood Festival as the primary contributor to their bottom line. Many Chamber members say it is even bigger than the "4th of July" in sales volume. The Festival, held the weekend after Labor Day, is also instrumental in extending the summer season. Dozens of non-profit organizations also earn a major portion of their income through revenues earned at the Festival, allowing them to continue to support their causes that benefit the citizens of New Hampshire. The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival has evolved dramatically, and has been acclaimed as "One of the Top 100 Events in North America", by the American Bus Association in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2006. Event attendance is now estimated as exceeding 150,000. Hampton Beach Sand Sculpture Competition - Since 2001, the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce has sponsored, with the help of Seaside Hotel, a sand sculpture competition that has brought numerous sculptors from across America to Hampton Beach in mid-June. The 4 day contest is seen by thousands and then put up for illumination for two weeks. Prizes (top prize of $50,000) are rewarded via fan voting and through the Chamber. There are fireworks on the 4th of July and every Wednesday of the summer at 9:30 pm. There are also fireworks held to cap the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival in September, with a launch scheduled for that Saturday at 8:15 pm.Hampton Beach Village District
official site

References

External links

Hampton Beach Village District

Hampton Beach State Park
{{authority control Census-designated places in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Census-designated places in New Hampshire Seaside resorts in the United States Populated coastal places in New Hampshire Hampton, New Hampshire Beaches of New Hampshire