Nashua () is a city in southern
New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders 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. As of the
2020 census, it had a population of 91,322,
the second-largest in northern
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
after nearby
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
. It is one of two
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
s of New Hampshire's most populous county,
Hillsborough; the other being Manchester.
Built around the now-departed
textile
Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
industry, in recent decades Nashua's economy has shifted to the
financial services
Financial services are service (economics), economic services tied to finance provided by financial institutions. Financial services encompass a broad range of tertiary sector of the economy, service sector activities, especially as concerns finan ...
,
high tech
High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the state of the art, cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the ...
, and
defense
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense industr ...
industries as part of the
economic recovery that started in the 1980s in the
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston, the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England, and its surrounding areas, home to 4,941,632. The most s ...
region. Major private employers in the city include
Nashua Corporation,
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
, and
Teradyne
Teradyne, Inc. is an American automatic test equipment (ATE) designer and manufacturer based in North Reading, Massachusetts. Its high-profile customers include Samsung, Qualcomm, Intel, Analog Devices, Texas Instruments and IBM.
History
T ...
. 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 tract of land in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
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
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
town. Nashua lies approximately in the center of the original 1673 grant.
In 1732, Dunstable was split along the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...
, with the town of Nottingham West (now the town of
Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located along the Massachusetts state line. The population was 25,394 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-largest municipality (town or city) in the state, by populatio ...
) 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
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
communities, New Hampshire's Dunstable was developed during the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
with textile mills operated from
water power
Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kin ...
.
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
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
", while the southern part kept the name Nashua.
Six
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
lines crossed the
mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles.
Europe
...
, 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
The Amoskeag Manufacturing Company was a textile industry, textile manufacturer which founded Manchester, New Hampshire, United States. From modest beginnings it grew throughout the 19th century into the largest cotton textile plant in the world ...
upriver in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, the
Nashua mills prospered until about
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, 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
The New England Textile Strike was a strike action, strike led by members of the United Textile Workers of America (UTW) principally in the U.S. states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Throughout the duration of the strike, an e ...
, shutting down the mills in the city over an attempted wage cut and hours increase.
The textile business started moving to the
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, 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
BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
, 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
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. While initial consoles were dedicated units with only a few game ...
market.
Ralph H. Baer, an employee of Sanders, developed what would become the
Magnavox Odyssey
The Magnavox Odyssey is the first commercial home video game console. The hardware was designed by a small team led by Ralph H. Baer at Sanders Associates, while Magnavox completed development and released it in the United States in September ...
, the first commercial home video game system. The arrival of
Digital Equipment Corp., now part of
Hewlett-Packard
The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company. It was founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California ...
, in the 1970s made the city part of the
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
-area high-tech corridor.
File:Nashua, New Hampshire (2675828930).jpg, An 1883 bird's-eye engraving of Nashua
File:Nashua Millyard from truss bridge Mills 1-2-3.JPG, The Nashua Millyard
File:Canal Street Bridge, Nashua, NH.jpg, Canal St. Bridge,
File:The Willows, Nashua, NH.jpg, The Willows, ; the road is now Route 101A near Somerset Plaza
File:Huntlibrarynashua.jpg, Hunt Memorial Library in 2006
Geography
Nashua is in southeastern Hillsborough County. It is bordered to the south by
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Middlesex County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002, making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 22nd most populou ...
.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.84% of the city.
The eastern boundary of Nashua is formed by the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...
, 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 above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
.
Climate
Nashua has a four-season
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
, which has transitioned to the hot summer subtype, (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''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 in January to in July. On average, there are 9.4 days of + highs and 8.7 days of sub- lows. Precipitation is well-spread throughout the year, though winter is the driest. Snowfall, the heaviest of which typically comes from
nor'easter
A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low ...
s, averages around per season, but can vary widely from year to year. Nashua recorded the New Hampshire state record high temperature of during the deadly
1911 heat wave.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 83.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 2.7%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 6.5%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 4.6% from
some other race, and 2.5% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
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
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
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
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $30,937. About 4.6% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, 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
Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States. The original intent of a TIF program i ...
(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
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
taking advantage of the lack of
sales tax
A sales tax is a tax paid to a governing body for the sales of certain goods and services. Usually laws allow the seller to collect funds for the tax from the consumer at the point of purchase. When a tax on goods or services is paid to a govern ...
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 disk
A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, a diskette, or a disk) is a type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined with a ...
s through the early 1990s, making the Nashua name well known in the world of
personal computer
A personal computer, commonly referred to as PC or computer, is a computer designed for individual use. It is typically used for tasks such as Word processor, word processing, web browser, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and PC ...
s.
Defense contractor
A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military or intelligence department of a government. Products typically include military or civilian aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and ...
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
(formerly
Sanders Associates), computer firm
Dell
Dell Inc. is an American technology company that develops, sells, repairs, and supports personal computers (PCs), Server (computing), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals including printers and webcam ...
, and software company
Oracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American Multinational corporation, multinational computer technology company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Co-founded in 1977 in Santa Clara, California, by Larry Ellison, who remains executive chairman, Oracle was ...
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
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC ), using the trademark Digital, was a major American company in the computer industry from the 1960s to the 1990s. The company was co-founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson in 1957. Olsen was president until ...
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
The Canadian-American Challenge Cup, or Can-Am, was an SCCA/ CASC sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974, and again from 1977 to 1987.
The Can-Am rules were deliberately simple and placed few limits on the entries. This led to a wide variet ...
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
Pittsfield is the most populous city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfi ...
to become the
Pittsfield Colonials. Before the Pride, Holman was the home stadium for the independent Nashua Hawks; the AA
Nashua Pirates
The Nashua Pirates were a minor league baseball team, based in Nashua, New Hampshire. The team started in 1983 as the Nashua Angels, an affiliate with the California Angels in the Eastern League (1938–2020), Eastern League. The club changed affi ...
; 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
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
History
Chronological timeline
* 1995 – In 1995, th ...
(GNAC).
The
Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps (1997, 1998, 2004, 2007
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International (DCI) is a governing body for drum and bugle corps. Founded in 1971 and known as "marching music's major league," DCI develops and enforces rules of competition and judges at sanctioned drum and bugle corps competitions t ...
Division II Champions and 2019 Open Class Champions) is based in Nashua.
Government
The city's government is headed by a
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and fifteen
aldermen
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
: 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
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members, and the upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 me ...
, 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
The New Hampshire State Senate is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. The Senate has been meeting since 1784. The Senate consists of 24 members representing Senate distri ...
, 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
New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western, northern, and some southern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, New Hampshire, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord, New Hampshire, C ...
and is currently represented by Democrat
Maggie Goodlander
Margaret Vivian Goodlander (born November 4, 1986) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative from New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district since 2025. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Goodlander ...
in the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
.
At the presidential level, Nashua leans strongly towards Democrats.
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
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.
Secondary schools
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
Bishop Guertin (BG) is a college preparatory independent private Roman Catholic high school in Nashua, New Hampshire. Named for Bishop George Albert Guertin (1869–1931), it was founded by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in 1963.
Scholasti ...
, a coeducational Catholic high school
Public charter school
*
Academy for Science and Design
Middle schools
Public
* Brian S. McCarthy Middle School
* Fairgrounds Middle School
* Pennichuck Middle School
Private
* Saint Christopher Academy (Upper Campus)
* World Academy
Elementary schools
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): 50 acres, closed in May 2017. Purchased by a Chinese investor after it closed, but still abandoned.
*
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private university between Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire, United States. The university is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, along with ...
's Nashua campus
Media
The local newspaper is ''
The Telegraph
''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include:
Australia
* The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...
'', with daily news published online and a weekly printed edition.
Nashua radio stations include
oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as well as for a radio format playing this music.
Since 2 ...
station
WGHM 900
AM (
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
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
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
-market stations clearly.
One television station is licensed to Nashua.
WBTS-CD (channel 15) is owned by
NBC Owned Television Stations
NBC Owned Television Stations (formerly NBC Local Media and NBC Television Stations Division (TVSD)) is the division of NBCUniversal Media Group#NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, NBCUniversal Owned TV Stations (NBCUniversal), a subsidiary o ...
, and serves as the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
owned-and-operated station for the Boston market. The station moved from its own transmitter to a channel share with
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
member station
WGBX-TV
WGBX-TV (channel 44), branded GBH 44, is the secondary PBS member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation alongside WGBH-TV (channel 2) and originates from studios on Guest St ...
from their
Needham, Massachusetts
Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census. It is the home of Olin College.
History
...
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.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Roads
The
Everett Turnpike
The Frederick E. Everett Turnpike, also called the Central New Hampshire Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, running from the Massachusetts border at Nashua north to Concord. The Everett Turnpike i ...
is the major highway running through the city.
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States Numbered Highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachu ...
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.
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NH 111, which enters the city from the southwest and follows Hollis Street to the city's eastern border at the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...
, 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
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States Numbered Highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachu ...
) 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
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...
in Boston.
Airport
Nashua Airport (Boire Field), a
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
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
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...
in Boston.
Past trolley
Historically, Nashua was a hub for the
trolley system in New Hampshire. Trolleys could be taken south to
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, as well as north into
Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
and to locations as far east as
Hampton, New Hampshire
Hampton is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. On the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast, Hampton is ho ...
. 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 railroad
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
Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...
, to
Bedford, New Hampshire
Bedford is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,322, reflecting a growth of 10% from 2010. Bedford is a suburb of Manchester, New Hamps ...
, with the end station being near the
Manchester–Boston Regional Airport. As of November, 2022, an ongoing study by
AECOM
AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation; stylised A''Ξ''COM) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The company's official name from 1990–2015 was AECOM Technology Corporation, ...
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 , 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
Southern New Hampshire Health (SNHH) is a non-profit, integrated healthcare system that delivers primary, specialty, and urgent care to patients across southern New Hampshire and neighboring northern Massachusetts. The system is anchored by Sout ...
.
Notable people
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
Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
,
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
, India
See also
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Mine Falls Park
*
Nashua River Rail Trail
*
Greeley Park
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Cities in New Hampshire
Cities in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Populated places established in 1746
County seats in New Hampshire
New Hampshire populated places on the Merrimack River
New Hampshire placenames of Native American origin