The Official website of Strafford County New Hampshire

It is with great pleasure we welcome you to the new Strafford County website. Whether you are a current, past, or prospective resident, we hope you enjoy your visit to our virtual home.

Cited as one of the original five New Hampshire counties in 1769, Strafford County was organized at Dover in 1771 and named after William Wentworth, 2^nd Earl of Strafford, in the belief that William was a direct ancestor of New Hampshire Governor John Wentworth. However, though the two men were in fact distant relatives, William Wentworth himself never had any children.

Bordering York County in Maine, as well as the counties of Belknap, Carroll, Merrimack, and Rockingham here in New Hampshire, Strafford County is divided into three cities and ten towns, and is home to approximately 125,000 citizens.

We pride ourselves on our dedication to community action through child and family services, housing services, senior transportation, and Head Start programs.

Our county boasts a number of locations listed in the National Register of Historic Places, among them the Public Market, the remains of the County Farm Bridge, and the New Durham Town Hall. Perhaps most well known is our National Historic Landmark in Durham, the house of Revolutionary War General John Sullivan.

We look forward to seeing you in our towns and cities, and we’re glad to “see” you here on the web!

Very Truly Yours,
Strafford County Commissioners