Stratham, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 TheStratham Historical Society, housed in the formerWiggin Memorial Library building | |
 Seal | |
 Location inRockingham County and the state ofNew Hampshire. | |
| Coordinates:43°01′26″N70°54′49″W / 43.02389°N 70.91361°W /43.02389; -70.91361 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Rockingham |
| Incorporated | 1716 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Select Board |
|
| Area | |
• Total | 15.50 sq mi (40.15 km2) |
| • Land | 15.15 sq mi (39.23 km2) |
| • Water | 0.36 sq mi (0.92 km2) 2.29% |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,669 |
| • Density | 506/sq mi (195.5/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 03885 |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-74340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873728 |
| Website | www |
Stratham is atown inRockingham County,New Hampshire, United States. The town had a population of 7,669 at the2020 census.[2] It is bounded on the west by theSquamscott River. The town is the home of the only U.S.Lindt & Sprüngli factory and the headquarters of theTimberland Corporation.
Stratham was settled in 1631 and incorporated in 1716. The area, calledWinnicutt by thePennacookpeople, was known as "Squamscott Patent" or "Point of Rocks" because of its location betweenGreat Bay and the Squamscott River. The sixth town in the colony to be incorporated, the town was named forWriothesley Russell, Baron Howland ofStreatham, a friend ofNew Hampshire Royal GovernorSamuel Shute.[3]
The town is unusual amongNew England settlements of its size in having been comprehensively mapped in 1793 by Phinehas Merrill.[4] It is therefore possible to identify how many of the extant buildings of the town predate the map.
Beginning in 1967, the town hosted the annual Stratham Fair, held at Stratham Hill Park during the summer. However, the fair was canceled in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has not been held since, reportedly due to net operating losses in its final year, along with outdated equipment and infrastructure.[5][6] Since 2023, the town has held an annual "Summerfest" at the park.[7] Stratham Hill Park was the site of a wood pavilion collapse during amicroburst in 1991, which cause the deaths of three people and left 11 others injured.[8]
The town has multiple properties listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, including theJohn Crockett House,Emery Farm, and originalWiggin Memorial Library building.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.5 square miles (40.2 km2), of which 15.1 square miles (39.2 km2) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km2) are water, comprising 2.29% of the town.[1] Most of Stratham is drained by theSquamscott River, a north-flowing tributary ofGreat Bay. The east side of the town drains to theWinnicut River, which also flows to Great Bay. The entire town is part of thePiscataqua River watershed. The highest elevation in town is 290 feet (88 m) abovesea level, found on the summits of Stratham Hill and neighboring Jewell Hill, both glacialdrumlins.
Stratham Hill Park and nearby Gordon Barker Town Forest offer a combined trail system for hikers and mountain bikers.
Stratham is crossed by New Hampshire Routes33,108 and111. Additionally, theNew Hampshire Route 101 expressway passes through the southern portion of town.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 882 | — | |
| 1800 | 890 | 0.9% | |
| 1810 | 874 | −1.8% | |
| 1820 | 892 | 2.1% | |
| 1830 | 838 | −6.1% | |
| 1840 | 875 | 4.4% | |
| 1850 | 840 | −4.0% | |
| 1860 | 859 | 2.3% | |
| 1870 | 769 | −10.5% | |
| 1880 | 720 | −6.4% | |
| 1890 | 680 | −5.6% | |
| 1900 | 718 | 5.6% | |
| 1910 | 602 | −16.2% | |
| 1920 | 542 | −10.0% | |
| 1930 | 552 | 1.8% | |
| 1940 | 634 | 14.9% | |
| 1950 | 759 | 19.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,033 | 36.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,512 | 46.4% | |
| 1980 | 2,507 | 65.8% | |
| 1990 | 4,955 | 97.6% | |
| 2000 | 6,355 | 28.3% | |
| 2010 | 7,255 | 14.2% | |
| 2020 | 7,669 | 5.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
As of the 2020census, the population of Stratham was 7,669 people and 2,886 households. The 2010 census showed 2,045 families residing in the town. The population density was 507.8 inhabitants per square mile (196.1/km2). As of 2010, there were 2,864 housing units at an average density of 189.7 per square mile (73.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town as of 2020 was 91.4%White, 0.2%African American, 3.1%Asian, 0.6% some other race, and 4.7% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.2% of the population. Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Native American represented 0% of the population, accord to the 2020 census data.[10][11][12]
The 2010 census showed that there were 2,746 households in Stratham, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were headed bymarried couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64, and the average family size was 3.08.[12]
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 34.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.[12]
For the period 2016–2020, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $126,009.[10] Male full-time workers had a median income of $102,315 versus $56,750 for females.[12] As of 2020, theper capita income for the town was $62,776, while 2.4% of the population were below thepoverty line.[10]
Stratham has an all-volunteer fire department[13] located in a new building at the intersection of Winnicut Road and Portsmouth Avenue (NH 33) next to theStratham Historical Society.
The Stratham Police Department is located at 76 Portsmouth Avenue. The department has 12 full-time officers, one part-time officer, one prosecutor and one full-time administrative assistant.[14] According to their website, the "Stratham Police are very community oriented and are involved in several events such asNational Night Out, Coffee With a Cop,Bike Rodeos, Family Fun Day, and many others."[14]
Stratham is home to two schools: the Cooperative Middle School and Stratham Memorial School. Stratham Memorial School, the publicelementary school, is located at 39 Gifford Farm Road and teaches from Pre-K to5th grade. The Cooperative Middle School (CMS) is located at 100 Academic Way and includes grades 6–8. High school students from Stratham (grades 9–12) attendExeter High School. Stratham Memorial School only serve students from Stratham, while the high school andmiddle school serve students from all six towns of SAU 16—in which Stratham is the second-largest town, after Exeter.
Stratham was the location of a campus of New Hampshire Technical College starting in the 1980s. The college was later merged intoGreat Bay Community College, whose campus is in Portsmouth. The Stratham campus was closed and sold.[15]
Summerfest 2026. Join us for our 4th Annual Summerfest Event at Stratham Hill Park.
Places adjacent to Stratham, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofRockingham County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| Other villages | ||
| International | |
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