Hopkinton is a town located in central New Hampshire in the Merrimack Valley region of the state. It is situated in Southern Merrimack County and encompasses a total area of 45.1 square miles, 1.8 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Hopkinton was home to 5,589 people.
The area that now comprises Hopkinton was first granted in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher. At the time, it was simply known as “Number 5.” The land’s original settlers hailed from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, so, upon arrival in 1736, they renamed it “New Hopkinton.” In 1765, the town was officially incorporated by Governor Benning Wentworth, and the “new” was dropped from the name. Over the years, a number of notable people have lived in Hopkinton, including former governor of New Hampshire John Lynch, U.S. Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster and associate justice of the Supreme Court Davis Souter.
Just under 4 percent of Hopkinton’s total area is made up of water. The town includes parts of the Contoocook River and Warner River and is located within the Merrimack River watershed. Its highest point is located at Shaker Hill, where elevation reaches 923 feet above sea level. A large portion of the town is known as “Contoocook Village,” after a tribe of Pennacook Indians who once called the area hom.
Hopkinton is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, fire department and emergency medical services. Children in the area attend schools in the Hopkinton School District. For recreation and entertainment, residents can take advantages of the town’s parks, golf courses, museums, tennis courts, youth sports leagues and organizations, campgrounds, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas and local beaches. Hopkinton is also home to the Little Nature Museum, the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society and the Contoocook Depot, and it hosts the annual Hopkinton State Fair during Labor Day weekend.