New London is a town located in central New Hampshire in the Dartmouth/Sunapee region of the state. It is situated in the Western part of Merrimack County and encompasses a total area of 25.6 square miles, 3.1 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, New London was home to 4,397 people.
The land that comprises New London was originally granted in 1753 by the Masonian Proprietors. At the time, it was known as “Heidelberg.” Heidelberg was never settled, and the area was regranted in 1773 as the “Alexandria Addition.” By 1779, families had begun to settle the land. As many hailed from London, England, they soon petitioned the courts to rename the town New London. Their petition was approved and the town was incorporated as New London in 1779.
More than 12 percent of New London’s total area is made up of water. The ‘highest point lies at Morgan Hill, where elevation reaches 1,770 feet above sea level, and it is served by New Hampshire Routes 11, 103A and 114, as well as Interstate 89. The nearest airport is Lebanon Municipal, located about 29 miles away.
New London is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, a municipal fire department and municipal emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include New London Hospital, Colby-Sawyer College, Hannaford Brothers, Country Press and Lake Sunapee Bank. Children in the area attend schools in the Kearsarge Regional School District, which also serves the nearby towns of Bradford, Newbury, Springfield, Sutton, Warner and Wilmot.
New London residents can take advantage of the town’s municipal parks, golf courses, swimming pools, tennis courts, museums, performing arts facilities, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, bicycle trails and more. Notable sites in the area include Colby-Sawyer College, Pleasant Lake, Mount Kearsarge, Mount Sunapee, Little Lake Sunapee, the Town Green and the New London Historical Society.