Newport is a town located in Western New Hampshire in the Dartmouth/Sunapee region of the state. It is situated in central Sullivan County and encompasses a total area of 43.7 square miles, .1 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newport was home to 6,507 people.
The land that comprises Newport was first granted in 1753 by Governor Benning Wentworth. At the time, it was named Grenvile in honor of George Grenville, the then-prime minister of the United Kingdom. In 1761 the area was officially incorporate as a town, taking on the name Newport, after well-known soldier and statesman Henry Newport. In 1781, Newport seceded from New Hampshire and joined nearby Vermont for a short period of time. It rejoined New Hampshire the next year.
Less than 1 percent of Newport’s total area is made up of water. The town is home to the Sugar River and Lake Sunapee, and its highest point lies at a ridge on its southern border, where elevation reaches 1,920 feet above sea level. The area is served by New Hampshire Routes 10, 11 and 103, as well as Interstate 89. Notable sites in the area include the Newport Opera House, established in 1886, and the Sugar River Recreational Trail.
Newport 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 Sturm Ruger & Co., LaValley Building Supply, Lake Sunapee Bank, Hartford Eichenauer Inc., Latva Machine Co., United Construction, Carroll Concrete, Sugar River Bank and Premier Precision.
Children in the area attend schools in the Newport School District, which includes two elementary schools, one middle school, one high school and a technical center. The town also boasts its own parks and recreation department.