Northfield is a town located in central New Hampshire in the Merrimack Valley region of the state. It is situated in the Northern part of Merrimack County and encompasses a total are of 29 square miles, .3 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Northfield was home to 4,829 people.
The land that comprises Northfield was originally a part of Canterbury, when it was incorporated in 1741. Residents of the area demanded separation in 1780, as traveling to the center of town had become difficult. Their petition was granted, and the town was incorporated early that year, taking on the name Northfield, as it was created from the northern portion of Canterbury.
Less than 1 percent of Northfield’s total area is made up of water. The town includes parts of the Merrimack River, Winnipesaukee River, Sandogardy Pond, Knowles Pond and Williams Brook. Its highest point lies at Bean Hill, where elevation reaches 1,500 feet above sea level. Over the years, the town has been called home by many notable people, including U.S. Congressmen Richard S. Molony and Robert Smith.
Northfield 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 Wyman Gordon, Freudenberg-NOK, Tobin Tool, Eptam Plastics, Blouin Steel, Pike Industries and Spaulding Youth Center. Children in the area attend schools in the Winnisquam Regional School District, which also serves the nearby towns of Sanbornton and Tilton.
For recreation and entertainment, Northfield residents can take advantage of the town?s municipal parks, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, snowmobile trails, bicycle trails and beaches and waterfront areas. The town also boasts a community center, a bike park, a river trail and is within close proximity of the Ragged and Gunstock Mountain ski areas.