Manchester is located in
Hillsborough County, 10 miles north of
Nashua between
Concord and the Massachusetts state line. Situated on both banks of the
Merrimack River, Manchester is accessible by interstate highways 93 and 293. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 102,524, an increase of 3,192 since 1990.
Manchester is the largest city and a chief manufacturing center of New Hampshire. The first white settlement was in 1722. The community was first known as Harrytown, then Derryfield, before assuming its present name in 1810. There is a large population of descendants of French Canadian immigrants. At one time, Manchester was known as the home of the largest cotton mills in the world, but the mills failed during the Great Depression. Today, the industrial base is more varied.
Manchester is part of the Manchester, New Hampshire metro area.
