City of Dover, New Hampshire

Dover is a city located in Strafford County, in the Seacoast region of eastern New Hampshire, near the border with Maine. It is the oldest permanent European settlement in New Hampshire, established in 1623, and the seventh oldest in the United States. Dover was originally settled by fishermen and traders from England in 1623, known as the Cochecho Plantation, adopting the Abenaki name. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dover developed a thriving shipbuilding industry along the Piscataqua River. By the 19th century, it had become a leading manufacturer of cotton goods, utilizing the water power of the Cochecho River to operate several mills. The textile industry declined in the 20th century, but Dovers economy diversified into manufacturing automotive trim, electric motors, printing presses, fabrics, shoes, plastics, and electronic equipment. As of the 2020 census, Dover had a population of 32,741, making it the largest city in the New Hampshire Seacoast region and the fifth-largest m...