Ivy League town in the Upper Connecticut River Valley
Since 1769, Hanover has been a New Hampshire-Vermont border town anchored by prestigious Dartmouth College. “Hanover is a terrific Ivy League town. We have about 4,000, 5,000 students who add a lot of vitality to the community. Crazy pedestrian traffic, but fun. A lot of really bright people,” says Nan Carroll, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Lifestyles – Hanover who has 22 years of experience in the Upper Connecticut River Valley market. “We’ve got major medical institutions and the Ivy League, neither of which is going anywhere. It’s a very stable community – safe, with good public schools in a low-tax state.” Although Dartmouth’s campus and aesthetics dominate downtown Hanover, along with exit signs at the junction of interstates 89 and 91, green and white doesn’t choke the town. Sunlight reflects off the Connecticut River and streams through the canopy along forested hiking trails in nearby nature preserves, immersing Hanover in the valley's natural beauty.
Residents and students stroll the main street shops along Hanover, NH downtown section.
The City of Hanover, NH sits alongside the banks of the Connecticut River shown here on a snowy morning.
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Flexible learning at Dartmouth and highly-rated Hanover public schools
The smallest of the Ivy Leagues by enrollment, Dartmouth College is well-known for prestigious undergraduate academics and a highly social student body and alumni network. The university’s D-Plan, a flexibly structured four-semester system, offers students more freedom to schedule internships and work experience. The social aspect is represented by a heavy Greek Life presence on campus and a grinning beer keg named Keggy that’s been an unofficial mascot since the early 2000s.
Hanover and Norwich, Vermont, are served by School Administrative Unit (SAU) 70, an interstate district that earns both an A-plus and a best-in-New Hampshire ranking from Niche. While elementary schools form sub-districts on both sides of the river, all students will graduate from the A-plus-rated Hanover High School, also ranked the best in the state. “The high school has a huge offering of courses and extracurriculars," Carroll says. "The catalogue looks like a prep school’s."
Students walk across the famous Dartmouth Green with the historic clock tower in the background.
Hanover High School is A-plus-rated by Niche public school in Hanover, NH.
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Single-family homes on Hanover’s walkable blocks and in rural hills
Hanover’s single-family homes are far from cookie-cutter. While much of the architecture displays the National, Victorian and Craftsman styles of the early 20th century, construction from the Colonial era through the 2000s can also be found around town. The evenly plotted, sidewalk-lined blocks closest to Hanover’s downtown are popular for their walkability to campus and Main Street businesses. Country roads farther from town hide homes on tree-covered acreage, alongside townhouses in a handful of planned communities. Hanover’s median single-family home price is $1 million, more than double the national median. Renting is big in the town, thanks to the university’s influence. Carroll says retired alumni who have made their money elsewhere are frequent buyers. Studies and a wider regional housing shortage sparked the town's plan to develop hundreds of affordable and medium-cost housing units by 2040.
A commonly found New Englander styled home in Hanover New Hampshire.
A row of commonly found New Englander styled homes in the neighborhoods of Hanover, NH.
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Hiking the Appalachian Trail and kayaking on the Connecticut River
Through-hikers and day-trippers pass one another on Main Street along the Appalachian Trail, although high points and scenic vistas are in the forested hills around town. The Connecticut River’s private and public access points fill the water with kayakers, swimmers and anglers. Recreational amenities include parks, athletic fields, a community center, and municipal boat launches and docks. Many of Dartmouth's spaces are open to the public. “The college offers cross-country ski trails and an outdoor ice rink the community is invited to use. There’s a nice relationship between the town and the gown,” Carroll says.
Hanover, NH is one of a few communities that the Appalachian Trail runs directly through.
A pair of cross country skiers make their way around the many trails surrounding Pine Park in Hanover, NH.
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Shopping and dining on Main Street
Main Street and its surrounding blocks are lined with the small businesses, coffee shops and restaurants serving global cuisines needed to sustain a college town. A handful of bars and late-night eateries cater to revelers. Hanover is designated as a “Tree City,” meaning a healthy canopy shades its sidewalks. The steeples of historic churches break the skyline throughout town, and a couple of Chabads operate in tandem with Dartmouth. Some strip malls and grocery stores are on Hanover Street toward Lebanon.
Molly's Restaurant & Bar is a popular stop right in the middle of the Hanover, NH downtown area.
Residents can shop one of several local COOP Grocery Stores in the Hanover, NH area.
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Dartmouth productions and community events in Hanover
Beyond the university’s wealth of student traditions and festivals, Dartmouth College’s sporting and cultural institutions are open to the wider community throughout the year. Diverse athletic complexes give fans a chance to cheer on varsity athletes around town. The Hopkins Center for the Arts offers film screenings and student productions near the town’s own movie theater and the Hood Museum of Art. Community organizations put on holiday events like the aptly named Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration, a festival centered around a parade through town, pony rides and competitive apple-pie eating. Official town events include a Summer Picnic Series and FallFest.
The Dartmouth University Theatre and Arts Departments produce many events and gallery displays around town.
The downtown Hanover, NH streets stay lit up well into the evening hours for seasonal events.
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Walking around Hanover and driving to nearby interstates
Hanover's downtown is often packed with pedestrians. In recent years, the town has added sidewalks and bike lanes, but its master plan calls for additional infrastructure that's even safer and more friendly to pedestrians and bikers. Dartmouth is a major employer for Grafton County, as is Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, which is known for its cancer center and for often topping lists of the best hospitals in New Hampshire. Advance Transit’s free bus service serves these commuter hubs and other nearby towns in the Upper Valley. The junction of interstates 89 and 91 opens access to the nearest major cities; Boston is almost 130 miles southeast, while New York City is nearly 270 miles southwest. Lebanon Municipal Airport, about 8 miles away, offers daily connections to Boston and White Plains, New York.
Crime, weather and flood patterns in Hanover
According to the New Hampshire State Police, Hanover’s crime rate was 1,384 offenses per 100,000 people in 2024, much lower than New Hampshire’s statewide rate of 3,266 per 100,000 people. Data indicates that both property and violent crime may increase or decrease in a given year, but each remains relatively stable and low.
Hanover experiences all four seasons, including hot summers and snowy winters below freezing.
The Connecticut River and smaller tributaries like Mink Brook may flood after unusually heavy rain, although risk is not extremely high in this part of the Upper Valley.
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