| Incorporated: 1761 |
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| Origin: Granted in 1761, the town was named for Hanover Parish, the home parish of settlers from Lisbon, Connecticut. In 1769, Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, received a charter for a college to educate Native Americans, an expansion of the Charity School he had established in Connecticut. The college was named for William Legge, Second Earl of Dartmouth, a supporter of the Reverend's efforts. In 1771, Governor John Wentworth, upon petition from Reverend Wheelock, chartered 300 acres between Hanover and Lebanon for Dartmouth College. The land chartered to the college was for a time known as Dresden, one of 16 towns involved in a border dispute with Vermont. Today, the name Dresden is that of the local school district, a bi-state district including towns from both sides of the Connecticut River. |
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| Villages and Place Names: Etna, Hanover Center, Dartmouth College |
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| Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1380 residents in 1790 |
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| Population Trends: Population change for Hanover, including resident students, totaled 3,166 over 50 years, from 8,494 in 1970 to 11,660 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was an 18 percent increase from 1990 to 2000. The town's population increased by four percent from 2010 to 2020. The 2023 Census estimate for Hanover was 12,209 residents, which ranked 25th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns. |
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| Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 248.7 persons per square mile of land area. Hanover contains 49.1 square miles of land area and 1 square miles of inland water area. |
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