Merrimack is a one hour commute from Boston, one hour from the seacoast, and one hour from the mountains, placing this thriving community of approximately 27,000 people right in the heart of it all. It is a town rich in history. For example, Matthew Thornton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, called Merrimack home.

Incorporated: 1746

Origin: Although first occupied in 1665, settlement did not begin until 1722, when the establishment of Brenton's Farm (Litchfield) presented the need of a ferry across the river to reach new settlements. The ferry concession was owned by Edward Lutwyche. When the town was separated from Nashua (then Dunstable) in 1746, it was given the name of the river, Merrimack. In 1774, Lutwyche's Ferry was sold to Revolutionary War patriot Matthew Thornton, giving it the current name of Thornton's Ferry.

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 819 residents in 1790

Population Trends: Merrimack ranked fifth in both numeric and percent of population increase over fifty years, growing more than 13 times larger. Decennial growth rates ranged from a 13 percent increase between 1990-2000 to a 188 percent increase between 1960-1970. Merrimack's population increased by a total of 23,211 residents, going from 1,908 in 1950 to 25,119 residents in 2000. The 2003 Census estimate for Merrimack was 26,394 residents, which ranked eighth among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2003: 791.7 persons per square mile of land area. Merrimack contains 32.6 square miles of land area and 0.8 square miles of inland water area.

Villages and Place Names: Reeds Ferry, Souhegan Village, South Merrimack, Thorntons Ferry