Nashua , city (1990 pop. 79,662), seat of Hillsborough co., S N.H., on the Merrimack and Nashua rivers near the Mass. line; settled c.1655, inc. as a city 1853. Because of the availability of water power, Nashua developed (early 19th cent.) as a textile mill town; the closing of these mills after World War II prompted the development of diverse manufacturing. Chief among Nashua's products are machinery; rubber, wood, metal, paper, and plastic products; building materials; computers; transportation equipment; electrical and electronic goods; furniture; chemicals; shoes; air shafts; and defense systems. The city has grown as a satellite community of the Boston metropolitan area. It is the seat of Rivier College and Daniel Webster College. The Federal Aviation Administration has a traffic control center there.

Nashua

The City in Brief

Founded: 1656 (incorporated 1853)

Head Official: Mayor Bernard A. Streeter (since 2000)

City Population

1980: 67,865

1990: 79,662

2000: 86,605

2003 estimate: 87,285

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.7%

U.S. rank in 1980: 289th

U.S. rank in 1990: 270th (State rank: 2nd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 324th (State rank: 2nd)

Metropolitan Area Population (PMSA)

1990: 168,233

2000: 190,949

Percent change, 1990–2000: 13.5%

U.S. rank in 1990: 5th (CMSA)

U.S. rank in 2000: 7th (CMSA)

Area: 30.8 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 169 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 47.6° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 41.46 inches of rain; 55 inches of snow

Major Economic Sectors: Manufacturing, retail, finance, service

Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (state average, March 2005)

Per Capita Income: $25,209 (1999)

2004 ACCRA Average House Price: Not reported

2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: Not reported

Major Colleges and Universities: Daniel Webster College; Rivier College; New Hampshire Technical College

Daily Newspaper: The Nashua Telegraph

Nashua, New Hampshire/USA Settled c.1656 along the banks of the Nashua River and named Dunstable in 1673. On the other side of the river a settlement called Indian Head was renamed Nashua in 1803 and the two settlements amalgamated in 1837 under the name Nashua. Various theories have been put forward as to its meaning: a Native American word for ‘the land between’ or ‘beautiful river with a stony bottom’.