:Portsmouth, New Hampshire

American Indians of the Abenaki and other Algonquian languages-speaking nations, and their predecessors, inhabited the territory of coastal New Hampshire for thousands of years before European contact.

The first known European to explore and write about the area was Martin Pring in 1603. The Piscataqua River is a tidal estuary with a swift current, but forms a good natural harbor. The west bank of the harbor was settled by European colonists in 1630 and named Strawbery Banke, after the many wild strawberries growing there. The village was protected by Fort William and Mary on what is now New Castle Island. Strategically located for trade between upstream industries and mercantile interests abroad, the port prospered. Fishing, lumber and shipbuilding were principal businesses of the region.{{Cite book| last = Coolidge| first = A. J. |author2=J. B. Mansfield| title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = H. G. Houghton and Company| year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n664 622]–629| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ}} Enslaved Africans were imported as laborers as early as 1645 and were integral to building the city's prosperity.{{Cite web |url= http://www.theheartofnewengland.com/travel-NH-Black-History.html| first= Phyllis| last= Ring |title=The Place Her People Made |work=The Heart of New England| access-date=August 27, 2010}} Portsmouth was part of the Triangle Trade, which made significant profits from slavery.

File:Market Square in 1853, Portsmouth, NH.jpg

File:Portsmouth Harbor New Hampshire William James Glackens.jpeg (1909)]]

File:Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1917).jpg

At the town's incorporation in 1653, it was named "Portsmouth" in honor of the colony's founder, John Mason. He had been captain of the English port of Portsmouth, Hampshire, after which New Hampshire is named. Richard Martyn was one of the founders of the first church in Portsmouth, and served as Selectman, Representative to the General Court, Speaker of the House, and Chief Justice.

File:JeffersonSt.jpg. This museum complex includes 37 restored buildings built between the 17th and 19th centuries.]]

When Queen Anne's War ended in 1712, Governor Joseph Dudley selected the town to host negotiations for the 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth, which temporarily ended hostilities between the Abenaki Indians and the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire.

In 1774, in the lead-up to the Revolution, Paul Revere rode to Portsmouth warning that the British Royal Navy was coming to capture the port.{{Cite web |url= http://seacoastnh.com/history/rev/revere.html |first= J. Dennis |last= Robinson |title= Paul Revere's Other Ride |work= Seacoast NH History |access-date= August 27, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120126150304/http://www.seacoastnh.com/history/rev/revere.html |archive-date= January 26, 2012 |url-status= dead }} Although Fort William and Mary protected the harbor, the Patriot government moved the capital inland to Exeter, which ensured that it would be under no threat from the Royal Navy, which bombarded Falmouth (now Portland, Maine) instead on October 18, 1775. Portsmouth was the destination for several of Beaumarchais's ships containing materiel, such as artillery, tents, and gunpowder, to help the American revolutionary effort.{{cite web |url=https://allthingsliberty.com/2017/09/americas-first-black-ops/ |title=America's First Black Ops |author=Bob Ruppert |work=allthingsliberty.com |date=September 5, 2017 |accessdate=June 20, 2021}} African Americans helped defend Portsmouth and New England during the war. In 1779, 19 enslaved African Americans from Portsmouth wrote a petition to the state legislature and asked that it abolish slavery, in recognition of their war contributions and in keeping with the principles of the Revolution. The legislature tabled their petition. New Hampshire abolished slavery in 1857, by which time the institution was effectively extinct in the state.

Thomas Jefferson's 1807 embargo against American trade with Britain severely disrupted New England's trade with Canada, and several local businessmen went bankrupt. Portsmouth was host to numerous privateers during the War of 1812. In 1849, Portsmouth was incorporated as a city.

Once one of the nation's busiest ports and shipbuilding cities, Portsmouth expressed its wealth in fine architecture. It has significant examples of Colonial, Georgian, and Federal style houses, some of which are now museums. Portsmouth's heart has stately brick Federalist stores and townhouses, built all-of-a-piece after devastating early 19th-century fires. The worst was in 1813 when 244 buildings burned. A fire district was created that required all new buildings within its boundaries to be built of brick with slate roofs; this created the downtown's distinctive appearance. The city was also noted for the production of boldly wood-veneered federal-style (neoclassical) furniture, particularly by the master cabinet maker Langley Boardman.

The Industrial Revolution spurred economic growth in New Hampshire mill towns such as Dover, Keene, Laconia, Manchester, Nashua and Rochester, where rivers provided water power for the mills. It shifted growth to the new mill towns. The port of Portsmouth declined, but the city survived Victorian-era doldrums, a time described in the works of Thomas Bailey Aldrich, particularly in his 1869 novel The Story of a Bad Boy.

In the 20th century, the city founded a Historic District Commission, which has worked to protect much of the city's irreplaceable architectural legacy. In 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Portsmouth one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations".{{Cite web

|url= http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/northeast-region/portsmouth-nh-2008.html

|title=Dozen Distinctive Destinations: Portsmouth, NH

|work= Preservation Nation

|access-date=August 27, 2010

}} The compact and walkable downtown on the waterfront draws tourists and artists, who each summer throng the cafes, restaurants and shops around Market Square. Portsmouth annually celebrates the revitalization of its downtown (in particular Market Square) with Market Square Day,[http://www.proportsmouth.org/WhatisMSD.cfm What is Market Square Day?] a celebration dating back to 1977, produced by the non-profit Pro Portsmouth, Inc.

This emphasis on historic preservation and revitalization was the result of much pain and destruction. Portsmouth is largely walkable due to its network of streets and tight blocks filled with preserved Revolution-era homes. However, like many other cities all over the region (and nation), Portsmouth was hit by Urban Renewal, a planning tool used nationwide to provide Federal funds to address “urban blight” and revitalize downtown cores after decades of suburbanization and loss of tax revenue. An urban renewal district for Portsmouth was its North End neighborhood, which similar to Boston’s, was home to an Italian-American population.{{cite web |url=https://buildingsofnewengland.com/tag/urban-renewal-portsmouth-nh/|title=URBAN RENEWAL PORTSMOUTH NH

|work= Buildings of New England

|date=May 15, 2022

|access-date=July 22, 2023

}}

In 1964, federal funds were allocated to the North End project area in Portsmouth, for urban renewal. Prior to redevelopment, the North End was a mix of residential and commercial buildings, with many older houses converted into storefronts with apartments above. In the mid-1960s, the area was considered overcrowded, run down, and a fire hazard. As a result, the Portsmouth Housing Authority proposed the destruction of approximately 200 buildings, a school, and a church and redevelopment for commercial, industrial, and public use, rather than for residences. The project would displace approximately 300 families as a result. In 1968, Portsmouth Preservation Inc., a preservation organization was formed to attempt to save some of the historic building stock in the area slated for redevelopment. After bitter fighting and preservation advocacy, just fourteen houses were saved and mostly moved to an area known today as “The Hill”. This preservation was only the beginning, and eventually efforts conspired to created the afformentioned historic district. Urban renewal was many events that led to its creation.

Portsmouth shipbuilding history has had a long symbiotic relationship with Kittery, Maine, across the Piscataqua River. In 1781–1782, the naval hero John Paul Jones lived in Portsmouth while he supervised construction of his ship Ranger, which was built on nearby Badger's Island in Kittery. During that time, he boarded at the Captain Gregory Purcell house, which now bears Jones' name, as it is the only surviving property in the United States associated with him. Built by the master housewright Hopestill Cheswell, an African American,{{cite book

|isbn=9781584652892

|title=Black Portsmouth: Three Centuries of African-American Heritage

|year=2004

|last1=Sammons

|first1=Mark J.

|last2=Cunningham

|first2=Valerie

|pages=[https://books.google.com/books?id=f7BJj742rUwC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA32 32–33]

|publisher=University of New Hampshire Press

|place=Durham, New Hampshire

|url=http://www.upne.com/1584652896.html

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810234657/http://www.upne.com/1584652896.html

|archive-date=2016-08-10

|access-date=2009-07-27

|oclc=845682328

|url-status=usurped

|lccn=2004007172}} it has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. It now serves as the Portsmouth Historical Society Museum.

The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, established in 1800 as the first federal navy yard, is on Seavey's Island in Kittery, Maine.{{Cite web

|url= http://www.seacoastnh.com/brewster/82.html|first= Charles W.|last= Brewster

|title=The Ship "America" and John Paul Jones

|work=Seacoast NH

|access-date=August 27, 2010

}} The base is famous for being the site of the 1905 signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth{{Cite web|url=http://www.portsmouthpeacetreaty.org|title=The Treaty of Portsmouth (Portsmouth Peace Treaty)|website=www.portsmouthpeacetreaty.org|access-date=2018-07-17}} which ended the Russo-Japanese War. Though US President Theodore Roosevelt orchestrated the peace conference that brought Russian and Japanese diplomats to Portsmouth and the Shipyard, he never came to Portsmouth, relying on the Navy and people of New Hampshire as the hosts. Roosevelt won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomacy in bringing about an end to the war.

File:PORTSMOUTH_NH.jpg

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|43.6|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|40.6|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|3.0|sqkm|order=flip}}, or 6.92%, are water.{{cite web |title=2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2021_Gazetteer/2021_gaz_cousubs_33.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=December 17, 2021}} Portsmouth is drained by Berrys Brook, Sagamore Creek and the Piscataqua River, which is the boundary between New Hampshire and Maine. The highest point in the city is {{convert|110|ft}} above sea level, within Pease International Airport.

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Portsmouth has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Portsmouth was {{convert|104|F|C|1}} on August 2, 1975, while the coldest temperature recorded was {{convert|-26|F|C|1}} on January 22, 1984.

{{Weather box

|location = Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1954–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 71

|Feb record high F = 75

|Mar record high F = 89

|Apr record high F = 94

|May record high F = 94

|Jun record high F = 97

|Jul record high F = 102

|Aug record high F = 104

|Sep record high F = 96

|Oct record high F = 88

|Nov record high F = 78

|Dec record high F = 75

|Jan avg record high F = 55.3

|Feb avg record high F = 56.8

|Mar avg record high F = 66.0

|Apr avg record high F = 81.2

|May avg record high F = 88.1

|Jun avg record high F = 91.3

|Jul avg record high F = 93.6

|Aug avg record high F = 92.0

|Sep avg record high F = 88.3

|Oct avg record high F = 78.4

|Nov avg record high F = 68.9

|Dec avg record high F = 57.8

|year avg record high F = 95.3

|Jan high F = 32.6

|Feb high F = 35.6

|Mar high F = 43.3

|Apr high F = 55.8

|May high F = 66.1

|Jun high F = 75.0

|Jul high F = 80.5

|Aug high F = 79.4

|Sep high F = 71.8

|Oct high F = 59.7

|Nov high F = 48.1

|Dec high F = 37.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 24.4

|Feb mean F = 26.6

|Mar mean F = 34.3

|Apr mean F = 45.3

|May mean F = 55.4

|Jun mean F = 64.5

|Jul mean F = 70.3

|Aug mean F = 69.1

|Sep mean F = 61.7

|Oct mean F = 50.1

|Nov mean F = 39.7

|Dec mean F = 30.0

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 16.3

|Feb low F = 17.6

|Mar low F = 25.3

|Apr low F = 34.8

|May low F = 44.8

|Jun low F = 54.1

|Jul low F = 60.1

|Aug low F = 58.8

|Sep low F = 51.7

|Oct low F = 40.5

|Nov low F = 31.2

|Dec low F = 22.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -4.2

|Feb avg record low F = -1.2

|Mar avg record low F = 6.4

|Apr avg record low F = 22.7

|May avg record low F = 31.1

|Jun avg record low F = 41.2

|Jul avg record low F = 49.4

|Aug avg record low F = 47.5

|Sep avg record low F = 35.4

|Oct avg record low F = 26.4

|Nov avg record low F = 16.1

|Dec avg record low F = 4.8

|year avg record low F = -6.9

|Jan record low F = -26

|Feb record low F = -15

|Mar record low F = -8

|Apr record low F = 10

|May record low F = 15

|Jun record low F = 32

|Jul record low F = 38

|Aug record low F = 33

|Sep record low F = 23

|Oct record low F = 14

|Nov record low F = -6

|Dec record low F = -17

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.63

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.57

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.77

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.56

|May precipitation inch = 3.95

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.59

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.89

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.66

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.08

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.95

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.12

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.88

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 10.6

|Feb precipitation days = 9.3

|Mar precipitation days = 10.9

|Apr precipitation days = 11.1

|May precipitation days = 11.3

|Jun precipitation days = 11.3

|Jul precipitation days = 10.7

|Aug precipitation days = 8.7

|Sep precipitation days = 9.1

|Oct precipitation days = 10.6

|Nov precipitation days = 10.9

|Dec precipitation days = 11.3

|Jan snow inch = 17.1

|Feb snow inch = 15.8

|Mar snow inch = 13.9

|Apr snow inch = 2.3

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 1.6

|Dec snow inch = 14.2

|year snow inch = 65.0

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 6.9

|Feb snow days = 5.9

|Mar snow days = 4.6

|Apr snow days = 0.9

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.0

|Nov snow days = 1.0

|Dec snow days = 5.3

|Jan snow depth inch = 11.0

|Feb snow depth inch = 12.5

|Mar snow depth inch = 11.2

|Apr snow depth inch = 2.1

|May snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0

|Oct snow depth inch = 0.0

|Nov snow depth inch = 0.8

|Dec snow depth inch = 8.4

|year snow depth inch = 17.9

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00273626&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Greenland, NH

|access-date = March 17, 2024

}}

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/climate?wfo=gyx

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Gray

|access-date = March 17, 2024

}}

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS2

|access-date = March 17, 2024

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1790= 4720

|1800= 5339

|1810= 6934

|1820= 7327

|1830= 8026

|1840= 7887

|1850= 9738

|1860= 9335

|1870= 9211

|1880= 9690

|1890= 9827

|1900= 10637

|1910= 11269

|1920= 13569

|1930= 14495

|1940= 14821

|1950= 18830

|1960= 26900

|1970= 25717

|1980= 26254

|1990= 25925

|2000= 20784

|2010= 21233

|2020= 21956

|footnote=sources:{{cite web|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850a-02.pdf|title=Census|publisher=United States Census|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808210104/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850a-02.pdf|archive-date=August 8, 2010|df=mdy-all}} page 36

}}

Portsmouth is the sole city in Rockingham County, but the fourth-largest municipality, with fewer people than the towns of Derry, Londonderry, and Salem.

As of the census of 2010, there were 21,233 people, 10,014 households, and 4,736 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,361.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people |people}}. There were 10,625 housing units at an average density of {{convert|681.1|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 91.5% White, 1.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.7% some other race, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/1600000US3362900| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Portsmouth city, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=January 26, 2016| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213115253/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/SF1DP1/1600000US3362900| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}

There were 10,014 households, out of which 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were headed by married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.7% were non-families. 39.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.03, and the average family size was 2.75.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 16.6% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

For the period 2010–2014, the city's estimated median annual household income was $67,679, and the median family income was $90,208. Male full-time workers had a median income of $58,441 versus $45,683 for females. The city's per capita income for the city was $42,724. About 4.0% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_5YR/DP03/1600000US3362900| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2010–2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Portsmouth city, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=January 26, 2016| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213070015/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/14_5YR/DP03/1600000US3362900| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}

Heinemann USA is based in Portsmouth. Before its dissolution, Boston-Maine Airways (Pan Am Clipper Connection), a regional airline, was also headquartered in Portsmouth.{{Cite web

|url= http://www.flypanam.com/contact.html

|title=Pan Am Clipper Connection

|access-date=August 27, 2010

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070111211702/http://www.flypanam.com/contact.html

|archive-date= January 11, 2007}}

Companies with headquarters in Portsmouth include packaged software producer Bottomline Technologies and frozen yogurt maker Sweet Scoops.

According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,{{Cite web |url=http://files.cityofportsmouth.com/finance/fy20/CAFR20.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127125736/http://files.cityofportsmouth.com/finance/fy20/CAFR20.pdf |archive-date=2021-01-27 |url-status=live |title=City of Portsmouth CAFR |access-date=January 22, 2021 |publisher=City of Portsmouth}} the top ten employers in the city are:

The Portsmouth Downtown Historic District encompasses the city's historic urban core and Market Square.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-17 |title=The Best Things to Do in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, From Black Heritage Landmarks to a Turkish Cafe |url=https://www.cntraveler.com/story/where-to-eat-stay-and-play-in-portsmouth-new-hampshire |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=Condé Nast Traveler |language=en-US}} The city has a vibrant restaurant culture. In 2023, it was reported that the city had 36,000 restaurant seats for a population of 22,000.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-15 |title=Portsmouth NH: 36,000 restaurants seats and 22,000 population |url=https://seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2023/11/17/portsmouth-nh-36000-restaurants-seats-22000-population/71584465007/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=Portsmouth Herald}}

File:Street musicians in Portsmouth, NH IMG 2667.JPG

• USS Albacore Museum & Park – a museum featuring the USS Albacore, a U.S. Navy submarine used for testing, which was decommissioned in 1972 and moved to the park in 1985. The submarine is open for tours.
• Buckminster House – built in 1725, formerly a funeral parlor.{{Cite web|url=http://walkportsmouth.blogspot.com/2011/07/buckminster-house.html|title=Walk Portsmouth: Buckminster House|last=Campbell|first=Ron|date=2011-07-06|website=Walk Portsmouth|access-date=2018-07-17}}{{cite web|title=J Verne Wood Funeral Home – History|url=http://www.jvwoodfuneralhome.com/fh/aboutus/history.cfm?&fh_id=11813|access-date=October 28, 2013|archive-date=October 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029204109/http://www.jvwoodfuneralhome.com/fh/aboutus/history.cfm?&fh_id=11813|url-status=dead}}
• Cabot Lyford four public sculptures – including "The Whale" and "My Mother the Wind," a seven-ton blank granite statue which was installed on Portsmouth's waterfront in 1975.{{cite news |last=Keyes |first=Bob |date=January 23, 2016 |title=Maine sculptor Cabot Lyford dies at 90 |work=Portland Press Herald |url=http://www.pressherald.com/2016/01/23/maine-sculptor-cabot-lyford-dies-at-age-90/ |access-date=February 13, 2016}}
• File:Gilley's Diner (interior), Portsmouth, NH - January 2025.jpg Gilley's Diner – Known as Portsmouth's original diner, established in 1912 as a horse-drawn lunch wagon, and now housed in a 1940s lunch cart permanently located at 175 Fleet Street.{{cite news |title=JOURNEYS; 36 Hours; Portsmouth, N.H. |url=https://proxy.westhartfordlibrary.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/blogs-podcasts-websites/journeys-36-hours-portsmouth-n-h/docview/2228852172/se-2 |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=New York Times (Online) |publisher=New York Times Company |date=Aug 6, 2004}}
• The Music Hall – a 900-seat theater opened in 1878.{{Cite web |date=2020-02-13 |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About The Music Hall |url=https://www.nhmagazine.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-music-hall/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=New Hampshire Magazine |language=en-US}}
• New Hampshire Theatre Project – founded in 1986, a non-profit theater organization producing contemporary and classical works, and offering educational programs.{{Cite web

|url= http://www.nhtheatreproject.org/

|title=New Hampshire Theatre Project

|access-date=August 27, 2010

}}

• North Church – historic church, the steeple of which is visible from most of Portsmouth
• The Player's Ring Theater – a black-box theater that produces original work from local playwrights.
• Pontine Theatre – produces original theater works based on the history, culture and literature of New England at their 50-seat black box venue.{{Cite web |title=Pontine Theatre, Portsmouth, NH |url=http://www.pontine.org/ |access-date=August 27, 2010 |work=pontine.org}}
• Portsmouth African Burying Ground – a memorial park and the only archeologically verified 18th-century African burying ground in New England.
• Portsmouth Athenæum – a private membership library, museum and art gallery open to the public at certain times.
• Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse – first established in 1771, the current structure was built in 1878 and is open for monthly tours from May through September.
• Portsmouth Historical Society – founded in 1917, includes museum galleries, a gift shop, welcome center, walking tours, and operates the John Paul Jones House.{{Cite web

|url= https://portsmouthhistory.org

|title=Portsmouth Historical Society

|access-date=April 20, 2023

}}

• Prescott Park Arts Festival – summer entertainments in Portsmouth's waterfront park since 1974.{{Cite web |title=Prescott Park |url=http://www.prescottpark.org/ |access-date=August 27, 2010 |work=prescottpark.org}}
• Rockingham Hotel and the Library Restaurant – historic former hotel and contemporary restaurant. Built in 1885, it is a prominent early example of Colonial Revival architecture.
• Seacoast Repertory Theatre – founded in 1988, a professional theater troupe.{{Cite web

|url= http://www.seacoastrep.org/

|title=Seacoast Repertory Theatre

|work=seacoastrep.org

|access-date=August 27, 2010

}}

• Strawbery Banke Museum – a neighborhood featuring several dozen restored historic homes in Colonial, Georgian and Federal styles of architecture. The site of one of Portsmouth's earliest settlements.

File:Portsmouth, NH - Governor John Langdon House.JPG]]

File:Blue -ti -ful Moffat-Ladd House (3557588626).jpg]]

• Richard Jackson House (1664)
• John Paul Jones House (1758)
• Governor John Langdon House (1784)
• Tobias Lear House (1740)
• Moffatt-Ladd House (also called William Whipple House) (1763)
• Rundlet-May House (1807)
• MacPheadris-Warner House (1716)
• Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion (1750)
• Wentworth-Gardner House (also called Wentworth House) (1760)
• Henry Sherburne House (1766)

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2025}}

The Seacoast United Phantoms are a soccer team based in Portsmouth. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the Northeast Division of USL League Two (USL2), one of the unofficial fourth-tier leagues of the American Soccer Pyramid.{{cite web | url=https://www.fosters.com/story/sports/2010/11/30/phantoms-complete-seacoast-move/51362095007/ | title=Phantoms complete a Seacoast move }}

Freedom Rugby Football Club is a men's rugby union team based in Portsmouth, founded in the summer of 2014. The club is an active member of USA Rugby and New England Rugby Football Union (NERFU).

The New England Lightning of the American Basketball Association (ABA) have played at Portsmouth High School since 2024.

{{see also|List of mayors of Portsmouth, New Hampshire}}

The city of Portsmouth operates under a council-manager system of government. Portsmouth elects a nine-member at-large City Council to serve as the city's primary legislative body.{{cite web| url=http://www.cityofportsmouth.com/citycouncil/index.htm=| title=Portsmouth City Council, 2014 and 2015| publisher=City of Portsmouth| access-date=June 6, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The candidate who receives the most votes is designated the Mayor (currently Deaglan McEachern), while the candidate receiving the second-highest vote total is designated the Assistant Mayor (currently Joanna Kelley). While the mayor and council convene to establish municipal policy, the City Manager (currently Karen Conard) oversees the city's day-to-day operations.{{cite web|url=https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/city-manager|title=City Manager|last=Karen|first=Conard|date=February 12, 2020|website=City of Portsmouth|access-date=February 12, 2020}}

Portsmouth is part of New Hampshire's 1st congressional district, currently represented by Democrat Chris Pappas. Portsmouth is part of the Executive Council's 3rd district, currently represented by Republican Janet Stevens. In the State Senate, Portsmouth is represented by Democrat Rebecca Perkins Kwoka. In the State House of Representatives, Portsmouth is divided among the 25th through 31st Rockingham districts.{{cite web| url=http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wmlresults.aspx?town=Portsmouth| title=House Members| publisher=New Hampshire General Court| access-date=November 12, 2017}}{{cite web| url=http://sos.nh.gov/VoteDist.aspx| title=Voting Districts| publisher=New Hampshire Secretary of State| access-date=November 12, 2017| archive-date=November 15, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115060930/http://sos.nh.gov/VoteDist.aspx| url-status=dead}}

Politically, Portsmouth is a center of liberal politics and a stronghold for the Democratic Party. Ronald Reagan was the last Republican presidential nominee to carry the city in his 1984 landslide reelection. In 2016, Portsmouth voted 67.70% for Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, 62.53% for Colin Van Ostern in the gubernatorial election, 64.48% for Maggie Hassan in the senatorial election, and 62.16% for Carol Shea-Porter in the congressional election.{{cite web|title=State General Election Results|url=http://cityofportsmouth.com/cityclerk/11-08-16GeneralElectionResults.pdf|website=City of Portsmouth|access-date=November 11, 2016|date=November 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112015229/http://cityofportsmouth.com/cityclerk/11-08-16GeneralElectionResults.pdf|archive-date=November 12, 2016|url-status=dead}} In 2014, Portsmouth voted 70.05% for Maggie Hassan in the gubernatorial election, 67.34% for Jeanne Shaheen in the senatorial election, and 68.34% for Carol Shea-Porter in the congressional election. In 2012, Portsmouth voted 67.56% for Barack Obama in the presidential election, 70.16% for Maggie Hassan in the gubernatorial election, and 68.50% for Carol Shea-Porter in the congressional election.{{cite web| url=http://cityofportsmouth.com/cityclerk/elections.htm=| title=Election Results| publisher=Portsmouth, New Hampshire City Clerk| access-date=June 6, 2015}}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In March 2014, Portsmouth became the first municipality in New Hampshire to implement protections for city employees from discrimination on the basis of gender identity, by a 9–0 vote of the city council.{{cite web| url=http://nhpr.org/post/portsmouth-council-unanimously-approves-gender-identity-protection| title=Portsmouth City Council Unanimously Approves Gender Identity Protection| author=Emily Corwin| date=March 4, 2014| publisher=New Hampshire Public Radio| access-date=June 9, 2015}}

Tertiary institutions:

• Community College System of New Hampshire, Great Bay Community College – Portsmouth campus
• Franklin Pierce University – Portsmouth campus
• Granite State College – Portsmouth campus and on-site location at Great Bay Community College

Portsmouth School District is the public school district of the community.{{Cite web |title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Rockingham County, NH |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st33_nh/schooldistrict_maps/c33015_rockingham/DC20SD_C33015.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722154716/https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st33_nh/schooldistrict_maps/c33015_rockingham/DC20SD_C33015.pdf |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |access-date=2024-11-27 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st33_nh/schooldistrict_maps/c33015_rockingham/DC20SD_C33015_SD2MS.txt Text list]

Private schools:

• Saint Patrick Academy – Catholic K–8 school

• The New Hampshire Gazette
• The Portsmouth Herald

{{See also|List of newspapers in New Hampshire in the 18th century#Portsmouth|l1=List of newspapers in New Hampshire in the 18th century: Portsmouth}}

• WSCA-LP Portsmouth Community Radio 106.1 FM
• WHEB 100.3 FM rock formatted

The city is crossed by Interstate 95, U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 4, New Hampshire Route 1A, New Hampshire Route 16, and New Hampshire Route 33. Boston is {{convert|55|mi}} to the south, Portland, Maine, is {{convert|53|mi}} to the northeast, and Dover, New Hampshire, is {{convert|13|mi}} to the northwest.

The Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) operates a publicly funded bus network in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire and neighboring Maine including service in, to and from Portsmouth.{{cite web |url= https://coastbus.org/ourfuturefacility |title=Moving Toward the Future |publisher=COAST |access-date=2022-09-12 }} C&J is a private intercity bus carrier connecting Portsmouth with coastal New Hampshire and Boston, as well as direct service to New York City.{{cite web |url= https://www.ridecj.com/about/ |title=About Us |publisher=C&J |access-date=2022-09-12 }} Wildcat Transit, operated by the University of New Hampshire, provides regular bus service to the UNH campus in Durham and intermediate stops. The service is free for students, faculty and staff and $1.50 for the general public.{{cite web |url= https://www.unh.edu/transportation/buses-shuttles/wildcat-transit-routes-stops/route-4-portsmouth |title=Route 4: Portsmouth|date=January 2, 2020 | publisher=University of New Hampshire|access-date=2022-09-12 }} Amtrak's Downeaster train service, is available in Dover and Durham, nearby to the northwest. Allegiant Air offers scheduled airline service from Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM).{{cite web |url= https://www.allegiantair.com/airports/portsmouth-international-airport-pease |title= Portsmouth International Terminal at Pease (PSM)| publisher=Allegiant Air |access-date=2022-09-12 }}

Portsmouth's sister cities are:{{cite web |title=Sister and Friendship Cities|url=https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/economic/sister-and-friendship-cities|website=cityofportsmouth.com|publisher=City of Portsmouth|access-date=2021-05-10}}

• {{flagicon|MAR}} Agadir, Morocco
• {{flagicon|NIR|union}} Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
• {{flagicon|GHA}} Kitase, Ghana
• {{flagicon|JPN}} Nichinan, Japan
• {{flagicon|EST}} Pärnu, Estonia
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Severodvinsk, Russia

Portsmouth also has friendly relations with:

• {{flagicon|ENG}} Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom
• {{flagicon|ITA}} Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy
• {{flagicon|HUN}} Szolnok, Hungary

{{main|List of people from Portsmouth, New Hampshire}}

{{portal|New Hampshire}}

• Portsmouth Public Library
• 2006 Little League World Series, when a team from Portsmouth advanced to the quarter-finals
• USS Portsmouth, four ships

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|editor=Trudy Ring and Robert M. Salkin |title= Americas |series=International Dictionary of Historic Places |year= 1995 |publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-25930-4 |chapter= Portsmouth/New Castle |page=512+ |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zTL_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA512 }}
• {{cite web |url=https://www.boston.com/travel/travel/2019/04/09/a-look-back-on-portsmouths-naughty-past |title=A look back on Portsmouth's naughty past |work=The Boston Globe |via=Boston.com |date=April 9, 2019 |access-date=April 18, 2019}}

{{Commons category|Portsmouth, New Hampshire}}

{{EB1911 poster|Portsmouth (New Hampshire)|Portsmouth, New Hampshire}}

{{wikivoyage|Portsmouth (New Hampshire)|Portsmouth, New Hampshire}}

• {{Official website|www.cityofportsmouth.com}}
• [https://www.portsmouthchamber.org/ Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Portsmouth

| North = Eliot, Maine

| Northeast = Kittery, Maine

| East = New Castle

| Southeast = Rye

| South = Rye

| Southwest = Greenland

| West = Greenland

| Northwest = Newington

}}

{{Rockingham County, New Hampshire}}

{{New Hampshire}}

{{Greater Boston}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in New Hampshire

Category:Cities in Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Category:Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States

Category:Populated places established in 1630

Category:Populated coastal places in New Hampshire

Category:1630 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies