Portsmouth community guide
Living in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a small coastal city on the Piscataqua River, with a walkable historic downtown and quieter residential streets beyond it. Here's the practical picture before you start touring homes.
The setting
A seaport city on the Piscataqua
Portsmouth sits in Rockingham County on the south bank of the Piscataqua River, across the water from Kittery, Maine. It is New Hampshire's only seaport, and working waterfront, tugboats and bridges are part of everyday views downtown.
The city was settled in the 1600s as Strawbery Banke, and much of downtown still follows its older street pattern. Beyond the historic core, the city spreads west and south into residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors and the Pease International Tradeport.
Homes
The kinds of homes you'll find
Portsmouth's housing is varied for a city of its size. Near downtown you'll find period houses and condominiums in converted historic buildings and newer buildings. Further out, neighborhoods are mostly single-family homes on larger lots, with some townhouses, condominium communities and new construction.
Much of the older downtown lies within the city's Historic District, where exterior changes are reviewed by the Historic District Commission. It's worth confirming whether a property is affected before you plan renovations.
Getting around
Roads, buses, trains and flights
Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1 both run through Portsmouth, and the Memorial Bridge and Sarah Mildred Long Bridge connect the city with Kittery, Maine. Downtown is compact enough that many errands can be done on foot.
COAST runs local and regional bus routes in the Seacoast area. Intercity coaches to Boston and Logan Airport leave from the Portsmouth Transportation Center at Pease. Amtrak's Downeaster does not stop in Portsmouth itself; the nearest stations are in Dover, Durham and Exeter. Portsmouth International Airport at Pease offers a limited schedule of commercial flights.
Parking
Downtown parking basics
Downtown has metered on-street parking and two city-run garages, High-Hanover and Foundry Place. Rates, hours and residential permit rules change, so check the City of Portsmouth Parking Division before relying on a space. If you're buying downtown, ask early whether a home includes deeded or assigned parking.
Planning a move
Next steps
Use the New Hampshire relocation tools to compare Portsmouth with nearby towns, then talk with a Portsmouth agent about the streets that fit how you live.
More of the Portsmouth guide