Parcel Chartplaces Open the free map

County · code 33017

Strafford CountyNew Hampshire

Strafford County is one of five original New Hampshire counties, located in the southeastern part of the state with Dover as its county seat. The county was established in 1769 and named after William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford.

  • Founded1769
  • County seatDover
  • Named forWilliam Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford
  • Land area367 sq mi + 15 sq mi water
  • Population130,889 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped46,565 checked 14 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Strafford County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

RockinghamYork, MEBelknapCarrollMerrimack Dover Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Strafford on the map of New Hampshire

New Hampshire has 10 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Belknap CountyCarroll CountyCheshire CountyCoos CountyGrafton CountyHillsborough CountyMerrimack CountyRockingham CountySullivan CountyStrafford County Strafford
Counties of New Hampshire · Strafford highlighted

History

Formed in 1769 from Rockingham County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Created in 1769 as one of five original New Hampshire counties, Strafford County was initially attached to Rockingham County for administrative and judicial purposes until it was fully organized in 1773. The county's boundaries shifted several times over the following decades: it gained Conway from Grafton in 1778, lost Campton and Holderness to Grafton in 1782, gained Albany from Grafton in 1800, and gained Chatham from Coos in 1823. In 1841, Strafford lost significant territory when Belknap and Carroll counties were created, and it surrendered a small area to Rockingham in 1870.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1769
    Strafford County created Strafford created as one of the five original New Hampshire counties; Strafford not fully organized, attached to Rockingham for administrative and judicial purposes.
    from Rockingham
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 3, ch. 9 [1769]/pp. 524-530
  2. 1778
    Gained territory Strafford gained town of Conway from Grafton.
    from Grafton
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 4, ch. 3 [1778]/p. 170
  3. 1782
    Lost territory Strafford lost towns of Campton and New Holderness (now Holderness) to Grafton.
    to Grafton
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 4, ch. 2 [1782]/p. 479
  4. 1800
    Gained territory Strafford gained town of Burton (now Albany) from Grafton.
    from Grafton
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 6, ch. 4 [1800]/p. 647
  5. 1823
    Gained territory Strafford gained town of Chatham from Coos.
    from Coos
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 9, ch. 30 [1823], sec. 1/p. 210
Show all 11 changes (6 more)
  1. 1769
    Strafford County created Strafford created as one of the five original New Hampshire counties; Strafford not fully organized, attached to Rockingham for administrative and judicial purposes.
    from Rockingham
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 3, ch. 9 [1769]/pp. 524-530
  2. 1773
    Changed Strafford fully organized, detached from Rockingham.
    Rockingham
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 3, ch. 12 [1773]/pp. 587-588
  3. 1778
    Gained territory Strafford gained town of Conway from Grafton.
    from Grafton
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 4, ch. 3 [1778]/p. 170
  4. 1782
    Lost territory Strafford lost towns of Campton and New Holderness (now Holderness) to Grafton.
    to Grafton
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 4, ch. 2 [1782]/p. 479
  5. 1791
    Boundary clarified Strafford boundaries were redefined (no change).
    no change
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 5, ch. 14 [1791]/pp. 766-767
  6. 1800
    Gained territory Strafford gained town of Burton (now Albany) from Grafton.
    from Grafton
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 6, ch. 4 [1800]/p. 647
  7. 1823
    Gained territory Strafford gained town of Chatham from Coos.
    from Coos
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 9, ch. 30 [1823], sec. 1/p. 210
  8. 1828
    Lost territory Strafford lost to Merrimack when town of Franklin was created from towns of Andover, Northfield, Salisbury, and Sandbornton.
    to Merrimack
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 9, ch. 62 [1828], sec. 1/pp. 784-786
  9. 1829
    Boundary clarified Strafford boundaries were redefined (no change).
    no change
    · N.H. Early Laws, vol. 9, ch. 100 [1829], sec. 1/pp. 879-882
  10. 1841
    Lost territory Strafford lost to creation of Belknap and Carroll.
    to Belknapto Carroll
    · N.H. Laws 1840, ch. 539, secs. 1-2, 16/pp. 455-456, 462
  11. 1870
    Lost territory Strafford lost small area to Rockingham when town of Newmarket gained from town of Durham.
    to Rockingham
    · N.H. Laws 1870, ch. 43, sec. 1/p. 428

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Strafford

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Strafford by the Census

Population
130,889 2020 Census count
Housing units
55,706 2020 Census count
Land area
367 square miles
Water area
15 square miles
People per sq mi
356 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Strafford County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

In New Hampshire, permits, zoning and assessing are handled by each city or town, not the county, and deeds are recorded at the county's registry of deeds.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Strafford County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Strafford County

When was Strafford County founded?
Strafford County was founded in 1769, formed from Rockingham County, and named after William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford.
What is the county seat of Strafford County?
The county seat of Strafford County is Dover.
Is there an online parcel map for Strafford County?
Yes. New Hampshire Geographic Information System Clearinghouse (GRANIT) publishes a parcel map of 46,565 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Strafford County's boundary or name changed?
Strafford County was created in 1769 from Rockingham County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 8 later changes, chiefly involving Grafton County, Rockingham County and Belknap County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Strafford County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door