Rochester

Rochester — the Lilac City — was incorporated in 1722 and built its economy on the Cocheco and Salmon Falls rivers, which powered lumber, textile, and shoe mills through the 19th and early 20th centuries. The city sits at the intersection of several major routes including the Spaulding Turnpike, which was expanded with six exits into the city between 2013 and 2015, making Rochester a gateway between the Seacoast and the Lakes Region. Downtown Rochester has been in the middle of a genuine revival, with new restaurants, a farmers' market on the Common, and events like the annual Lilac Family Fun Festival drawing crowds each spring. The Governor's Inn & Restaurant, a historic establishment dating back to the 1800s, serves traditional New England cuisine and anchors the city's dining scene. Rochester Common hosts seasonal concerts and festivals, and the Rochester Museum of Fine Arts offers rotating exhibitions in a city that's working hard to build on its blue-collar heritage. For outdoor recreation, the Gonic Trails provide a multi-use trail system in the Gonic village area, connecting walkers, hikers, and mountain bikers to other trail networks throughout Rochester. Housing here remains among the most affordable on the Seacoast side of the state, which has brought steady population growth and new commercial development across the city's eight industrial and business parks. The city also serves as the commercial hub for smaller surrounding towns like Farmington, Milton, and Barrington.