At A Glance
Concord is the capital of New Hampshire and the political and financial center of the state. It is located approximately 1 hour north of Boston via I-93. This city of 43,000 is situated on the Merrimack River and centrally located with easy access to most of the state’s attractions. Concord is a great place to base your next New Hampshire vacation!
Places to Stay
Many of the national accommodation chains have establishments in the Concord area. The newest, Courtyard by Mariott is located just off I-93, exit 15. You’ll also find the Hampton Inn (I-89, exit 1), Days Inn (I-93, exit 12), Holiday Inn (I-93, exit 14), Best Western, Comfort Inn, Fairfield Inn and Residence Inn (I-93, exit 13), and RedRoof Inn (I-393, exit 3) are all easy to find and offer excellent accommodations There are also a number of smaller, independent, establishments as well as Bed & Breakfasts throughout the area.
Places to Eat
You’ll find most of the fast food restaurants (McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc.) at I-93, exits 13 and 14. You’ll find The Common Man, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Cityside Grill and other restaurants at exit 13. Loudon Road (exit 14) is the cities major commercial strip and you’ll also find a wide variety of not-so-fast foods here (Olive Garden, TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesday, Friendly’s, etc.). For a little genuine New England seafood, try “Newick’s Lobster House” or “The Weathervane”, two small restaurant chains that offer fresh cooked seafoods in a casual, family atmosphere!
Places to Go
Concord is sort of a undiscovered gem. There are a number of excellent attractions within the city and several more within short driving distance. The Christa McAuliffe Planatarium (I-93, exit 15E or I-393, exit 1) is a memorial dedicated to America’s first teacher in space, who died in the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion. The Museum of New Hampshire History (I-93, exit 14), the Statehouse, and a self-guided walking tour “Concord on Foot” are all excellent family activities right in the city. Less than 15 minutes from Concord on NH Route 106, you’ll find the largest sporting complex in New England… The New Hampshire International Speedway, and Nextel Cup NASCAR racing! If tax-free shopping is what you have in mind downtown (I-93, exit 14) offers a mix of one-of-a-kind stores. Just two miles east on Loudon Road you’ll find The Steeplegate Mall, home to over 80 shops!
Getting Around
Concord is bisected by I-93. The downtown and most of the city’s residential neighborhoods are to the west, with commercial areas to the east. Just south of Concord I-89 begins and heads to Vermont. I-393 begins in downtown Concord (I-93, exit 15) and heads east towards Portsmouth.
