Strafford County, New Hampshire
Strafford County · Dover · three cities · UNH is not the county
Three cities on a mill river
Strafford is a working county on the Cocheco and the Salmon Falls. Dover is the shire. Rochester and Somersworth are cities. Durham holds UNH. The University is not the county. It is not a Massachusetts abolished map. Commissioners still sit. A county convention still votes a budget. A house of correction still takes a count on County Farm Road. The Sheriff is still elected here.
Portsmouth is Rockingham. Ossipee is Carroll. Berwick is Maine. Do not steal them.
This page is Side One. The Sheriff’s job is taught at Office of the Sheriff — Strafford and the election twin.
Cocheco, Salmon Falls, Spaulding
The Cocheco is a mill river. The Salmon Falls looks at Maine and remains New Hampshire on this bank. The Spaulding is a road. Farmington looks at the Lakes and remains Strafford. Strafford the town is not the county. A winter storm here is ice on 16 and a mill-river flood. No ocean beach as the whole story. No capital dome.
Commissioners on County Farm Road
Three county commissioners sit by district. The convention is this county’s House members. The Sheriff, County Attorney, Treasurer, and the registers are elected. Strafford’s sheriff clock is two years — RSA 653:1. 2026 is on. Rockingham next south is four-year and also 2026. Coös is four-year and not 2026. Do not mix the three tables. March town meeting is not the November sheriff oval.
How a three-city public actually reaches a desk
Each municipality has its own site. Dover’s site does not speak for Middleton. Durham’s site does not speak for the Sheriff. The Sheriff’s official listing speaks for process and court. The house of correction’s listing speaks for custody. A student looks at that city’s jobs page or that department’s jobs page. Outreach that only knows a campus Saturday is not doing Milton.
Custody, courts, papers, rights
Crime and fire are municipal. UNH Police is a campus department. Jail is the county Department of Corrections. Prosecution is the County Attorney. Rights do not change at the Rollinsford line. Remedy for a city police issue is that city. Remedy for a jail issue is the superintendent. Remedy for a Sheriff’s paper is the Sheriff. Relief in an ice storm on the Spaulding is mutual aid plus the State. Papers still get served in Barrington.
Place snapshot (verify official sources)
- State: New Hampshire · County: Strafford · Seat: Dover
- Land: three cities, Cocheco, Salmon Falls, UNH in Durham
- County government: sits · commissioners · convention · RSA 30-B house of correction
- Sheriff: elected · two-year · 2026
- Not Rockingham · Not Maine · Not UNH as the county
What this is not
- Not Rockingham County. Not Portsmouth. Not Brentwood.
- Not Carroll. Not Ossipee.
- Not Maine. Not UNH as the county.
- Not an abolished Massachusetts county.
- Not the presidential primary.