Thetford

Chartered in 1761, Thetford is an Orange County town that stretches from the Connecticut River westward into rolling hills. The town contains an unusual number of distinct villages — Thetford Center, Thetford Hill, East Thetford, North Thetford, Post Mills, and Rice Mills — each with its own character. Thetford Hill, set on a ridge above the valley, is home to Thetford Academy, a town academy that has served as the local high school since 1819.

The Post Mills Airport, a small grass-strip field, adds an unexpected element to this otherwise pastoral landscape. Thetford's population of about 2,602 includes a mix of farming families, professionals who commute to the Upper Valley, and retirees drawn to the town's combination of rural beauty and relative proximity to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The selectboard governs, and town meeting each March brings residents from all those scattered villages together to debate budgets and set priorities for the year ahead.