Increasing automobile travel brought the decline of trains. The railroad, then part of the Boston & Maine, abandoned passenger service to the area in 1961 and freight service in 1972. Subsequently, the Conway Scenic Railroad was established. Today, the line offers visitors a tour of the region, including Crawford Notch. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the late 1980s, the White Mountain Airport closed and was redeveloped as a large outlet mall called Settlers' Green Outlet Village. Continued growth through the 1990s and 2000s in North Conway and the villages nearby made Conway the most populous community in Carroll County. Traffic congestion led to an overhaul of the road system, including widening Route 16 through North Conway village and constructing a road parallel to Route 16 to allow traffic to move between Redstone and Intervale uninterrupted. A plan for a bypass of the area was developed but not implemented.
North Conway remains a popular destination due to its shopping, recreation, and attractions.
North Conway and its surrounding towns offer hiking in the White Mountain National Forest. The area is a major rock climbing destination in the northeastern United States,[3] particularly Cathedral Ledge in Echo Lake State Park. The 500-foot (150 m) cliff overlooks Echo Lake and North Conway from the west. Unlike nearby White Horse Ledge, another rock climbing site, Cathedral Ledge has an automobile road to the summit, which provides fine views of the Saco River Valley.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the North Conway census-designated place (CDP) includes the village of North Conway plus the Conway portion of the neighboring community of Kearsarge. The CDP has a total area of 6.9 square miles (18.0 km2), of which 6.8 square miles (17.7 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2), or 2.04%, are water.[9] The Saco River forms the western edge of the North Conway CDP.
Climate
Climate data for North Conway, New Hampshire (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–present)
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,349 people, 1,105 households, and 547 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 546.3 inhabitants per square mile (210.9/km2). There were 1,804 housing units, of which 699, or 38.7%, were vacant. 551 of the vacant units were seasonal or vacation properties. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.7% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.6% some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.[13]
There were 1,105 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.1% were headed by married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07, and the average family size was 2.73.[13]
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 18.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.[13]
For the period 2007–11, the estimated median annual income for a household in the CDP was $40,804, and the median income for a family was $46,832. Male full-time workers had a median income of $31,764 versus $23,859 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $21,664. About 12.1% of families and 21.9% of the population were below the poverty line.[14]
Notable people
Ed Ashnault, college football and basketball coach; grew up in North Conway.[15]
Jeff Locke, Major League Baseball player, born in North Conway and raised in neighboring Redstone
Helen Bigelow Merriman, 19th century artist and philanthropist born in North Conway; she helped found Memorial Hospital, and served as president of the public library
Nathan W. Pease, photographer who lived and worked capturing images of area sites
Carroll Reed, ski instructor and promoter of the sport. Founder of Carroll Reed Sportswear
Johann "Hannes" Schneider, Austrian ski instructor of the first half of the twentieth century and founder of the Arlberg Technique for teaching skiing; ran ski school in North Conway
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