Rochester, city, Strafford County, southeastern New Hampshire, on the Cocheco River, in a farming region near Maine; incorporated as a city 1891. Manufactures include fiber products, firearms, footwear, computers, and electronic equipment. An art gallery is here, and the noted White Mountains tourist area is nearby. The community, settled in 1728, is named for Laurence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, an English politician and diplomat. Population 21,560 (1980); 26,630 (1990); 28,461 (2000).
