North Conway, NH is a village in the town of Conway, in Carroll County, New Hampshire, and its ZIP code is 03860. It isn't a town of its own: North Conway is one of seven villages inside Conway, and it's the busiest one, with the outlet stores on Route 16, Cranmore Mountain Resort a mile from the village center, and the 1874 railroad station on Schouler Park. The village sits at about 581 feet in the Saco River valley, below the eastern side of the White Mountains, and had 2,116 residents in the 2020 census (Wikipedia). Below we cover the rest of Conway's villages and their ZIP codes, the 2025 tax rate, what homes cost, the town's rental rules, and what living here is like day to day.
Locals often shorten the name to "N. Conway, NH" (you'll see N Conway NH on mail and listings). If you're here to look at houses, go straight to North Conway homes for sale or the wider Conway, NH real estate page. Both update from PrimeMLS all day.
North Conway at a glance
| What it is | A village in the town of Conway (not a separate town) |
| County | Carroll County, New Hampshire |
| ZIP code | 03860 |
| Population | North Conway population: 2,116 in the village (2020 census); 9,822 in the whole town of Conway |
| Elevation | North Conway elevation is about 581 feet |
| Main roads | NH Route 16 and US Route 302, which run together through the village |
| Region | Mount Washington Valley, White Mountains |
| 2025 property tax rate | $11.54 per $1,000 base, $12.73 with the North Conway Water Precinct |
Sources: Wikipedia: North Conway, Wikipedia: Conway, NH, Town of Conway 2025 tax rates.
Where is North Conway, NH?
North Conway is in eastern New Hampshire, a few miles from the Maine border, in the valley of the Saco River. Mount Washington is roughly 20 miles to the north, past Jackson and Pinkham Notch. The Kancamagus Highway (NH 112) starts at Conway village to the south and crosses the mountains to Lincoln. Towns near North Conway, NH include Bartlett, Jackson, Madison, Albany, Chatham and Fryeburg, Maine. By road, North Conway is roughly:
- Portland, Maine: about 60 miles, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes
- Manchester, NH to North Conway: about 95 miles, roughly 2 hours
- Boston: about 135–140 miles, roughly 2½ to 3 hours
- Bartlett, NH to North Conway, NH: about 15 minutes east on US 302
- Jackson: about 15 minutes north on Route 16
- Gorham, NH to North Conway, NH: about 45 minutes south through Pinkham Notch
These are typical drive times without traffic. Route 16 through the outlets can add a lot on a peak Saturday, as covered below. The Boston, Portland and Manchester distances come from the North Conway visitor guide and Wanderlog's Portland route. Please check them against your own map app for your exact start point.
What county is North Conway, NH in?
The North Conway, NH county is Carroll County. The county seat is Ossipee, about 30 minutes south on Route 16. Conway is the county's largest town and its main commercial center.
The Mount Washington Valley
"Mount Washington Valley" (Mt. Washington Valley, NH, or simply "the valley") is the regional name for Conway and the towns around it: Bartlett, Jackson, Madison, Albany, Eaton, Chatham, Tamworth and the Maine border towns such as Fryeburg. North Conway is its downtown. Locals and the chamber of commerce often just say "MWV." For a buyer it matters because the whole valley shares one job market, one hospital and, for most towns, one school administrative unit (SAU 9). People often live in one valley town and work, shop or ski in another.
For more of the region, see our White Mountains homes for sale page and our guide to buying a second home in the White Mountains.
North Conway ZIP code, and the ZIP codes of Conway's other villages
The North Conway ZIP code is 03860. The town of Conway covers 71.7 square miles and includes seven villages: North Conway, Conway village, Center Conway, Kearsarge, Redstone, Intervale (shared with Bartlett) and East Conway (Wikipedia). They share one town government, one tax rate and one school district. They have different post offices, though, and they feel quite different from one another.
| Village | ZIP code | What it's like |
|---|---|---|
| North Conway | 03860 | The resort village: Main Street shops and restaurants, Schouler Park, the railroad station, Cranmore, the North Conway Country Club and the outlets along Route 16. |
| Kearsarge | 03847 | Uphill from North Conway village on Kearsarge Road, toward Hurricane Mountain. Mostly residential, with views across the valley. |
| Intervale | 03845 | North of North Conway on Route 16/302, on the Bartlett line. Scenic vista pull-off, inns and homes along the edge of the Saco intervale. |
| Redstone | (no separate ZIP code) | Between North Conway and Conway village, named for its red granite quarries. Quieter, mostly residential, close to the shopping on Route 16. |
| Conway village | 03818 | The original town center at the south end, where Route 16 meets the Kancamagus Highway and NH 113. Town Hall is at 23 Main Street. |
| Center Conway | 03813 | East along US 302 toward Fryeburg, Maine. Larger lots, Conway Lake, and less tourist traffic. |
| East Conway | (no separate ZIP code) | Rural, on the Maine border, northeast of Center Conway. |
ZIP codes: Wikipedia for Conway, Center Conway, North Conway and Kearsarge; zip-codes.com for Intervale.
A practical point about addresses: many listings in the valley are labeled "Conway" in the MLS even when the mailing address says North Conway, and an Intervale or Kearsarge address can belong to a home in either Conway or Bartlett. The town that collects the tax bill decides your tax rate and school district, not the ZIP code. Check the tax card before you compare houses.
Which village fits which search?
- Walk to dinner, ski at Cranmore, rent on weekends you're away: North Conway village and Kearsarge.
- More house and more land for the money, away from the summer traffic: Center Conway, East Conway and the back roads of Conway village.
- Quick access to the Kancamagus Highway and the Swift River: Conway village.
- Views toward the Presidentials and an easy run to Attitash: Intervale and the Bartlett line. See our Bartlett, NH homes for sale page for the far side of the line.
North Conway, NH home prices (as of fall 2026)
Carroll County's median single-family sale price was $510,000 in July 2026, up 8.5% from $470,000 a year earlier. The year-to-date median through July was $547,450 (New Hampshire REALTORS® / PrimeMLS, July 2026 Carroll County Local Market Update). The same report showed homes taking a median 30 days to sell, 4.6 months of inventory, and sellers getting 95.1% of their original list price. That's a more balanced market than the very fast one of 2021–2022.
Town-level monthly medians for Conway jump around because only a few homes close each month, so we look at what's on the market right now instead. On October 1, 2026, active listings in the town of Conway on PrimeMLS (from our own IDX feed) showed these asking prices:
| What's for sale (Oct 1, 2026) | Active listings | Median asking price |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family homes, North Conway (03860) | 33 | $575,550 |
| Single-family homes, Conway village (03818) | 17 | $442,900 |
| Single-family homes, Center Conway (03813) | 7 | $579,000 |
| Condos, all of Conway | 29 | $379,900 |
| Land, all of Conway | 31 | $149,000 |
Asking prices aren't sale prices, and a few listings can move a median a lot. North Conway's condo asking prices run from under $20,000 to $1.85 million. Still, the pattern holds from month to month. North Conway village and the Kearsarge hillside cost the most. Conway village is the cheapest way into a single-family home in town. Condos are the main entry point near Cranmore and the village.
Where to look next:
- North Conway single-family homes for sale
- North Conway condos for sale
- North Conway land for sale
- Conway, NH homes for sale, including Center Conway and Conway village
Conway property taxes: the 2025 rate
Conway's 2025 base property tax rate is $11.54 per $1,000 of assessed value, up 1.9% from $11.32 in 2024 (Town of Conway, 2025 tax rates). It breaks down like this:
| Portion | 2025 rate | 2024 rate |
|---|---|---|
| Town | $2.50 | $3.12 |
| County | $0.81 | $0.77 |
| Local school | $7.12 | $6.29 |
| State education | $1.11 | $1.14 |
| Base rate | $11.54 | $11.32 |
Most Conway properties also sit in a fire, water or lighting precinct, which adds its own rate on top. The town's 2025 totals:
- North Conway Water Precinct: $12.73
- Kearsarge Lighting Precinct: $12.99 (Kearsarge is also inside the North Conway Water Precinct and pays both)
- Non-precinct fire district: $12.52
- Center Conway Fire Precinct: $12.40
So a home assessed at $500,000 in the North Conway Water Precinct would pay about $6,365 for 2025, before any exemptions ($500,000 ÷ 1,000 × $12.73). That's well below the rates in many New Hampshire towns. Our New Hampshire property taxes explained guide shows how Conway compares.
There's one caveat. Conway's rate fell from $17.08 in 2022 to $10.18 after the 2023 revaluation. Two residents then challenged that revaluation at the state Board of Tax and Land Appeals, arguing that commercial property had been under-assessed. The board ordered the town to complete a new revaluation, including a full list-and-measure of commercial and industrial properties, before the 2027 tax year (Conway Daily Sun; Pinkham Real Estate summary). If commercial values go up, the burden on homes could shift. Treat today's rate as a current figure, not a promise, and budget a little headroom.
Short-term rentals in Conway: the rules and the court case
Conway has spent years fighting over short-term rentals, so any buyer thinking about renting a North Conway house or condo should know the history.
- 2021: Voters at town meeting rejected a proposal to allow non-owner-occupied short-term rentals wherever single-family homes are allowed. They did give the selectmen authority to regulate them.
- 2022: The town had sued Scott Kudrick, a North Conway owner, arguing that its zoning banned non-owner-occupied short-term rentals in residential zones. In January 2022 Carroll County Superior Court ruled for Kudrick, and the town appealed (NH Business Review).
- May 2, 2023: In Town of Conway v. Kudrick, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled 4–1 that a short-term rental fits Conway's ordinance definition of a residential dwelling unit, so the zoning did not prohibit them in residential districts (Conway Daily Sun).
- After the ruling: Instead of defining short-term rentals separately, the town moved to license and inspect all rental housing, short-term and long-term alike (NH Business Review). A group of rental owners, the Mt. Washington Valley Association of Responsible Rentals, sued in July 2024 over warrantless inspections. The town revised the program to rely mainly on owner affidavits (Laconia Daily Sun, May 2025).
What the rules are now (Chapter 72 Housing Standards Program). Registration opened on September 2, 2025, and every rental property in Conway must register (Town of Conway FAQ). Owners of one- and two-family homes can either self-certify with an affidavit (valid for one year, expiring each December 31) or ask for a town inspection (valid for three years). Buildings with three or more units need a town inspection. The registration doesn't transfer when a property sells. A new owner has to register and pass a physical inspection before renting, and so does an owner who turns a primary home into a rental.
What this means if you're buying to rent:
- Short-term rentals are legal in Conway's residential districts under the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Condo and HOA documents can still ban or limit them, so read the declaration and rules before you make an offer.
- Plan on registering and passing an inspection before your first guest. Older homes may need work on egress windows, smoke and CO detectors, or stairs.
- Confirm the program's current status with Conway Town Hall at (603) 447-3811 before you close. The program has been changed more than once since 2023.
To check whether a property's numbers work, use our short-term rental analysis or browse North Conway short-term rental properties for sale. If you already own one and are thinking about selling, read selling a short-term rental in New Hampshire.
Renting in North Conway: apartments and long-term rentals
Searches for apartments in North Conway, NH are common, but the supply of North Conway apartments for rent is small. On October 1, 2026, PrimeMLS showed only nine residential lease listings in the whole town of Conway. Most long-term rentals in the valley are listed by property managers or by word of mouth, not through the MLS. Seasonal workers, hospital and school staff, and second-home buyers waiting to close all compete for the same few units, and winter-season rentals for ski months fill early. If you're relocating, start looking two or three months ahead and keep an eye on the Mount Washington Valley property managers as well as the big rental sites. Any unit you rent in Conway has to be registered under the Chapter 72 program described above.
The village: downtown North Conway, the outlets and Route 16
Downtown North Conway (North Conway Village, NH) is the stretch of Main Street (Route 16/302) around Schouler Park. On one side is the 1874 Russian-Victorian railroad station, which is now the depot for the Conway Scenic Railroad and its excursion trains through Crawford Notch. The other side is lined with inns, restaurants, gear shops and the Eastern Slope Inn. The park holds concerts, festivals and a skating rink in winter, and it frames the classic view of Cathedral and White Horse ledges across the valley.
The outlets. South of the village, Route 16 is lined with outlet centers. The biggest is Settlers Green, which opened in 1988 on the site of the old White Mountain Airport and has about 60 stores. New Hampshire has no sales tax, so outlet shopping is a large part of why North Conway gets so many visitors.
Route 16 traffic. The same strip that draws shoppers is the main north–south road through the valley. On summer and foliage weekends, and on Saturdays in ski season, the drive between Conway village and North Conway can take far longer than the mileage suggests. Locals use two parallel routes:
- North–South Road, which runs behind the outlets on the east side of Route 16
- West Side Road, across the Saco River, which runs north from Conway village past the Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake area
When you look at houses, notice where each one sits relative to the strip. A house on the far side of West Side Road or out in Center Conway can be the quieter, better buy in July, even if it's farther from the village on paper.
Hurricane Mountain Road in North Conway, the steep shortcut from Kearsarge over the mountain to Chatham and NH Route 113, is closed every winter by NHDOT, usually from mid-November until spring. If you're looking at homes on or near it, check how the property is reached in winter.
The Red Jacket, the golf course and other landmarks
The Mount Washington Valley's best-known names often turn up in North Conway searches. Several are relevant to buyers:
- The Red Jacket, North Conway NH. The hilltop Red Jacket Mountain View resort on Route 16 lost its south wing to a fire on April 30, 2022. JHM Inc. bought it for $8.25 million in February 2024, renamed it the Birchmont Resort, and presented the Conway Planning Board with plans to rebuild and to add 25 apartments and 89 townhouses on the grounds (NH Business Review, April 2024). Anyone buying nearby should follow the project through the planning board agendas, since a development of that size would change traffic and add housing supply on that part of Route 16.
- North Conway Country Club (the North Conway golf course). An 18-hole, par-71 course in the middle of the village, first opened in 1895, with the back nine added in 1974 (GolfNow). Homes and condos near it are among the few in town where you can walk to both the golf course and Main Street. Other golf courses near North Conway include the Wentworth Golf Club up Route 16 in Jackson. Check each club's membership and public tee-time policy before you count it as an amenity.
- Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake. Cathedral Ledge, North Conway, New Hampshire's best-known cliff, is about two miles west of the village via River Road and West Side Road, a mile-long auto road climbs to the top of the 700-foot ledge, a well-known rock-climbing site. Echo Lake State Park sits below it, with a beach and a one-mile loop around the lake.
For restaurants, live webcams, moose tours and rainy-day ideas, our things-to-do coverage of the valley is a better fit than this buyer's guide. Start with things to do in New Hampshire.
Cranmore and the ski areas near North Conway, NH
Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, NH is the in-town ski area, about a mile from the village center. It has a 1,200-foot vertical drop and 56 trails, with night skiing, and it's where the 1938 Skimobile started carrying skiers uphill. A restored Skimobile car still sits at the base (Wikipedia). Owners in the village and Kearsarge can ski Cranmore without driving, which is why the condos and homes off Skimobile Road and Kearsarge Road sell at a premium.
Other ski mountains near North Conway, within roughly half an hour, include Attitash in Bartlett, Black Mountain in Jackson, Wildcat in Pinkham Notch and King Pine in Madison, along with the Jackson Ski Touring trail network for cross-country. Our New Hampshire ski resorts guide compares them all. North Conway's mix of skiing, outlet shopping and a real village is why many visitors think of it as the best ski town in the White Mountains. It's also why winter rentals near Cranmore fill early.
For the next town up Route 16, see Jackson, NH homes for sale.
Schools: SAU 9 and Kennett High School
Conway's public schools are run by the Conway School District within SAU 9, which also serves Albany, Bartlett, Chatham, Eaton, Hart's Location and Jackson (SAU 9).
- Kennett High School (grades 9–12) is at 409 Eagles Way in North Conway. The current building opened in 2007, and students from the surrounding SAU 9 towns attend it too (Wikipedia).
- A. Crosby Kennett Middle School serves grades 6–8.
- Elementary grades were reorganized in 2024. The school board closed the John H. Fuller School in North Conway village after 66 years and split the remaining elementary grades into a K–2 school in Center Conway (the former Pine Tree School) and a grade 3–5 school in Conway village (the former Conway Elementary) (Conway Daily Sun).
So every child in town goes to the same school for a given grade, wherever in Conway they live. Bartlett and Jackson run their own elementary schools and send older students to Kennett. Confirm current school assignments with SAU 9 for any specific address.
Healthcare: Memorial Hospital
MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway is a 25-bed critical access hospital serving the Mount Washington Valley and western Maine. It has a 24-hour emergency department, surgery, imaging, cardiology, oncology and infusion, and a family birthing center. It has been part of MaineHealth since 2018 (MaineHealth). For major trauma and specialty care, residents generally go to the larger hospitals in Portland, Maine, about an hour and three-quarters away.
Is North Conway a good place to live?
It depends on what you need from a place every day. Here are the trade-offs we talk through with buyers:
What works:
- A real village with a hospital, a high school, groceries, hardware stores and restaurants that stay open year-round, which is rare this far into the mountains
- Skiing, climbing, hiking, paddling the Saco and golf, mostly within 15 minutes
- A low tax rate for New Hampshire (with the caveat above)
- Portland's airport and coast within about two hours
What to weigh:
- Route 16 traffic on peak weekends, and visitor crowds in summer and foliage season
- Tight long-term rental supply
- A rental registration program that has changed several times since 2023
- A tax rate that may shift after the 2027 revaluation
- Boston is about 2½ to 3 hours away, so a weekly commute is possible but tiring
For a broader look at moving north, see our moving to New Hampshire guide, and our New Hampshire housing market forecast covers the statewide numbers.
Buying or selling in North Conway
Owl's Nest Real Estate works out of Campton and Plymouth, and we show and list property across the White Mountains, including the Mount Washington Valley. If you're buying, start with live North Conway real estate listings and our buyer services. If you own in Conway and want a number, request a free home valuation or contact our team.
Frequently asked questions
What is the zip code for North Conway, NH?
The North Conway, NH ZIP code is 03860. The other villages in the town of Conway have their own: Conway village is 03818, Center Conway is 03813, Kearsarge is 03847, and Intervale, on the Conway–Bartlett line, is 03845.
Is North Conway its own town?
No. North Conway is a village and census-designated place inside the town of Conway. It shares Conway's town government, tax rate and school district with Conway village, Center Conway, Kearsarge, Redstone, Intervale and East Conway.
What county is North Conway, NH in?
North Conway is in Carroll County, New Hampshire. The county seat is Ossipee, about 30 minutes south on Route 16.
What is the population of North Conway, New Hampshire?
North Conway village had 2,116 residents in the 2020 census, and the whole town of Conway had 9,822. The population rises sharply on weekends and in peak seasons because of second homes and visitors.
What is the elevation of North Conway, NH?
The North Conway, NH elevation is about 581 feet: the village sits above sea level on the floor of the Saco River valley. The ledges and peaks around it rise much higher. Cathedral Ledge is about 700 feet tall, and Mount Washington, roughly 20 miles north, reaches 6,288 feet.
What is the property tax rate in Conway, NH?
Conway's 2025 base rate is $11.54 per $1,000 of assessed value. With precinct charges, the 2025 totals are $12.73 in the North Conway Water Precinct, $12.99 in Kearsarge, $12.52 in the non-precinct fire district and $12.40 in the Center Conway Fire Precinct. A state-ordered revaluation is due before the 2027 tax year.
Are short-term rentals allowed in North Conway?
Yes. In Town of Conway v. Kudrick (May 2, 2023), the New Hampshire Supreme Court held that Conway's zoning does not prohibit short-term rentals in residential districts. Every rental in Conway, short- or long-term, must now register under the town's Chapter 72 Housing Standards Program, and condo or HOA rules can still restrict rentals.
How far is North Conway from Boston?
About 135 to 140 miles, or roughly 2½ to 3 hours by car without traffic, mostly via I-95 or I-93 and then NH Route 16 north. Portland, Maine, is closer, about 60 miles or 1¾ hours away.