Life in Hanover

Get know the area: Place, press, public transit, shopping, food, & climate!

🚍 Public Transportation

Since most students do not have cars, one of the best options for travel around the Upper Valley is the Advance Transit bus system.

Advance Transit is a free transport system that connects the Upper Valley Monday-Saturday. Students can use the bus to get to shopping in Lebanon, King Arthur Baking Company's café in Norwich, or to White River Junction for a meal and maybe a train (or bus) out of town.

By taking the Dartmouth Coach or Advance Transit bus, you can easily explore the Upper Valley, or head to New York or Boston for the weekend.

Advance Transit

🍁 The Upper Valley

Hanover is a small college town in rural New Hampshire and borders the state of Vermont in the Connecticut river valley (aka Twin State Valley or Upper Valley).

We hope you to take advantage of the setting and enjoy nature and outdoor activities, and to learn about the local area and community you will be joining for the duration of the exchange.

Upper Valley Discovery Map

📰 Local Press

To get the most out of your time here, it's good to familiarize yourself with the local scene and issues that local communities care about. It's also a great way to learn about events and local destinations, and people you might want to connect with! 🗞️

The Dartmouth

Valley News

🛍️ Shopping

Be sure to check out the Sustainability Office's Free Market Thrift Store! It's FREE! 🤠

👕 Clothing

Retail

Retail options are limited in the Upper Valley.

Main Street in downtown Hanover offers a few options, and there are a few more stores in the shopping plazas on Route 12A in West Lebanon such as:

Old Navy, Gap factory store, Kohl’s + Sephora, TJMaxx, Sierra, Target, Walmart, Birth of the Blues (jeans), Hubert's, and the L.L. Bean Outlet.

Thrift Stores include the Salvation Army in West Lebanon, and the Listen Stores on the Miracle Mile in Lebanon and Main Street in White River Junction.

🧥 Outerwear

Good outerwear (especially necessary in the winter months) can be found in West Lebanon at Sierra, Hubert's, and the L.L. Bean Outlet. Dan and Whit's in Norwich also has outerwear.

🛒 Grocery Stores

The local public bus, Advance Transit, can take you to grocery stores in the area.

There are three main pan-Asian grocery stores located in Lebanon: Yiping's Asian Market, Asian Super Store, and Bangkok Asian Market & Café.

There are Co-op food stores located in Hanover, Lebanon, Lyme, and White River Junction.

There are also some regional grocery store chains on Route 12A in West Lebanon including Hannaford, Shaw’s, and Price Chopper.

Target and Walmart also offer some food choices.

🧴 Personal Care Products

For personal care products, the CVS in downtown Hanover and the Collis Market can provide many options.

In West Lebanon, there is a CVS, Walgreens, Target, and Walmart. Sephora is also located in the the Upper Valley Plaza inside Kohl’s.

Norwich is home to the local favorite Dan and Whit’s General Store.

🖼️ Dorm Decor & Necessities

For bedding, linens, housewares, and dorm decor, students can explore Target, Walmart, HomeGoods, and TJMaxx.

The interactive map below shows local restaurants, grocery, clothing, and personal care stores, and cell phone providers.

All of the locations listed are accessible by Advance Transit.

🌡️ Climate

"There's no such thing as bad weather... only bad gear."

Welcome to New England! We have four distinct seasons with warm summers and cold winters, and everything inbetween.

Note that the temperatures reported below are averages. Actual temperatures will vary greatly and can sometimes be significantly different (e.g. highs can reach 100°F/37°C some days in summer and lows can reach -20°F/-28°C some days in winter).