Hampton, a charming town in Kings County, New Brunswick, Canada, is nestled on the Kennebecasis River, 30 kilometres northeast of Saint John. As the shire town of Kings County, Hampton served as the seat of county government from 1870 to 1966. Today, it functions as a service centre for the central Kennebecasis River valley and is a thriving suburb of Saint John. The town also boasts its own RCMP detachment, established in 1999. On 1 January 2023, Hampton expanded significantly by annexing parts of four local service districts.
The area now known as Hampton was inhabited by French settlers in the 1600s and by First Nations for countless generations before that. The United Empire Loyalists established the first permanent settlements in the area in 1783. Kings County was established in 1785, and the Parish of Hampton was created in 1795 from parts of Sussex and Kingston parishes.
By 1871, Hampton had a population of 250, which grew to 800 by 1904. The community included Hampton Ferry and the village of Ossekeag, which was home to a post office, seven stores, a hotel, a machine shop, and four churches. Hampton was incorporated as a village in 1966 and became a town in 1991.
Hampton is located in the Kennebecasis River valley, where the river flows into a wide flood plain. The Hampton Marshes, one of the town's major tourist attractions, contain a diverse assortment of wildlife. Despite being far upstream from the Bay of Fundy, its high tides have some effect on the marshes. The marshes flood every spring during the run-off, offering a constantly changing landscape for different animals, birds, and fish.
Hampton is served by several highways, including Route 1, Route 100, Route 121, and Route 845. The town centre features a modern roundabout. Rail service was introduced in 1859, connecting to Saint John and Moncton. Passenger service continued until 1994, but the tracks are still in use for freight.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Hampton had a population of 4,395 living in 1,740 of its 1,804 total private dwellings, a change of 2.5% from its 2016 population of 4,289. With a land area of 20.97 km2, it had a population density of 209.6/km2 in 2021.
Hampton is home to numerous youth athletic organizations and teams. Three of the four schools in Hampton offer organized school teams in various sports. Hampton Elementary School, Hampton Middle School, and Hampton High School all have sports teams. The town is also home to the Hampton Bulldogs, a popular hockey team that plays in the New Brunswick Central Midget Hockey League.
Hampton's population has seen steady growth over the years, with the 2021 Census recording a population of 4,395, a 2.5% increase from its 2016 population of 4,289.
