The Sugar River is a 27.0 mile long (43.50 km) river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 located in western New Hampshire

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Connecticut River

Connecticut River

The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...

, which flows to Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound

Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...

.

The Sugar River begins at the outlet of Lake Sunapee

Lake Sunapee

Lake Sunapee is located within Sullivan County and Merrimack County in western New Hampshire, the United States. It is the fifth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire....

 in the town of Sunapee, New Hampshire

Sunapee, New Hampshire

Sunapee is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,365 at the 2010 census. Sunapee is home to part of Lake Sunapee...

. The river flows west through the town of Newport

Newport, New Hampshire

Newport is a town in and the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. It is west-northwest of Concord. The population was 6,507 at the 2010 census. A covered bridge is in the northwest...

 and the city of Claremont

Claremont, New Hampshire

There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...

, reaching the Connecticut across from the village of Ascutney, Vermont

Ascutney, Vermont

Ascutney is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Weathersfield, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. It is located in the northeastern section of Weathersfield, in the portion of that town adjacent to Mount Ascutney, after which the village is...

. Numerous falls and steep drops on the Sugar River have led to hydro-powered industrial development. Besides the large mill town

Mill town

A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...

s of Claremont and Newport, hydro-related developments occur in the villages of Sunapee, Wendell, Guild

Guild, New Hampshire

Guild is an unincorporated village in the town of Newport in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is located near the eastern boundary of Newport, along New Hampshire Routes 11 and 103. Route 11 proceeds east to Sunapee and New London, while Route 103 travels southeast to...

, and West Claremont. An inactive railroad known as the Concord to Claremont Line follows the Sugar River from Wendell to the river's mouth.

Tributaries

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Sugar River include the South Branch

South Branch Sugar River

The South Branch of the Sugar River is a 6.6 mile long river located in western New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Sugar River, which flows to the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....

, entering in Newport, and the North Branch

North Branch Sugar River

The North Branch of the Sugar River is a 10.1 mile long river located in western New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Sugar River, which flows to the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....

, entering between Newport and North Newport.