Home to Smith College, Northampton also serves as the county seat of Hampshire County. Calvin Coolidge once served as mayor, while the city's first woman mayor, the Honorable Mary Ford, was elected in 1991 and serves today.
Residents see Northampton as both traditional and innovative.
Several village centers provide focal points for outlying residential areas while the downtown is alive days and evenings with a wide selection of restaurants, coffee and ice-cream shops, theaters including the only municipally owned theater in the state, clubs featuring an array of music, street musicians and a Center for the Arts. All of this provides a perfect atmosphere for strolling, area. The city also offers strong municipal programs in education, recreation, public safety and public works. It is known for its energy conservation program and its initiative to improve handicap access to downtown establishments. The vibrant small city atmosphere of the community is enhanced by rich natural resources, which include the Connecticut River, agricultural and conservation lands and the Acadia Wildlife Sanctuary.