On 1 January 2023, Hartland annexed all or part of seven local service districts, greatly expanding its area and population.

Hartland is situated on the Saint John River in the central-western portion of the province in the agricultural heartland of Carleton County.

Congressmen Isaac & Samuel Stephenson and Prince Edward Island's Lieutenant-Governor Barbara Oliver Hagerman are also from Hartland.

Renowned Canadian poet Alden Nowlan also lived in the town for several formative years while working for the Hartland Observer newspaper.

Hartland is the headquarters of the North American trucking company Day & Ross, itself a subsidiary of McCain Foods, as well as home to the New Brunswick Bible Institute.