Hydroelectric dams are controversial for their negative impacts on nearby communities. To study communities’ perceptions of these impacts, one tool available is the social acceptance framework. However, previous studies have mostly looked at recently built dams, and the literature lacks a longitudinal perspective. In Northern Sweden, the town of Jokkmokk on the Lule River offers a great opportunity to study which factors influence community acceptance of hydroelectric dams, decades after construction is over. This study employed a holistic research approach, combining historical contexts with empirical data from an online survey and interviews with Jokkmokk residents. Community members are most concerned about the hydroelectric dams’ economic and ecological impacts, and about feeling exploited. Distributional justice seems crucial to community acceptance, but trust also plays a role. To improve community acceptance of hydroelectric dams in Jokkmokk, Swedish policymakers need to consider mechanisms for sharing revenues and measures for mitigating the ecological impacts.