[144], On November 8, 2016, Massachusetts voted in favor of the Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Initiative, also known as Question 4. Du Bois, Sylvia Plath, Elizabeth Bishop, John Updike, Anne Sexton, H.P. [303], On the southern shore of the state, several different passenger ferry lines connect Martha's Vineyard to ports along the mainland, including Woods Hole, Hyannis, New Bedford, and Falmouth, all in Massachusetts, as well as North Kingstown in Rhode Island, Highlands in New Jersey, and New York City in New York. All of the incorporated places are cities that are each independent of any other county subdivision and serve as county subdivisions. The city of Boston lies to the south of Cambridge and the Charles River separates the two cities. [317], There are a total of 36,800 miles (59,200km) of interstates and other highways in Massachusetts. Part of the Dorchester New Grant of 1637. New Bedfords nickname is The Whaling City.. [191], Foreign immigration is also a factor in the state's population growth, causing the state's population to continue to grow as of the 2010 census (particularly in Massachusetts gateway cities where costs of living are lower). [373][374] The voters of these now-defunct counties elect only Sheriffs and Registers of Deeds, who are part of the state government. Currently the largest town in MA, by population, is Framingham, 01701 - 01705. Boston, the capital city of Massachusetts, is also the biggest city in the state as well as the most populous city in the New England region. See answer (1) Copy. Among others, one result of this act was a requirement for Program Administrators of utilities to invest in saving energy, as opposed to purchasing and generating additional energy where economically feasible. The financial news and opinion site 24/7 . Data on life expectancy show gaps along income, racial lines", "Here's how your life expectancy varies based on which state you're born in", "Annual total binge drinks consumed by US adults, 2015", "Booziest states in America: Who binge drinks most? Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village are two open-air or "living" museums in Massachusetts, recreating life as it was in the 17th and early 19th centuries, respectively. [122] In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass compulsory education laws. Census data for Massachusetts are available beginning with the 1790 census. Thank you for your website feedback! [89][90], In 1641, Massachusetts expanded inland significantly. Also see theList of Town Numbers and NamesandTowns Index Map. of Public Works. There are 40 state senate districts and 160 house districts in Massachusetts. Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information), Historic Massachusetts Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners Atlases, Unincorporated and Unofficial Names of Massachusetts Communities, http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cispdf/City_Town_Map.pdf. Based on the form of government, there are 292 towns and 59 cities in Massachusetts. [358], A number of contemporary national political issues have been influenced by events in Massachusetts, such as the decision in 2003 by the state Supreme Judicial Court allowing same-sex marriage[359] and a 2006 bill which mandated health insurance for all Bay Staters. [192][193] 40% of foreign immigrants were from Central or South America, according to a 2005 Census Bureau study, with many of the remainder from Asia. 2022 Pop. Massachusetts is home to a large number of museums and historical sites. [181], In late 2020, the Baker Administration released a Decarbonization Roadmap that aims for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Eight years later, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (Republican nominee) lost to Barack Obama in 2012. [63] Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called "the most innovative square mile on the planet", in reference to the high concentration of entrepreneurial start-ups and quality of innovation which have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010. 10 Largest Cities in Massachusetts Boston (687,257) Worcester (211,612) Springfield (156,503) Cambridge (121,051) Lowell (117,362) Brockton (108,009) Quincy (103,508) Lynn (103,437) What is the cheapest town to live in in Massachusetts? These warmer temperatures will also increase the prevalence of mosquitos, a carrier of the West Nile virus. Identification of land and inland, coastal, territorial, and Great Lakes waters is for data presentation purposes only and does not necessarily reflect their legal definitions. Massachusetts has one state recognized American Indian reservation and one federally recognized trust land. His first victory was the siege of Boston in the winter of 177576, after which the British were forced to evacuate the city. Separated from Medfield. [citation needed] Much of the town's land is protected as part of the Quabbin Reservation, a protected area surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir. The Boston Stock Exchange, drawn into the whirlpool of panic selling that beset the New York Stock Exchange, lost over 25 percent of its value in two days of frenzied trading. Tess Halpern; NEW! Established as a community for Christian Indians. Measuring America's People, Places, and Economy. These are the 50 tiniest towns in Massachusetts. Therefore, because water is contained only in a higher-level geographic entity, summing the water measurements for all the component lower-level geographic entities will not yield the water area of that higher-level entity. The coastline boundary was then appended to the town boundary (TOWNSSURVEY_ARC). Frosts are frequent all winter, even in coastal areas due to prevailing inland winds. The city was a site for many key events that unfolded during the course of the American Revolution, most notably the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the Siege of Boston. [434] According to 2015 rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Massachusetts General Hospital is ranked in the top three in two health care specialties. [52] On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Suffolk County and Boston city are governmentally consolidated and have a single set of officials. [440], Massachusetts is home to five major league professional sports teams: seventeen-time NBA Champions Boston Celtics,[441] nine-time World Series winners Boston Red Sox,[442] six-time Stanley Cup winners Boston Bruins,[443] six-time Super Bowl winners New England Patriots,[444] and Major League Soccer team New England Revolution. [319] Other major interstates include I-91, which travels generally north and south along the Connecticut River; I-93, which travels north and south through central Boston, then passes through Methuen before entering New Hampshire; and I-95, which connects Providence, Rhode Island with Greater Boston, forming a partial loop concurrent with Route128 around the more urbanized areas before continuing north along the coast into New Hampshire. Different vintage years of estimates are not comparable. Massachusetts capital city is Boston. The State of Massachusetts played a significant part in the early history of the United States. The state as a whole has not given its Electoral College votes to a Republican in a presidential election since Ronald Reagan carried it in 1984. Situated on the northeastern edge of the country, this tiny territory contains the town of Plymouth, home to the Pilgrim colony of 1620, and as one of the first settled states, the population statistics have . [193] Exurban Boston and coastal areas grew the most rapidly, while Berkshire County in far Western Massachusetts and Barnstable County on Cape Cod were the only counties to lose population as of the 2010 census. To that point, here are the largest cities in the U.S. by area. [401] The Boston Marathon is also a popular event in the state drawing more than 30,000 runners and tens of thousands of spectators annually. The city is home to a population of 673,184. [265] Greenhouse, floriculture, and sod products including the ornamental market make up more than one third of the state's agricultural output. Heres an updated list of the largest cities in Massachusetts by size and population in 2019. This political boundary datalayer has been created from latitude and longitude coordinates found in the 68-volumeHarbor and Lands Commission Town Boundary Atlas. Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization: the Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of the Mayflower, and in 1630 the Massachusetts Bay Colony, taking its name from the indigenous Massachusett people, established settlements in Boston and Salem. Most ports north of Cape Cod are served by Boston Harbor Cruises, which operates ferry services in and around Greater Boston under contract with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Two other feature classes are available that use the inland survey-based linework but have a generalized coastline for faster display. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. C = City; T = Town; TC = Town with City form of government, or (for AMESBURY and EASTHAMPTON) a City without wards or precincts. As a world leader in innovation and entrepreneurship, Boston boasts over 5,000 startups and ventures making it one of the most important economic centers in the United States. 10 Largest Cities in Massachusetts. The Pinehills is the fastest growing city in Massachusetts over the past 10 years, having grown 447.33% since 2010. Other major interstates in Massachusetts include I-291, I-391, I-84, I-195, I-395, I-290, and I-190. What are the five largest cities in New England? This Atlas series, and updates since it was published, describes the legal boundary for each of the 351 municipalities in Massachusetts. [249] CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2014" has recognized Massachusetts as the 25th-best state in the nation for business,[250] and for the second year in a row the state was ranked by Bloomberg as the most innovative state in America. [221][222] Many Puritan descendants also dispersed to other Protestant denominations. (The name "State of Massachusetts Bay" appeared in the first draft, which was ultimately rejected.) [395] Historically themed museums and sites such as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield,[147] Boston's Freedom Trail and nearby Minute Man National Historical Park, both of which preserve a number of sites important during the American Revolution,[147][396] the Lowell National Historical Park, which focuses on some of the earliest mills and canals of the industrial revolution in the US,[147] the Black Heritage Trail in Boston, which includes important African-American and abolitionist sites in Boston,[397] and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park[147] all showcase various periods of Massachusetts's history. Authoritative determination of municipal boundary locations can only be provided by a licensed land surveyor. [447][448] Many other Massachusetts colleges compete in lower divisions such as DivisionIII, where MIT, Tufts University, Amherst College, Williams College, and others field competitive teams. Note: Municipalities not listed have a town meeting form of government (see, Other British colonial entities in the contemporary, Non-British colonial entities in the contemporary United States, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 17:42. It is also home to another elite and prestigious institution, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The smallest city is Palmer in Hampden County , with a population of 12,140 residents. to require all new cars sold to be electric by 2035 as part of climate-change measures", "MA2050DecarbonizationRoadmap_FINAL.pdf | Mass.gov", "Historical Population Change Data (19102020)", "Massachusetts Population Surpasses 7 Million In 2020 Census", "Table 1. Colonial period In 1620, the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower and established Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, beginning the history of permanent European colonization in New England. The University of Massachusetts also operates a campus in the city. Land area measurements are originally recorded as whole square meters (to convert square meters to square kilometers, divide by 1,000,000; to convert square kilometers to square miles, divide by 2.58999; to convert square meters to square miles, divide by 2,589,988). The same company also operates seasonal service between Boston and Provincetown. Cambridge is located in the Middlesex County on the eastern coastal region of Massachusetts. [247] This wage was set to increase to a general minimum of $15.00 per hour and a tipped worker minimum of $6.75 per hour in January 2023, as part of a series of minimum wage amendments passed in 2018 that saw the minimum wage increase slowly every January up to 2023. 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