Massachusetts, US

Massachusetts: Located in the New England region of the northeastern United States, Massachusetts is home to major cities like Boston and Worcester.

Massachusetts is a historic New England state located in the northeastern United States. It played a major role in the American Revolution and became the 6th state admitted to the Union in 1788.

History and Culture

Massachusetts has a rich history dating back to the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1630. Boston became known as the Cradle of Liberty for early revolutionary activities opposing British rule.

Historical attractions include the Freedom Trail, Fenway Park, and Plimoth Patuxent. Massachusetts has prestigious universities, world-renowned medical facilities, and vibrant artistic and cultural institutions.

Geography and Climate

Massachusetts covers 10,554 square miles. It is bordered by Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and the Atlantic Ocean. The varied landscape includes islands, coastal areas around Cape Cod, forests, mountains and fertile farmland in the Connecticut River Valley.

The climate is humid continental with cold winters and warm humid summers.

Economy and Industry

Massachusetts has a thriving knowledge-based economy centered around education, biotechnology and financial services. Major industries include information technology, health care and tourism. The state is home to many top companies such as General Electric, Raytheon, and MassMutual Insurance.

An economic hub, Massachusetts has two major seaports in Boston and New Bedford along with Worcester Regional Airport. The state invests heavily in education from top universities to public schools.

Government and Politics

Boston is the state capital and largest city. The current governor is Charlie Baker, a Republican. Massachusetts has reliably voted Democratic in recent presidential elections.

In summary, Massachusetts is an historic, economically robust state known for playing a significant early role in American independence. It continues to carry influence today through education, biotech and finance.

Massachusetts locator map
Location of Massachusetts

State Snapshot

Massachusetts at a glance

Massachusetts currently has 377 quality-checked populated place pages and 14 county pages linked on MapSof.

Browse state cities

Mapped cities & towns

377

These counts use a stricter populated-place filter so the main lists stay focused on real city and town pages.

Largest city

Boston

Population 691,531

Quick Facts about Massachusetts

Population 6,893,574
Country United States of America
Twitter username massgov
Area 27336 km2
Water as percent of area 26.1%
Land as percent of area 73.9%
Continent North America
Latitude & Longitude 42.3657,-71.1083
Legislative body Massachusetts General Court
Named for Great Blue Hill
Official language English
Altitude 492 feet / 150 meters
Capital Boston
Establishment February 06, 1788 (238 years ago)
Time Zone America/New_York, Eastern Time Zone
Local time 05:57:17 (23rd September 2026)
Weather 64℉ Mostly Sunny 7-days weather
Seal of Massachusetts seal image
Seal of Massachusetts seal image

Geography

Massachusetts is located at 42°21'56"N 71°6'30"W (42.3656500, -71.1083200). It has 5 neighbors: Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Massachusetts map

Click "full screen" full screen map icon to open full mode. View satellite images

The largest city of Massachusetts is Boston with a population of 691,531. Other cities include, Worcester population 184,570, Springfield population 152,646, Cambridge population 119,192 and Lowell population 110,904. See all Massachusetts cities & populated places.

Largest Cities in Massachusetts (more)

Cities, Towns, Villages, Neighborhoods & Other Populated Places in Massachusetts.

City Name County Population
Boston Suffolk 691,531
Worcester Worcester 184,570
Springfield Hampden 152,646
Cambridge Middlesex 119,192
Lowell Middlesex 110,904
Brockton Plymouth 95,770
New Bedford Bristol 95,517
Lynn Essex 94,539
Quincy Norfolk 94,421
Fall River Bristol 89,792
Newton Middlesex 87,803
Somerville Middlesex 80,935
Lawrence Essex 80,007
Framingham Middlesex 73,892
Framingham Center Middlesex 65,413
Haverhill Essex 64,098

Show more Massachusetts cities and populated places

Weather

64°F
Mostly Sunny
10 to 16 mph NE Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Northeast wind 10 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

7-Day Forecast

Official website of Massachusetts

Official Website Twitter
  • Norfolk County
  • Plymouth County
  • Hampshire County
  • Barnstable County
  • Dukes County
  • Berkshire County
  • Worcester County
  • Hampden County
  • Nantucket County
  • Suffolk County
  • Essex County
  • Middlesex County
  • Bristol County
  • Franklin County

Demographics

Year Population % Change Method
1910 3,366,416 - census
1920 3,852,356 14.43% census
1930 4,249,614 10.31% census
1940 4,316,721 1.58% census
1950 4,690,514 8.66% census
1960 5,148,578 9.77% census
1970 5,689,170 10.5% census
1980 5,737,037 0.84% census
1990 6,016,425 4.87% census
2000 6,349,097 5.53% census
2010 6,547,629 3.13% census
2011 6,613,583 1.01% estimation process
2012 6,663,005 0.75% estimation process
2013 6,713,315 0.76% estimation process
2014 6,762,596 0.73% estimation process
2015 6,794,228 0.47% estimation process
2016 6,823,608 0.43% estimation process
2017 6,859,789 0.53% estimation process
2018 6,882,635 0.33% estimation process
2019 6,892,503 0.14% estimation process
2020 6,893,574 0.02% estimation process
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People born in Massachusetts (200)

People born in Massachusetts, including author, columnist and reporter Robert Cormier, harpsichordist and musicologist Ralph Kirkpatrick, computer scientist; creator of Morris Worm; associate professor at MIT Robert Tappan Morris, .

More notable people

Massachusetts Counties

Middlesex County

Middlesex County

county in Massachusetts, United States.

Worcester County

Worcester County

county in Massachusetts, United States.

Suffolk County

Suffolk County

county in Massachusetts, United States.

County Name Population
Middlesex County 1,609,379
Worcester County 829,212
Suffolk County 801,582
Essex County 791,263
Norfolk County 709,409
Bristol County 566,765
Plymouth County 523,738
Hampden County 463,986
Barnstable County 213,164
Hampshire County 161,401
Berkshire County 124,571
Franklin County 70,267
Dukes County 17,461
Nantucket County 11,376

Show more Massachusetts counties

Map & Images (more maps)

Map of Massachusetts Na 1

Map of Massachusetts Na 1

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Map of Massachusetts Regions

Map of Massachusetts Regions

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Usa Massachusetts Location Map

Usa Massachusetts Location Map

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Massachusetts Flag Map

Massachusetts Flag Map

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Counties Map of Massachusetts

Counties Map of Massachusetts

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Massachusetts Relief Map

Massachusetts Relief Map

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Where Is Massachusetts Located

Where Is Massachusetts Located

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Massachusetts Cities And Towns

Massachusetts Cities And Towns

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Massachusetts County Map

Massachusetts County Map

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Massachusetts Reference Map

Massachusetts Reference Map

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Massachusetts Rivers And Lakes

Massachusetts Rivers And Lakes

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Massachusetts Plant Hardiness Zone Map

Massachusetts Plant Hardiness Zone Map

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