Greater Boston
Metropolitan area
Boston in July 2015
Boston in July 2015
Coordinates: 42°21′18″N 71°03′54″W / 42.35500°N 71.06500°W / 42.35500; -71.06500
Country United States
States
Principal cities
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,466,186 (CSA)
4,941,632 (MSA)
 • Rank
Time zoneEST
Area code(s)617, 781, 857, 339, 978, 508, 351, 774, 603, 401

Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston, the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England, and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern arc of the Northeast megalopolis, making Greater Boston both a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and a combined statistical area (CSA).[citation needed] The most stringent definition of the region consists of most of the eastern third of mainland Massachusetts, excluding the Merrimack Valley and South Coast;[1] while the most expansive definition includes these plus Cape Cod, Central Massachusetts, Rhode Island, southeastern New Hampshire, and Windham County, Connecticut.[2]

While the city of Boston covers 48.4 square miles (125 km2) and has 675,647 residents as of the 2020 census, the urbanization has extended well into surrounding areas and the CSA has a population of more than 8.4 million people, making it one of the most populous such regions in the U.S.

Some of Greater Boston's most well-known contributions involve the region's higher education and medical institutions. Greater Boston has been influential upon American history and industry. The region and the state of Massachusetts are global leaders in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.[3]

As of 2020, 64% of Massachusetts' population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan region, and 88% of Massachusetts' population lives in the Boston Combined Statistical Area.[citation needed] Greater Boston is ranked tenth in population among US metropolitan statistical areas, home to 4,941,632 people as of the 2020 United States Census, and sixth among combined statistical areas, with a population of 8,466,186. The area has hosted many people and sites significant to American culture and history, particularly American literature,[4] politics, and the American Revolution.

Plymouth was the site of the first colony in New England, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, passengers of the Mayflower. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials.[5] In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty"[6] for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution.

The Greater Boston region has played a powerful scientific, commercial, and cultural role in the history of the United States. Before the American Civil War, the region was a center for the abolitionist, temperance,[7] and transcendentalist[8] movements.[9] In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex marriage as a result of the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Boston.[10] Many prominent American political dynasties have hailed from the Boston region, including the Adams and Kennedy families.

Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States,[11] with the largest financial endowment of any university,[12] and whose Law School has spawned a contemporaneous majority of United States Supreme Court Justices.[13] 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.[14][15] Both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also in Cambridge, have been ranked among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world.[16]

Geography

Boundary definitions

Metropolitan Area

The most restrictive definition of the Greater Boston area is the region administered by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.[1] The MAPC is a regional planning organization created by the Massachusetts legislature to oversee transportation infrastructure and economic development concerns in the Boston area. The MAPC includes 101 cities and towns that are grouped into eight subregions. These include most of the area within the region's outer circumferential highway, I-495. In 2013, the population of the MAPC district was 3.2 million, which was 48% of the total population of Massachusetts,[17] in an area of 1,422 square miles (3,680 km2),[1] of which 39% is forested and an additional 11% is water, wetland, or other open space.[18]

The cities and towns included in this definitions are:[19]

New England City and Town Area

Another definition by the United States Census is the Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metro Area or Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH Metropolitan NECTA, which is defined as a New England City and Town Area.[20][21] Counties included in this definition include:[22]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1850650,357—
1860830,99827.8%
1870978,34617.7%
18801,205,43923.2%
18901,515,68425.7%
19001,890,12224.7%
19102,260,76219.6%
19202,563,12313.4%
19302,866,56711.8%
19402,926,6502.1%
19503,186,9708.9%
19603,516,43510.3%
19703,918,09211.4%
19803,938,5850.5%
19904,133,8955.0%
20004,391,3446.2%
20104,552,4023.7%
20204,941,6328.5%
2022 (est.)4,900,550−0.8%
US Decennial Census
Cambridge and Boston with MIT and Kendall Square in the foreground and Boston's Financial District in the background

Combined Statistical Area

The widest definition of the metropolitan area based on commuting patterns, is defined by the U.S. Census as the Boston–Worcester–Providence combined statistical area. This areas consists of the following counties in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire:[23]

Downtown Providence, Rhode Island in 2008

The total population for the extended region was estimated at 8,466,186 at the 2020 census.[citation needed]

Subregions

Climate

The Boston area has humid continental climates (Dfa and Dfb under the Köppen climate classification system), with high humidity and precipitation year-round.

Climate data for Concord Municipal Airport, New Hampshire (1991−2020 normals,[a] extremes 1868–present)[b]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 72
(22) 		74
(23) 		89
(32) 		95
(35) 		98
(37) 		101
(38) 		102
(39) 		101
(38) 		98
(37) 		92
(33) 		80
(27) 		73
(23) 		102
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 52.4
(11.3) 		54.3
(12.4) 		65.6
(18.7) 		81.6
(27.6) 		89.6
(32.0) 		92.8
(33.8) 		93.8
(34.3) 		92.4
(33.6) 		89.0
(31.7) 		79.0
(26.1) 		68.6
(20.3) 		56.9
(13.8) 		96.1
(35.6)
Average high °F (°C) 31.6
(−0.2) 		34.8
(1.6) 		43.6
(6.4) 		57.5
(14.2) 		69.3
(20.7) 		77.8
(25.4) 		83.0
(28.3) 		81.7
(27.6) 		73.7
(23.2) 		60.9
(16.1) 		48.4
(9.1) 		37.1
(2.8) 		58.3
(14.6)
Daily mean °F (°C) 22.3
(−5.4) 		24.7
(−4.1) 		33.4
(0.8) 		45.4
(7.4) 		56.7
(13.7) 		65.8
(18.8) 		71.1
(21.7) 		69.5
(20.8) 		61.4
(16.3) 		49.3
(9.6) 		38.6
(3.7) 		28.3
(−2.1) 		47.2
(8.4)
Average low °F (°C) 12.9
(−10.6) 		14.7
(−9.6) 		23.3
(−4.8) 		33.3
(0.7) 		44.1
(6.7) 		53.7
(12.1) 		59.2
(15.1) 		57.2
(14.0) 		49.0
(9.4) 		37.8
(3.2) 		28.7
(−1.8) 		19.5
(−6.9) 		36.1
(2.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −9.2
(−22.9) 		−7.2
(−21.8) 		1.6
(−16.9) 		19.2
(−7.1) 		29.2
(−1.6) 		39.0
(3.9) 		47.1
(8.4) 		44.1
(6.7) 		32.1
(0.1) 		22.1
(−5.5) 		11.8
(−11.2) 		−0.9
(−18.3) 		−12.4
(−24.7)
Record low °F (°C) −35
(−37) 		−37
(−38) 		−20
(−29) 		4
(−16) 		21
(−6) 		30
(−1) 		35
(2) 		29
(−2) 		20
(−7) 		10
(−12) 		−17
(−27) 		−24
(−31) 		−37
(−38)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.80
(71) 		2.75
(70) 		3.28
(83) 		3.43
(87) 		3.47
(88) 		3.77
(96) 		3.62
(92) 		3.63
(92) 		3.63
(92) 		4.43
(113) 		3.44
(87) 		3.70
(94) 		41.95
(1,066)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 17.1
(43) 		16.9
(43) 		13.6
(35) 		2.5
(6.4) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.8
(2.0) 		2.5
(6.4) 		14.3
(36) 		67.7
(172)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.2 10.0 11.5 11.4 12.4 12.8 10.9 9.9 9.3 10.6 10.8 12.0 132.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 8.1 7.6 5.2 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 1.6 6.3 30.3
Average relative humidity (%) 67.9 66.0 64.8 62.0 65.0 70.9 71.8 74.5 76.3 72.8 73.3 72.3 69.8
Average dew point °F (°C) 10.2
(−12.1) 		12.0
(−11.1) 		20.8
(−6.2) 		29.8
(−1.2) 		42.1
(5.6) 		53.8
(12.1) 		58.8
(14.9) 		57.9
(14.4) 		50.5
(10.3) 		38.3
(3.5) 		28.8
(−1.8) 		16.7
(−8.5) 		35.0
(1.7)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 162.8 171.8 210.5 223.2 258.4 274.3 295.8 261.9 214.7 183.4 127.8 134.8 2,519.4
Percent possible sunshine 56 58 57 56 57 60 64 61 57 54 44 48 56
Average ultraviolet index 1 2 4 5 7 8 8 7 6 3 2 1 5
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity , dew points and sun 1961–1990)[24][25][26]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[27]
Climate data for Boston, Massachusetts (Logan Airport), 1991−2020 normals,[c] extremes 1872−present[d]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 74
(23) 		73
(23) 		89
(32) 		94
(34) 		97
(36) 		100
(38) 		104
(40) 		102
(39) 		102
(39) 		90
(32) 		83
(28) 		76
(24) 		104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.3
(14.6) 		57.9
(14.4) 		67.0
(19.4) 		79.9
(26.6) 		88.1
(31.2) 		92.2
(33.4) 		95.0
(35.0) 		93.7
(34.3) 		88.9
(31.6) 		79.6
(26.4) 		70.2
(21.2) 		61.2
(16.2) 		96.4
(35.8)
Average high °F (°C) 36.8
(2.7) 		39.0
(3.9) 		45.5
(7.5) 		56.4
(13.6) 		66.5
(19.2) 		76.2
(24.6) 		82.1
(27.8) 		80.4
(26.9) 		73.1
(22.8) 		62.1
(16.7) 		51.6
(10.9) 		42.2
(5.7) 		59.3
(15.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 29.9
(−1.2) 		31.8
(−0.1) 		38.3
(3.5) 		48.6
(9.2) 		58.4
(14.7) 		68.0
(20.0) 		74.1
(23.4) 		72.7
(22.6) 		65.6
(18.7) 		54.8
(12.7) 		44.7
(7.1) 		35.7
(2.1) 		51.9
(11.1)
Average low °F (°C) 23.1
(−4.9) 		24.6
(−4.1) 		31.1
(−0.5) 		40.8
(4.9) 		50.3
(10.2) 		59.7
(15.4) 		66.0
(18.9) 		65.1
(18.4) 		58.2
(14.6) 		47.5
(8.6) 		37.9
(3.3) 		29.2
(−1.6) 		44.5
(6.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 4.8
(−15.1) 		8.3
(−13.2) 		15.6
(−9.1) 		31.0
(−0.6) 		41.2
(5.1) 		49.7
(9.8) 		58.6
(14.8) 		57.7
(14.3) 		46.7
(8.2) 		35.1
(1.7) 		24.4
(−4.2) 		13.1
(−10.5) 		2.6
(−16.3)
Record low °F (°C) −13
(−25) 		−18
(−28) 		−8
(−22) 		11
(−12) 		31
(−1) 		41
(5) 		50
(10) 		46
(8) 		34
(1) 		25
(−4) 		−2
(−19) 		−17
(−27) 		−18
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.39
(86) 		3.21
(82) 		4.17
(106) 		3.63
(92) 		3.25
(83) 		3.89
(99) 		3.27
(83) 		3.23
(82) 		3.56
(90) 		4.03
(102) 		3.66
(93) 		4.30
(109) 		43.59
(1,107)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 14.3
(36) 		14.4
(37) 		9.0
(23) 		1.6
(4.1) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.7
(1.8) 		9.0
(23) 		49.2
(125)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.8 10.6 11.6 11.6 11.8 10.9 9.4 9.0 9.0 10.5 10.3 11.9 128.4
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 6.6 6.2 4.4 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.6 4.2 23.0
Average relative humidity (%) 62.3 62.0 63.1 63.0 66.7 68.5 68.4 70.8 71.8 68.5 67.5 65.4 66.5
Average dew point °F (°C) 16.5
(−8.6) 		17.6
(−8.0) 		25.2
(−3.8) 		33.6
(0.9) 		45.0
(7.2) 		55.2
(12.9) 		61.0
(16.1) 		60.4
(15.8) 		53.8
(12.1) 		42.8
(6.0) 		33.4
(0.8) 		22.1
(−5.5) 		38.9
(3.8)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 163.4 168.4 213.7 227.2 267.3 286.5 300.9 277.3 237.1 206.3 143.2 142.3 2,633.6
Percent possible sunshine 56 57 58 57 59 63 65 64 63 60 49 50 59
Average ultraviolet index 1 2 4 5 7 8 8 8 6 4 2 1 5
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961−1990)[29][30][31]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[32]
Climate data for Boston, Massachusetts
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °F (°C) 41.3
(5.2) 		38.1
(3.4) 		38.4
(3.5) 		43.1
(6.2) 		49.2
(9.5) 		58.4
(14.7) 		65.7
(18.7) 		67.9
(20.0) 		64.8
(18.2) 		59.4
(15.3) 		52.3
(11.3) 		46.6
(8.2) 		52.1
(11.2)
Source: Weather Atlas[32]
Climate data for Providence, Rhode Island (T. F. Green Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[e] extremes 1904–present[f]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21) 		72
(22) 		90
(32) 		98
(37) 		96
(36) 		98
(37) 		102
(39) 		104
(40) 		100
(38) 		88
(31) 		81
(27) 		77
(25) 		104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.7
(14.8) 		57.9
(14.4) 		67.1
(19.5) 		79.3
(26.3) 		87.2
(30.7) 		91.5
(33.1) 		94.8
(34.9) 		92.7
(33.7) 		87.6
(30.9) 		78.9
(26.1) 		70.1
(21.2) 		61.5
(16.4) 		96.6
(35.9)
Average high °F (°C) 38.3
(3.5) 		40.5
(4.7) 		47.7
(8.7) 		58.9
(14.9) 		68.9
(20.5) 		77.7
(25.4) 		83.6
(28.7) 		82.2
(27.9) 		74.8
(23.8) 		63.8
(17.7) 		53.2
(11.8) 		43.4
(6.3) 		61.1
(16.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.2
(−1.0) 		32.0
(0.0) 		38.9
(3.8) 		49.3
(9.6) 		59.1
(15.1) 		68.2
(20.1) 		74.4
(23.6) 		73.0
(22.8) 		65.6
(18.7) 		54.4
(12.4) 		44.5
(6.9) 		35.5
(1.9) 		52.1
(11.2)
Average low °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5) 		23.5
(−4.7) 		30.2
(−1.0) 		39.6
(4.2) 		49.2
(9.6) 		58.8
(14.9) 		65.2
(18.4) 		63.9
(17.7) 		56.5
(13.6) 		45.1
(7.3) 		35.8
(2.1) 		27.6
(−2.4) 		43.1
(6.2)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 4.1
(−15.5) 		7.4
(−13.7) 		15.1
(−9.4) 		28.5
(−1.9) 		38.1
(3.4) 		47.2
(8.4) 		56.2
(13.4) 		54.3
(12.4) 		43.1
(6.2) 		31.7
(−0.2) 		21.8
(−5.7) 		12.3
(−10.9) 		2.0
(−16.7)
Record low °F (°C) −13
(−25) 		−17
(−27) 		1
(−17) 		11
(−12) 		29
(−2) 		39
(4) 		48
(9) 		40
(4) 		32
(0) 		20
(−7) 		6
(−14) 		−12
(−24) 		−17
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.96
(101) 		3.44
(87) 		4.90
(124) 		4.29
(109) 		3.37
(86) 		3.81
(97) 		2.91
(74) 		3.59
(91) 		4.17
(106) 		4.18
(106) 		4.27
(108) 		4.65
(118) 		47.54
(1,208)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.3
(26) 		10.5
(27) 		6.4
(16) 		0.6
(1.5) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		1.0
(2.5) 		7.6
(19) 		36.6
(93)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.2 10.3 11.6 11.7 12.2 10.8 9.3 9.1 9.1 10.2 9.6 11.9 127.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.7 5.4 3.7 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.6 3.4 19.3
Average relative humidity (%) 63.9 63.0 62.9 61.4 66.6 70.1 71.0 72.5 73.0 70.2 68.9 67.0 67.5
Average dew point °F (°C) 16.3
(−8.7) 		17.4
(−8.1) 		25.0
(−3.9) 		33.1
(0.6) 		45.0
(7.2) 		55.6
(13.1) 		61.5
(16.4) 		61.0
(16.1) 		53.8
(12.1) 		42.6
(5.9) 		33.3
(0.7) 		22.1
(−5.5) 		38.9
(3.8)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 171.7 172.6 215.6 225.1 254.9 274.1 290.6 262.8 233.0 208.7 148.0 148.6 2,605.7
Percent possible sunshine 58 58 58 56 57 60 63 61 62 61 50 52 58
Average ultraviolet index 1 2 4 6 7 8 8 8 6 4 2 1 5
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1961–1990)[34][35][36]
Source 2: Weather Atlas [37]
Climate data for Providence
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °F (°C) 41.4
(5.2) 		38.1
(3.4) 		38.7
(3.8) 		44.1
(6.7) 		50.9
(10.5) 		59.6
(15.3) 		67.0
(19.4) 		69.3
(20.7) 		66.7
(19.3) 		61.6
(16.4) 		54.2
(12.3) 		47.7
(8.8) 		53.3
(11.8)
Source: Weather Atlas [37]


Demographics

St. Patrick's Day Parade in Scituate, Massachusetts, in Plymouth County, the municipality with the highest percentage identifying Irish ancestry in the United States, at 47.5% in 2010.[38] Irish Americans constitute the largest ethnicity in Greater Boston.
Boston's Chinatown, with its paifang gate, is home to many Chinese and also Vietnamese restaurants.
Boston gay pride march, held annually in June

Greater Boston has a sizable Jewish community, estimated at between 210,000 people,[39][40] and 261,000[41] or 5–6% of the Greater Boston metro population, compared with about 2% for the nation as a whole. Contrary to national trends, the number of Jews in Greater Boston has been growing, fueled by the fact that 60% of children in Jewish mixed-faith families are raised Jewish, compared with roughly one in three nationally.[39]

The City of Boston also has one of the largest LGBT populations per capita. It ranks fifth of all major cities in the country (behind San Francisco, and slightly behind Seattle, Atlanta, and Minneapolis), with 12.3% of the city identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.[42]

County 2021 Estimate 2020 Census Change Area Density
Middlesex County, Massachusetts 1,614,742 1,632,002 −1.06% 817.82 sq mi (2,118.1 km2) 1,974/sq mi (762/km2)
Essex County, Massachusetts 807,074 809,829 −0.34% 492.56 sq mi (1,275.7 km2) 1,639/sq mi (633/km2)
Suffolk County, Massachusetts 771,245 797,936 −3.35% 58.15 sq mi (150.6 km2) 13,263/sq mi (5,121/km2)
Norfolk County, Massachusetts 724,505 725,981 −0.20% 396.11 sq mi (1,025.9 km2) 1,829/sq mi (706/km2)
Plymouth County, Massachusetts 533,003 530,819 +0.41% 659.07 sq mi (1,707.0 km2) 809/sq mi (312/km2)
Rockingham County, New Hampshire 316,947 314,176 +0.88% 694.72 sq mi (1,799.3 km2) 456/sq mi (176/km2)
Strafford County, New Hampshire 132,416 130,889 +1.17% 368.97 sq mi (955.6 km2) 359/sq mi (139/km2)
Total 4,899,932 4,941,642 −0.84% 3,487.40 sq mi (9,032.3 km2) 1,405/sq mi (542/km2)

The 40 most diverse Census tracts in the Boston CSA:[43]

The 40 census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Hispanic or Latino:[43]

Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Black American:[43]

Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Asian American:[43]

Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Irish American:[44]

Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Italian American:[45]

Census tracts in the Boston CSA with the highest percentage of residents who identify as Portuguese American:[46]

Census tracts in the Boston CSA with French or French Canadian listed as first ancestry:[47]

Largest cities and towns

Cities and towns with a population over 50,000 as of the 2020 census include:[48][49][50][51][52]

State capital
State largest city
Rank Name State Population (2020) Population (2010) Change
1. Boston  Massachusetts 675,647 617,594 +9.40%
2. Worcester 206,518 181,045 +14.07%
3. Providence  Rhode Island 190,934 178,042 +7.24%
4. Cambridge  Massachusetts 118,403 105,162 +12.59%
5. Manchester  New Hampshire 115,644 109,565 +5.55%
6. Lowell  Massachusetts 115,554 106,519 +8.48%
7. Brockton 105,643 93,810 +12.61%
8. Quincy 101,636 92,271 +10.15%
9. Lynn 101,253 90,329 +12.09%
10. New Bedford 101,079 95,072 +6.32%
11. Fall River 94,000 88,857 +5.79%
12. Nashua  New Hampshire 91,322 86,494 +5.58%
13. Lawrence  Massachusetts 89,143 76,377 +16.71%
14. Newton 88,923 85,146 +4.44%
15. Cranston  Rhode Island 82,934 80,387 +3.17%
16. Warwick 82,823 82,672 +0.18%
17. Somerville  Massachusetts 81,045 75,754 +6.98%
18. Pawtucket  Rhode Island 75,604 71,148 +6.26%
19. Framingham  Massachusetts 72,362 68,318 +5.92%
20. Haverhill 67,787 60,879 +11.35%
21. Malden 66,263 59,450 +11.46%
22. Waltham 65,218 60,632 +7.56%
23. Brookline 63,191 58,732 +7.59%
24. Revere 62,186 51,755 +20.15%
25. Plymouth 61,217 56,468 +8.41%
26. Medford 59,659 56,173 +6.21%
27. Taunton 59,408 55,874 +6.32%
28. Weymouth 57,437 53,743 +6.87%
29. Peabody 54,481 51,251 +6.30%
30. Methuen 53,059 47,255 +12.28%

Education

See also: Boston, Massachusetts § Education; List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston; and List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts
Harvard University, a leading global university, is located in Cambridge, MA in Greater Boston

A long established center of higher education, the area includes many community colleges, two-year schools, and internationally prominent undergraduate and graduate institutions. The graduate schools include highly regarded schools of law, medicine, business, technology, international relations, public health, education, and religion. Greater Boston contains seven R1 Research Institutions as per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This is, by far, the highest number of such institutions in a single Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States.

Economy

Major companies

References:[53][54][55][56]

Transportation

See also: Transportation in Boston

Interstates

U.S. Routes

State Highways

Bridges and tunnels

Airports

Rail and bus

The MBTA district, with Commuter Rail lines in purple

The first railway line in the United States was in Quincy. See Neponset River.

The following Regional Transit Authorities have bus service that connects with MBTA commuter rail stations:

Ocean transportation

The Salem Ferry, 92 ft. Catamaran is photographed approaching its dock off Blaney Street at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem, Massachusetts, United States.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Boston
Club Sport League Stadium Established League titles
Boston Bruins Ice hockey National Hockey League TD Garden (Boston) 1924 6 Stanley Cups
7 Eastern Conference Titles
Boston Cannons Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse Harvard Stadium (Boston) 2001 1 MLL Championship
Boston Celtics Basketball National Basketball Association TD Garden (Boston) 1946 17 NBA Championships
21 Eastern Conference Titles
Boston Pride Ice hockey National Women's Hockey League Bright Hockey Center (Boston) 2015 2 Isobel Cups
Boston Red Sox Baseball Major League Baseball Fenway Park (Boston) 1901 9 MLB World Series Championships
14 American League Pennants
New England Patriots Football National Football League Gillette Stadium (Foxboro) 1960 6 Super Bowl Championships
11 AFC Championships
New England Revolution Soccer Major League Soccer Gillette Stadium (Foxboro) 1995 1 US Open Cup
1 SuperLiga

Annual sporting events include:

The Greater Boston League, a high school athletic conference in Massachusetts.

Notes

  1. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ^ Official records for Concord were kept at downtown from September 1868 to April 1941 and at Concord Municipal Airport since May 1941; snow records date from December 1942. For more information, see ThreadEx
  3. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  4. ^ Official records for Boston were kept at downtown from January 1872 to December 1935, and at Logan Airport (KBOS) since January 1936.[28]
  5. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  6. ^ Official records for Providence kept at downtown from November 1904 to May 1932 and at T. F. Green Airport since June 1932.[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c "About MAPC". Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Archived from the original on 2007-02-21. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
  2. ^ https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/econ/ec2012/csa/EC2012_330M200US148M.pdf
  3. ^ "Housing and Economic Development:Key Industries". mass.gov. Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  4. ^ Will Joyner (9 April 1999). "Where Literary Legends Took Shape Around Boston". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. ^ "The 1692 Salem Witch Trials". SalemWitchTrialsMuseum.com. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  6. ^ "Faneuil Hall". Celebrateboston.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  7. ^ "The Temperance Issue in the Election of 1840: Massachusetts". Teachushistory.org. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  8. ^ Packer, Barbara (2007). The Transcendentalists. University of Georgia Press; First edition (April 25, 2007). ISBN 978-0820329581.
  9. ^ "Images of the Antislavery Movement in Massachusetts". Masshist.org. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  10. ^ "Massachusetts court strikes down ban on same-sex marriage". Reuters. November 18, 2003. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  11. ^ "History of Harvard University". Harvard University. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  12. ^ Tamar Lewin (January 28, 2015). "Harvard's Endowment Remains Biggest of All". The New York Times. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  13. ^ Richard Wolf (March 16, 2016). "Meet Merrick Garland, Obama's Supreme Court nominee". USA Today. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  14. ^ "Kendall Square Initiative". MIT. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  15. ^ Lelund Cheung. "When a neighborhood is crowned the most innovative square mile in the world, how do you keep it that way?". Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  16. ^ "World Reputation Rankings". www.timeshighereducation.com. 21 April 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  17. ^ "Metropolitan Area Planning Council Strategic Plan 2015–2020" (PDF). Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2017-04-22.
  18. ^ "Transportation Plan – Overview". Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization. 2009. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
  19. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20070221072504/http://www.mapc.org/metro_area/cities_towns.html
  20. ^ https://data.census.gov/profile/Boston-Cambridge-Newton,_MA-NH_Metro_Area?g=310XX00US14460
  21. ^ https://censusreporter.org/profiles/35000US71650-boston-cambridge-newton-ma-nh-metropolitan-necta/
  22. ^ https://data.census.gov/profile/Boston-Cambridge-Newton,_MA-NH_Metro_Area?g=310XX00US14460
  23. ^ https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/econ/ec2012/csa/EC2012_330M200US148M.pdf
  24. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  25. ^ "Station: CONCORD MUNI AP, NH". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  26. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for CONCORD MUNICIPAL AP, NH 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-07-10. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  27. ^ "Concord, New Hampshire, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  28. ^ ThreadEx
  29. ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  30. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  31. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for BOSTON/LOGAN INT'L AIRPORT, MA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
  32. ^ a b "Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  33. ^ ThreadEx
  34. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  35. ^ "Station: Providence T F Green AP, RI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-06-24. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  36. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for PROVIDENCE/GREEN STATE, RI 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-06-24. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  37. ^ a b "Providence, Rhode Island, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  38. ^ Jane Walsh (November 25, 2015). "The most Irish town in America is named using US census data". Irish Central. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  39. ^ a b Michael Paulson (2006-11-10). "Jewish population in region rises". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  40. ^ "Cities with the Largest Jewish Population in the Diaspora". adherents.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 1999. Retrieved 2009-11-29.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  41. ^ "Metro Area Membership Report". The Association of Religion Data Archives. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
  42. ^ "12.9% in Seattle are gay or bisexual, second only to S.F., study says". The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. 2006. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  43. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference nytimes1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  44. ^ "Irish as First Ancestry Population Percentage Rank of Census Tract within 100 miles of Zip Code 02176". Usa.com. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  45. ^ "Italian as First Ancestry Population Percentage Rank of Census Tract within 100 miles of Zip Code 02176". Usa.com. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  46. ^ "Welcome to nginx". www.usa.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  47. ^ "French as First Ancestry Population Percentage Rank of Census Tract within 100 miles of Zip Code 02176". Usa.com. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  48. ^ "Explore Census Data". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  49. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Connecticut". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  50. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Massachusetts". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  51. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): New Hampshire". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  52. ^ "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Rhode Island". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  53. ^ "2009 Globe 100 – Top Massachusetts-based employers". The Boston Globe. 2010-01-19. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009.
  54. ^ [1] Archived March 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ "Top Companies in Massachusetts on the Inc. 5000 - Inc.com". Inc.com. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  56. ^ [2] Archived October 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  57. ^ "Who We Are & About Us - Vistaprint". News.vistaprint.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2015.
  58. ^ Goodison, Donna (20 July 2016). "Wolverine strides into Waltham". Boston Herald. Retrieved 17 May 2022.

Further reading

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Greater Boston.
Categories