Massachusetts (MA) is located in the northeast of the USA and is a major centre of education and innovation. The capital and largest city of Massachusetts is Boston, home to the prestigious MIT and Harvard universities. The state’s economy is driven by technology firms, healthcare and finance. In 1852, Massachusetts became the first US state to mandate universal schooling.
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Table of Contents
Quick Facts
Name Massachusetts Abbreviation MA Capital Boston Largest city Boston (Population: 653 833) Current time 15:10 Time zone EST (UTC-5), state observes Daylight Saving Time EDT (UTC-4) Population 7,032,933 (#15 most populous US state) Area 10,565 mi² (#44 largest US state) Admitted to the Union February 6, 1788 (#6 state to join) ⭐ Capital of Massachusetts
The capital of Massachusetts is Boston, which began to be settled by European colonists around 1630. It was named after the English town of Boston in the county of Lincolnshire; one of its first residents was William Blaxton.
🏙️ Largest City in Massachusetts
The largest city in Massachusetts is Boston, with a population of 653,833 in 2023. The second most populous city is Worcester with a population of 207,621 and the third largest is Springfield with a population of 153,672.
🕒 Time in Massachusetts
The current time in Massachusetts is [timezone=”America/New_York” format=”G:i”]. Eastern Standard Time (EST, UTC-5) is used throughout the state, with Daylight Saving Time (DST) switching between March and November.
🧑🤝🧑 Population of Massachusetts
As of 2023, Massachusetts had a population of 7,032,933, making it the 15th most populous state in the USA.
📍 Area of Massachusetts
The total area of Massachusetts is 10,565 mi², of which 7,800 mi² is land and 2,715 mi² is water. Massachusetts is the 44th largest state in the USA.
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Fun Facts About Massachusetts
🧩 Massachusetts Neighboring States
Massachusetts is bordered by five US states. New York to the west, Vermont and New Hampshire to the north, and Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south. In addition, it has a long coastline with the Atlantic Ocean to the east 192 mi.
📅 Date of Massachusetts Statehood
Massachusetts approved entry into the Union on February 6, 1788 as the 6th state in line, its predecessor being the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
📛 Nickname of the State of Massachusetts
The official nickname of Massachusetts, “The Bay State”, refers to several important bays as well as the original Massachusetts Bay Colony, which was established in 1628. The colony was one of the most important in all of New England at the time and played a key role in the early history of the United States. Some of the most famous bays in the state include Massachusetts Bay, Cape Cod Bay, and Buzzards Bay.
Another nickname is “The Pilgrim State”, referring to the Pilgrims who settled in America in 1620, in what is now Massachusetts.
⛰️ Highest Mountain in Massachusetts
The highest mountain in Massachusetts is with 3,489 ft Mount Greylock, which is part of the Taconic Mountains range on the northwestern edge of the state.
🏞️ Rivers in Massachusetts
The longest river in Massachusetts is the Connecticut River with a total flow length of 407 mi. It is followed by the Housatonic River (149 mi), the Merrimack River (117 mi), the Charles River (81 mi), and the Deerfield River (76 mi).
🎓 Universities in Massachusetts
The largest university in Massachusetts by student population is Boston University, which was founded in 1869 and is attended by approximately 32,000 people. The next ranks are the world-famous Harvard University, based in Cambridge, and the University of Massachusetts, based in Amherst, both of which have around 28 thousand students.
✉️ Massachusetts ZIP Codes
Massachusetts has dedicated ZIP code ranges 010xx-027xx and 055xx, you can look up the specific one for any address on the USPS website. For more information, see the article ZIP codes in the USA.
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Weather in Massachusetts
The best time to visit Massachusetts is in May or September, when temperatures are pleasant and the countryside is beautifully colored. All the tourist attractions are open and the weather is good for outdoor activities.
Spring in Massachusetts is initially cool, with temperatures in Boston in March ranging between 30°F and 45°F. With April comes a warming trend and by May, temperatures on most days are between 50°F and 66°F. Rainfall is relatively frequent, with April seeing the most rain of the year.
Summers in Massachusetts tend to be warm and relatively humid, with temperatures ranging from June to August between 64°F and 81°F. Warm weather is accompanied by high humidity, especially in the cities, while pleasant weather accompanied by a light breeze is common on the Cape Cod peninsula. Precipitation in summer is infrequent and usually occurs in the form of thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Autumn in Massachusetts tends to be dry and warm at first, with usual September temperatures around 57°F to 72°F. As autumn progresses, temperatures drop to November temperatures of 37°F to 52°F. Rainfall increases in late October and November, yet the weather is conducive to outdoor excursions. The area around the Berkshires may see its first snowfall in late November.
Winter in Massachusetts tends to be cold with snow showers. Temperatures between December and February generally stay between 23°F and 41°F, with more intense frosts in mountainous areas. Heavy snowstorms can occur during the winter, complicating transport and causing power outages.
🌡️ Average Temperatures and Precipitation in Massachusetts
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Things to Do in Massachusetts
1️⃣ Freedom Trail in Boston
Boston’s Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mi long urban trail that runs along 16 historically significant sites associated with the American Revolution. The trailhead is on Boston Common, America’s oldest public park. The trail passes by the oldest house in Boston or alongside the 1723 Old North Church, an Episcopal mission church that played a significant role during the American Revolutionary War.
2️⃣ Fenway Park Baseball Stadium
Fenway Park is one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the USA. The first game was played there on April 20, 1912. The event was overshadowed in the newspapers at the time by the Titanic disaster, which had sunk five days earlier.
Today, the Boston Red Sox play their games at Fenway Park and attending a baseball game will be a great experience even for those who are not big fans of the sport. If it’s not game day, you can buy a ticket for a regular stadium tour.
3️⃣ Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is one of the most renowned art institutions in the United States. The museum’s collection includes more than 450,000 works from around the world, including ancient Egyptian artifacts, Japanese works, and Impressionist paintings.
Works by Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Auguste Renoir are considered the most valuable exhibits. Part of the museum is dedicated to temporary exhibitions and workshops.
4️⃣ Plimoth Patuxet Museum
Plimoth Patuxet is an outdoor museum southeast of Boston that shows life in the historic early 17th century settlement of Plymouth. Visitors to the open-air museum can see the reconstructed homes of early settlers, learn about life in the settlement, or learn about their relationships with the original inhabitants. The settlement includes a replica of the Mayflower II, the ship that brought the first Pilgrims to the New World in 1620.
5️⃣ Cape Cod National Seashore
Cape Cod is a nationally protected coastline southeast of Boston that is a popular summer destination for nature lovers and families alike. Several picturesque villages line the coast, providing a backdrop for swimming, surfing or hiking. Several lighthouses decorate the area, one of the most famous being the 66.0 ft tall Highland Light, dating from 1857.
6️⃣ Harvard University
Harvard University in Cambridge is one of the most prestigious and oldest universities in the USA, founded in 1636. Visitors to the university can tour its historic campus, take a peek inside its impressive library and see other famous buildings. Tours of the university’s facilities are often arranged by the students themselves. There are several art and science museums around the university.
7️⃣ Minute Man National Historical Park
Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the first battles of the American Revolutionary War, which took place in 1775 in the area northwest of Boston. Visitors to the park can see the Old North Bridge or the Lexington Green site, where a key clash between the British Army and the colonists took place.
The park includes several nature trails and permanent exhibits that highlight the importance of the site to American history.
8️⃣ New England Aquarium
The New England Aquarium is one of Boston’s most popular attractions, offering visitors a unique view of the underwater world. The aquarium is home to thousands of marine animals including stingrays, sharks, giant turtles and penguins. The main attraction of the aquarium is the giant water tank, which allows visitors to observe marine animals in their natural habitat.
9️⃣ The Paul Revere House
The Paul Revere House is the oldest surviving house in Boston, built in 1680. It was once home to Boston patriot and silversmith Paul Revere, who helped organize an intelligence system during the American Revolution to warn residents about the British army.
It’s not just about him that visitors are informed by the museum now housed in the house. The museum also includes an exhibit documenting life in colonial Boston.
🔟 Battleship Cove
Battleship Cove in Fall River is the world’s largest museum dedicated to battleships. Visitors to the museum can see World War II battleships firsthand and learn about the history of the USA Navy and the daily lives of the soldiers aboard. Highlights of the museum include the 1941 battleship USS Massachusetts and the 1943 submarine USS Lionfish.
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Largest Cities in Massachusetts
The table below shows the ten largest cities in Massachusetts in 2023, the source of the data is the United States Census Bureau, a federal agency whose main job is to count the population.
City County Population 1 Boston Suffolk 653,833 Map of Boston 2 Worcester Worcester 207,621 Map of Worcester 3 Springfield Hampden 153,672 Map of Springfield 4 Cambridge Middlesex 118,214 Map of Cambridge 5 Lowell Middlesex 114,296 Map of Lowell 6 Brockton Plymouth 104,890 Map of Brockton 7 Quincy Norfolk 101,597 Map of Quincy 8 Lynn Essex 101,241 Map of Lynn 9 New Bedford Bristol 100,695 Map of New Bedford 10 Fall River Bristol 93,840 Map of Fall River -
Sports Teams in Massachusetts
🏒 Ice Hockey (NHL)
The NHL is played by the Boston Bruins, who belong to the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division. The Boston Bruins were formed in 1924, making them one of the oldest teams in the competition. They play their home games at the TD Garden in Boston and the club colors are black and gold.
🏈 American Football (NFL)
The only team from Massachusetts in the NFL are the New England Patriots of the AFC Eastern Conference Division, they joined the league in the 1970 season. The Patriots play their home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough; their colors are navy blue, red, silver, and white.
🏀 Basketball (NBA)
The only team from Massachusetts in the NBA basketball league since the 1946 season are the Boston Celtics. The club is part of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and plays its home games at the TD Garden in Boston. The team colors are green, white, black, gold and brown.
⚾ Baseball (MLB)
The only representative of Massachusetts in MLB is the famous Boston Red Sox team, which belongs to the Eastern Division in the American League. The Red Sox entered the league in the 1901 season, and consider red, navy blue, and white to be the club colors. The venue for all home games is Fenway Park in Boston.
⚽ Soccer (MLS)
The state of Massachusetts has been represented in the MLS by the New England Revolution of the Eastern Conference since the 1996 season. The team plays its home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, and its colors are navy blue, red, and white.
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Massachusetts State Symbols
A list of several dozen state symbols is defined in statute; below are just a few.
State Flag of Massachusetts
The flag of Massachusetts is very simple, consisting of the state emblem on a white field, and has been used in its current form since July 3, 1971. The same flag was carried by every Massachusetts volunteer battalion during the American Civil War.
Great Seal of Massachusetts
The Great Seal is the coat of arms of the State of Massachusetts, which is accompanied by the Latin text “Sigillum Reipublicæ Massachusettensis”. The design of the coat of arms is based on the coat of arms adopted by the legislature in 1775 and confirmed by Governor John Hancock and his council on 13 December 1780.
State Tree
The official tree of Massachusetts since March 1941 has been the American elm (Ulmus americana). This is a commemoration of 1775, when General George Washington took command of the Continental Army under the elm tree in Cambridge Common Park.
State Bird
In March 1941, the Massachusetts legislature adopted the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus), which averages about 14 cm, as the state bird.
State Fish
The Massachusetts fish symbol is the protected cod (Gadus morrhua), which is found along the Atlantic coast, where it grows to lengths of 100 cm to 140 cm.
State Colors
The official state colors of Massachusetts are blue, green, and cranberry, which resembles reddish purple. Cranberries are the state fruit of Massachusetts.
State Donut
An unusual symbol is the official state doughnut of Massachusetts, which became the Boston cream doughnut in 2003. The doughnut is traditionally filled with vanilla cream and topped with chocolate.
State Song
After many years of advocacy, the national anthem on September 3, 1966, was the song All Hail to Massachusetts, written by music teacher Arthur James Marsh of Wellesley.
State Dog
In 1979, the Boston Terrier, which was bred in that city in the late 19th century, was named the official dog breed of the state.
State Drink
Cranberry juice has been the official drink of Massachusetts since 1970, and the state is one of its major producers.
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