Massachusetts
Bay State · Capital: Boston · Northeast (New England)
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Bordering states: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island.
About Massachusetts
Massachusetts lies in New England, bordered by New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. It covers 10,554 square miles, 44th among the states, and roughly a quarter of that area is water. From west to east the land runs from the Taconic Range, home to the highest point, Mount Greylock, through the Berkshire Hills, the Connecticut Valley and the Eastern New England Upland to the coastal lowland around Boston. Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are sediment dropped by the Laurentide Ice Sheet about 20,000 years ago. Inland, the hill town of Chester has recorded both 107 °F and minus 35 °F.
Algonquian peoples, among them the Wampanoag, Massachusett and Nipmuc, lived here when an epidemic between 1616 and 1619 emptied coastal towns such as Patuxet, where the Mayflower passengers built Plymouth in 1620. John Winthrop brought the Massachusetts Bay Company charter in 1630, the year Boston was laid out. Metacom's war of 1675 and 1676 struck about half the English settlements in New England, and the Salem trials of 1692 sent nineteen people to the gallows. The Boston Massacre of 1770, the Tea Party of 1773 and the fighting at Lexington and Concord in 1775 led into the Revolution. On February 6, 1788 Massachusetts ratified the US Constitution, sixth in line.
The 2020 census counted 7,029,917 residents, up 7.4% since 2010, the 15th largest population and, at 901.2 people per square mile, the 3rd most densely settled state. Boston is both capital and largest city. After mill towns such as Lowell lost their textile industry from the 1920s, federal research money, MIT's wartime Radiation Laboratory and the firms of Route 128 rebuilt the economy. In 2004 Massachusetts became the first state to marry same-sex couples. Four presidents were born here, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F. Kennedy and George H. W. Bush, as were the writers Emily Dickinson and Nathaniel Hawthorne.
4 fun facts about Massachusetts
- The first public school (Boston Latin, 1635) and first university (Harvard, 1636) in the US were both founded here.
- Basketball was invented in Springfield, MA by James Naismith in 1891, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets.
- Boston's "Big Dig" was the most expensive highway project in US history (about $15 billion when finished in 2007, roughly $24 billion with interest).
- Boston cream pie (first served at the Parker House Hotel) and the Fluffernutter sandwich both come from Massachusetts.
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Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts
Is Massachusetts a US state?
Yes, Massachusetts is one of the 50 US states. It was admitted to the Union in 1788, making it the 6th state. Its capital is Boston and its largest city is Boston.
What is the capital of Massachusetts?
The capital of Massachusetts is Boston.
When did Massachusetts become a state?
Massachusetts became a US state in 1788. It is the 6th state admitted to the Union.
What is the abbreviation for Massachusetts?
The 2-letter USPS abbreviation for Massachusetts is MA.
How big is Massachusetts?
Massachusetts ranks #44 of 50 US states by area. With 901.2 residents per square mile in 2020, it was the 3rd most densely populated state.
What is the population of Massachusetts?
Massachusetts had 7,029,917 residents at the 2020 census, the 15th largest population of the 50 states, up 7.4% since 2010. That count gives it 9 seats in the US House of Representatives.
What region is Massachusetts in?
Massachusetts is in the Northeast region of the United States, per the US Census Bureau.
What time zone is Massachusetts in?
Massachusetts observes Eastern Time.
Learn more
How to learn the 50 states (full guide)
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