Where is Massachusetts?

Massachusetts is a first-level division of United States, in North America. Its mapped cities centre on 42.2833° N, 71.6937° W.

What is the largest city in Massachusetts?

Boston is the largest city mapped in Massachusetts, with a metropolitan population of about 4.47 million.

How many cities are in Massachusetts?

YearMaps maps 7 cities and towns in Massachusetts, with a combined metropolitan population of about 6.42 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.

Massachusetts Map — Cities & Geography, United States

Interactive Map of Massachusetts

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About Massachusetts

Massachusetts ( MASS-ə-CHOO-sits, -⁠zits; Massachusett: Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət]), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to its south, New Hampshire and Vermont to its north, and New York to its west. Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state by land area. With an estimated population of over 7.1 million, it is the most populous state in New England (with nearly half of all New Englanders residing in Massachusetts), the 16th-most-populous in the United States, and the third-most densely populated U.S. state after New Jersey and Rhode Island.

Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization. The Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of Mayflower. In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, taking its name from the Indigenous Massachusett people, also established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. The American Revolution originated in Massachusetts, with Boston becoming known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for its political agitation. In 1786, Shays' Rebellion, a populist revolt, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing, and trade, Massachusetts transformed into a manufacturing hub during the Industrial Revolution. Before the American Civil War, the state was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, and transcendentalist movements. During the 20th century, the state's economy shifted from manufacturing to services; in the 21st century, Massachusetts has become the global leader in biotechnology, and also excels in artificial intelligence, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Massachusetts (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Massachusetts in Depth

History

Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family, including the Wampanoag, Narragansett, Nipmuc, Pocomtuc, Mahican, and Massachusett. While cultivation of crops like squash and corn were an important part of their diet, the people of these tribes hunted, fished, and searched the forest for most of their food. Villagers lived in lodges called wigwams as well as longhouses. Tribes were led by male or female elders known as sachems.

During the early 1600s, European colonists caused virgin soil epidemics such as smallpox, measles, influenza, and perhaps leptospirosis in what is now known as the northeastern region of the United States.

Geography

Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state in the United States. It is located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It has an area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km2), 25.7% of which is water. Several large bays distinctly shape its coast, giving it the nickname "the Bay State". Boston is its largest city.

Despite its small size, Massachusetts features numerous topographically distinctive regions. The large coastal plain of the Atlantic Ocean in the eastern section of the state contains Greater Boston, along with most of the state's population, as well as the distinctive Cape Cod peninsula. To the west lies the hilly, rural region of Central Massachusetts, and beyond that, the Connecticut River Valley.

Economy

According to the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis, Massachusetts's gross state product was $820.104 billion and its per capita personal income was $97,456 in 2025. As of January 2023, Massachusetts state general minimum wage is $15.00 per hour while the minimum wage for tipped workers is $6.75 an hour, with a guarantee that employers will pay the difference should a tipped employee's hourly wage not meet or exceed the general minimum wage. These minimum wage levels came about 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. In 2025, 99.5% of businesses in the state were small businesses and employed 1.5 million people, or 44.7% of the state's work force.

Demographics

At the 2020 U.S. census, Massachusetts had a population of over 7 million, a 7.4% increase since the previous census. As of 2015, Massachusetts was estimated to be the third-most densely populated U.S. state, with 871.0 people per square mile, behind New Jersey and Rhode Island. In 2014, Massachusetts had 1,011,811 foreign-born residents or 15% of the population. As of July 2024, the state's population was estimated to have grown to 7,136,171.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Massachusetts (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Massachusetts: Key Facts

Key facts about Massachusetts
Population	7,029,917 (2020)
Area	27,336 km²
Capital	Boston
Head of government	Maura Healey
Highest point	Mount Greylock
Established	6 February 1788

Facts from Wikidata Q771 (CC0).

History of Massachusetts: Empires and States

The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Massachusetts, from Kingdom of England in 1626 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Massachusetts, in chronological order
Polity	Period here
Kingdom of England	1626–1708 CE
English Colonial Empire	1626–1712 CE
British Colonial Empire	1709–1774 CE
The British Empire	1709–1774 CE
United States of America	1776–2024 CE

Historical Maps of Massachusetts

Massachusetts on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the United States of America. Massachusetts is known as "The Bay State" because of its three large bays which dominate and shape the coastline, which have always attracted travelers beginning with the Pilgrims and continuing to this day. In addition to its natural beauty, travelers will be enchanted by such sights as Provincetown (landing site of the Pilgrims), Boston (the cradle of liberty), and Martha's Vineyard (the ultimate playground for the discerning wealthy).

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Massachusetts (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Massachusetts

7 cities mapped. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Massachusetts
#	Name	Population	Region	Role
1	Boston	4.47 million	Massachusetts	Admin-1 capital
2	Lowell	723,629	Massachusetts	Populated place
3	Springfield	421,780	Massachusetts	Populated place
4	Salem	335,509	Massachusetts	Populated place
5	Worcester	287,365	Massachusetts	Populated place
6	New Bedford	136,082	Massachusetts	Populated place
7	Pittsfield	46,230	Massachusetts	Populated place

Ports in Massachusetts

18 ports mapped. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on. Assigned by the nearest mapped city, so features near the boundary may belong to a neighbouring division.

Ports in Massachusetts
#	Name	Channel Depth	Class	Sea	Max Vessel
1	Rockport	56.7 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
2	Quincy	56.7 m	Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
3	Scituate	56.7 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
4	Hyannis Port	56.7 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
5	Falmouth	56.7 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
6	Newburyport	53 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
7	Provincetown	53 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
8	Hyannis	53 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
9	Nantucket	53 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels
10	Edgartown	53 m	Very Small	Atlantic Coast of the United States	medium vessels

The other 8 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)

Woods Hole · 53 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
Gloucester · 49.4 m · Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
Lynn · 49.4 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
Plymouth · 49.4 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
Vineyard Haven · 49.4 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
Marblehead · 45.7 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
New Bedford · 42.1 m · Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels
Fall River · 38.4 m · Very Small · Atlantic Coast of the United States · medium vessels

Massachusetts: Quick Answers

Where is Massachusetts?: Massachusetts is a first-level division of United States, in North America. Its mapped cities centre on 42.2833° N, 71.6937° W.
What is the largest city in Massachusetts?: Boston is the largest city mapped in Massachusetts, with a metropolitan population of about 4.47 million.
How many cities are in Massachusetts?: YearMaps maps 7 cities and towns in Massachusetts, with a combined metropolitan population of about 6.42 million. This counts mapped settlements, not every municipality.