Boston
Capital and largest city of Massachusetts, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short, summarize this topic like I'm... Ten years old or a College student
Boston (US: /ˈbɔːstən/),[7] officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th-most populous city in the country.[8] The city boundaries encompass an area of about 48.4 sq mi (125 km2)[9] and a population of 675,647 as of 2020.[3] The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest MSA in the country.[10] A broader combined statistical area (CSA), generally corresponding to the commuting area[11] and including Providence, Rhode Island, is home to approximately 8.2 million people, making it the sixth most populous in the United States.[12]
Boston | |
|---|---|
| City of Boston | |
From top, left to right: Downtown from Boston Harbor; Acorn Street on Beacon Hill; Old State House; Massachusetts State House; Fenway Park during a Boston Red Sox game; and Back Bay from the Charles River | |
 Seal  Logo | |
| Nickname: | |
| Motto(s): Sicut patribus sit Deus nobis (Latin) 'As God was with our fathers, so may He be with us' | |
 | |
 Interactive maps of Boston | |
| Coordinates: 42°21′37″N 71°03′28″W | |
| Country | United States |
| Region | New England |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Suffolk[1]
|
| Historic countries | Kingdom of England Commonwealth of England Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Historic colonies | Massachusetts Bay Colony, Dominion of New England, Province of Massachusetts Bay |
| Settled | 1625 |
| Incorporated (town) | |
| Incorporated (city) | March 19, 1822 |
| Named for | Boston, Lincolnshire |
| Government | |
| • Type | Strong mayor / Council |
| • Mayor | Michelle Wu (D) |
| • Council | Boston City Council |
| • Council President | Edward M. Flynn (D) |
| Area | |
| • State capital city | 89.61 sq mi (232.10 km2) |
| • Land | 48.34 sq mi (125.20 km2) |
| • Water | 41.27 sq mi (106.90 km2) |
| • Urban | 1,655.9 sq mi (4,288.7 km2) |
| • Metro | 4,500 sq mi (11,700 km2) |
| • CSA | 10,600 sq mi (27,600 km2) |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Population | |
| • State capital city | 675,647 |
| • Estimate (2021)[3] | 654,776 |
| • Rank | 24th in the United States 1st in Massachusetts |
| • Density | 13,976.98/sq mi (5,396.51/km2) |
| • Urban | 4,382,009 (US: 10th) |
| • Urban density | 2,646.3/sq mi (1,021.8/km2) |
| • Metro | 4,941,632 (US: 10th) |
| Demonym | Bostonian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 53 ZIP Codes[6]
|
| Area codes | 617 and 857 |
| FIPS code | 25-07000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 617565 |
| Website | Boston.gov |
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Boston is one of the oldest municipalities in America, founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers from the English town of the same name.[13][14] It was the scene of several key events of the American Revolution and the nation's founding, such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the siege of Boston. Upon American independence from Great Britain, the city continued to be an important port and manufacturing hub as well as a center for education and culture.[15][16] The city has expanded beyond the original peninsula through land reclamation and municipal annexation. Its rich history attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing more than 20 million visitors per year.[17] Boston's many firsts include the United States' first public park (Boston Common, 1634), first public or state school (Boston Latin School, 1635)[18] first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897),[19] and first large public library (Boston Public Library, 1848).
Today, Boston is a center of scientific research; the area's many colleges and universities, notably Harvard and MIT, make it a world leader in higher education,[20] including law, medicine, engineering and business, and the city is considered to be a global pioneer in innovation and entrepreneurship, with nearly 5,000 startups.[21][22][23] Boston's economic base also includes finance,[24] professional and business services, biotechnology, information technology, and government activities.[25] Boston is a hub for LGBT culture and LGBT activism in the United States. Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States.[26] Boston businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country for environmental sustainability and new investment.[27]