Boston
Capital of Massachusetts, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Boston (US: /ˈbɔːstən/ ⓘ[9]), officially the City of Boston, is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It has an area of 48.4 sq mi (125 km2)[10] and a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-largest city in the Northeast after New York City and Philadelphia.[4] The Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area, including and surrounding the city, is the largest in New England and eleventh-largest in the country.[11][12][13]
Boston | |
---|---|
Downtown from Boston Harbor Acorn Street on Beacon Hill Fenway Park during a Boston Red Sox game Back Bay from the Charles River | |
Nickname(s): Bean Town, Title Town, others | |
Motto(s): Sicut patribus sit Deus nobis (Latin) 'As God was with our fathers, so may He be with us' | |
Coordinates: 42°21′37″N 71°3′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) | September 7, 1630 (date of naming, Old Style) September 17, 1630 (date of naming, New Style) |
Incorporated (city) | March 19, 1822 |
Named for | Boston, Lincolnshire |
Government | |
• Type | Strong mayor / Council |
• Mayor | Michelle Wu (D) |
• Council | Boston City Council |
• Council President | Ruthzee Louijeune (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 | 46 ft (14 m) |
Population | |
• State capital city | 675,647 |
• Estimate (2021)[4] | 654,776 |
• Rank | 66th in North America 25th 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 |
GDP | |
• Boston (MSA) | $571.6 billion (2022) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
ZIP Codes | 53 ZIP Codes[8]
|
Area codes | 617 and 857 |
FIPS code | 25-07000 |
GNIS feature ID | 617565 |
Website | boston |
Boston was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers. The city was named after Boston, Lincolnshire, England.[14][15] During the American Revolution, Boston was home to several events that proved central to the revolution and subsequent Revolutionary War, including the Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773), Paul Revere's Midnight Ride (1775), the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), and the Siege of Boston (1775–1776). Following American independence from Great Britain, the city continued to play an important role as a port, manufacturing hub, and center for education and culture.[16][17] The city also expanded significantly beyond the original peninsula by filling in land and annexing neighboring towns. Boston's many firsts include the United States' first public park (Boston Common, 1634),[18] the first public school (Boston Latin School, 1635),[19] and the first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897).[20]
Boston has emerged as a national leader in higher education and research[21] and the largest biotechnology hub in the world.[22] The city is also a national leader in scientific research, law, medicine, engineering, and business. With nearly 5,000 startup companies, the city is considered a global pioneer in innovation and entrepreneurship,[23][24][25] and more recently in artificial intelligence.[26] Boston's economy also includes finance,[27] professional and business services, information technology, and government activities.[28] Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States.[29] Furthermore, Boston's businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country overall for environmental sustainability and new investment.[30]