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Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a state in the United States of America. Its official name is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.[44]

State
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
 
 
Anthem: All Hail to Massachusetts
Map of the United States with Massachusetts highlighted
Map of the United States with Massachusetts highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodProvince of Massachusetts Bay
Admitted to the UnionFebruary 6, 1788 (6th)
Capital
(and largest city)		Boston
Largest metroGreater Boston
Government
 • GovernorMaura Healey (D)
 • Lieutenant GovernorKim Driscoll (D)
LegislatureGeneral Court
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
U.S. senatorsElizabeth Warren (D)
Ed Markey (D)
U.S. House delegation9 Democrats (list)
Area
 • Total10,565[2] sq mi (27,337 km2)
 • Land7,840 sq mi (20,306 km2)
 • Water2,715 sq mi (7,032 km2)  26.1%
 • Rank44th
Elevation
500 ft (150 m)
Highest elevation
(Mount Greylock[3][4])
3,489 ft (1,063.4 m)
Lowest elevation
(Atlantic Ocean)
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total7,029,917
 • Rank15th
 • Density840/sq mi (324/km2)
  • Rank3rd
 • Median household income
$77,385[5]
 • Income rank
5th
Language
 • Official languageEnglish[12]
 • Spoken language
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation
MA
ISO 3166 codeUS-MA
Trad. abbreviationMass.
Latitude41° 14′ N to 42° 53′ N
Longitude69° 56′ W to 73° 30′ W
Websitewww.mass.gov
Massachusetts state symbols
Flag of Massachusetts.svg
Flag of Massachusetts
Seal of Massachusetts.svg
Living insignia
BirdBlack-capped chickadee,[14] wild turkey[15][16]
FishCod[16][17]
FlowerMayflower[16][18]
InsectLadybug[16][19]
MammalRight whale,[20] Morgan horse,[21] Tabby cat,[22] Boston Terrier[23]
ReptileGarter snake[16][24]
TreeAmerican elm[16][25]
Inanimate insignia
BeverageCranberry juice[16][26]
ColorsBlue, green, cranberry[16][27]
DanceSquare dance[16][28]
FoodCranberry,[29] corn muffin,[16][30] navy bean,[31] Boston cream pie,[32] chocolate chip cookie,[33] Boston cream doughnut[34]
FossilDinosaur Tracks[35]
GemstoneRhodonite[16][36]
MineralBabingtonite[16][37]
PoemBlue Hills of Massachusetts[16][38]
RockRoxbury Puddingstone[16][39]
ShellNew England Neptune, Neptunea lyrata decemcostata[16][42]
ShipSchooner Ernestina [16]
SloganMake It Yours,
The Spirit of America[40]
SoilPaxton[16]
SportBasketball[41]
State route marker
Massachusetts state route marker
State quarter
Massachusetts quarter dollar coin
Released in 2000[43]
Lists of United States state symbols

The word Massachusetts comes from Native American language. It means "place with hills."

History

Massachusetts was one of the first places that European people lived when they came to America. It became one of the first American colonies. The Pilgrims from Plymouth, England came to America to practice their religion in 1620.

Massachusetts was the place of many events which caused the American Revolution, such as the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was also a center of the anti-slavery movement.

Maine used to be part of Massachusetts, but split off in 1820.

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage.[45]

Location

Massachusetts is on the East Coast of the United States. It is a part of New England located next to the Atlantic Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Boston.

Massachusetts borders five different states:

Major cities in Massachusetts include Boston, Worcester, Springfield, and Plymouth.

Massachusetts today

Massachusetts is home to some of the United States' most prestigious universities, such as Harvard University and MIT.

Massachusetts is one of the richest states in the United States.[46] It is a center for medical research and technology, and is home to several major hospitals.

The state is also home to the New England Patriots, who have won the Super Bowl six times in the National Football League (NFL). Fenway Park, where the Boston Red Sox play, is a historic baseball stadium in Boston.

  • Congregational Church
    Uxbridge
  • Lighthouse
    Salem
  • Hartwell Tavern
    Lincoln

Massachusetts Media

Related pages

References

  1. ↑ Herman, Jennifer. Massachusetts Encyclopedia (2008)State History Publications, LLC.. p. 7.
  2. ↑ MassachusettsUnited States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  3. ↑ Error: no id specified when using {{cite ngs}}
  4. ↑ Elevation adjusted to North American Vertical Datum of 1988.
  5. ↑ Median Annual Household IncomeThe Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  6. ↑ Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 2, Section 35: Designation of citizens of commonwealthThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved February 29, 2008.
  7. ↑ Collections (1877). Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society. p. 435. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  8. ↑ Jones, Thomas. History of New York During the Revolutionary War (1879). New York: New-York Historical Society. p. 465. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual (2016).
  10. ↑ Nagy, Naomi. Boston (r): Neighbo(r)s nea(r) and fa(r). Language Variation and Change 22 (2) (July 2010). p. 270. doi:10.1017/S0954394510000062.
  11. ↑ 'Masshole' among newest words added to Oxford English Dictionary. masslive.com (2015-06-25). Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  12. ↑ Schwarz, Hunter (August 12, 2014). States where English is the official language. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/08/12/states-where-english-is-the-official-language/. Retrieved December 29, 2014. 
  13. ↑ Language spoken at home by ability to speak English for the population 5 years and over—2014 American Community Survey 1-Year EstimatesAmerican FactFinder. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  14. ↑ Black-Capped Chickadee:Massachusetts State BirdStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  15. ↑ Wild Turkey:Massachusetts State Game BirdStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 16.13 16.14 16.15 16.16 Massachusetts FactsSecretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  17. ↑ Cod: Massachusetts State FishStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ Mayflower: Massachusetts State FlowerStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  19. ↑ Ladybug: Massachusetts State InsectStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ Right Whale: Massachusetts State Marine MammalStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  21. ↑ Morgan Horse: Massachusetts State HorseStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  22. ↑ Tabby Cat: Massachusetts State CatStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  23. ↑ Boston Terrier: Massachusetts State DogStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  24. ↑ Garter Snake: Massachusetts State ReptileStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  25. ↑ American Elm: Massachusetts State TreeStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  26. ↑ Cranberry Juice: Massachusetts State BeverageStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  27. ↑ Blue—Green—Cranberry: Massachusetts State ColorsStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  28. ↑ Square Dance: Massachusetts State Folk DanceStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  29. ↑ Cranberry: Massachusetts State BerryStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  30. ↑ Corn Muffin: Massachusetts State MuffinStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  31. ↑ Baked Navy Bean: Massachusetts State BeanStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  32. ↑ Boston Creme Pie: Massachusetts State DessertStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  33. ↑ Chocolate Chip Cookie: Massachusetts State CookieStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  34. ↑ Boston Cream Donut: Massachusetts State DonutStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  35. ↑ Dinosaur Tracks: Massachusetts State FossilStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  36. ↑ Rhodonite: Massachusetts State GemStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  37. ↑ Babingtonite: Massachusetts State MineralStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  38. ↑ Blue Hills of Massachusetts: Massachusetts State PoemStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  39. ↑ Official State Rock of MassachusettsStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
  40. ↑ State SlogansEreferencedesk.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  41. ↑ Levenson, Michael. Can you guess the state sport of Massachusetts? (August 9, 2006). Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  42. ↑ New England Neptune: Massachusetts State ShellStateSymbolsUSA.org. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  43. ↑ The Official Massachusetts State Quartertheus50.com. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  44. ↑ Massachusetts Constitution. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  45. ↑ Massachusetts Fun FactsVisit MA. Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  46. ↑ 2024 Per Capita Personal IncomeStats America. Retrieved February 25, 2026.


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