Page Contents for Boston, Massachusetts

Statistics & Facts

Location

Weather & Climate

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Historical Events

Chamber of Commerce.

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Massachusetts state capital is Boston.
The population of Boston is approximately 559,034 (2005), 617594 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 250,863 (1990), 252699 (2010).
The amount of land area in Boston is 125.414 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Boston is 48.4 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 106.724 sq kilometers.
The distance from Boston to Washington DC is 405 miles.
The distance to the Massachusetts state capital is miles. (as the crow flies)
Boston is positioned 42.33 degrees north of the equator and 71.01 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Boston elevation is 20 feet above sea level.
Boston per capita income is $ 23,353.
Boston median income is $ 39,629 (2000).
The Boston median home price is $ 190,600 (2000).

Location

in eastern Massachusetts on the eastern seaboard. It is located on Boston Bay which is an offshoot of Massachusetts Bay. The Greater Boston area covers quite a large area with many communities included. Other nearby communities include Brookline, Cambridge, Milton, Somerville, Chelsea, Everett.
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Climate

changeable. You never know what you are going to get in Boston. Sea breezes keep the summers cooler and winters warmer than you would expect. You can also expect periods of very cold or very warm weather throughout the year. The nearness of the ocean also keeps the area supplied with high humidity most of the year. Boston does not lack for snow in the winter. The best times to visit are usually late spring and early fall.
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Weather

seasonal. Here is a current weather page for the greater Boston area.
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History & History Related Items

Boston was founded in 1630. It was named for Boston, England, a town in Lincolnshire where many of the Pilgrims came from. Boston quickly became a thriving city and the main port for ships going to England and the West Indies. The population at this time and for its first 200 years was mainly made up of English Puritans. Boston played a major role in the Revolutionary War, not only with fighting, but with other events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre. It was in Boston that Paul Revere made his famous ride to warn the people

After the Revolutionary War, Boston continued to grow and to become a trading center. It was chartered as a city in 1822. By the mid 1800's, more immigrants came to the area, diluting the Puritan population base. Many of the new residents were Irish and Italian, who brought with them their religious faith of Catholicism. During the early 1900's, Boston did not have as much success and began to slump. Many factories moved south where they could operate for less money. Though Boston had good qualities, they were not major portions of the country's economy. But in the mid-1900's, things began to change. Boston came a center for finance, learning and more. Many of the local universities, Harvard, MIT, Boston College, and others drew in top students and faculty members. Boston has also become a major cultural center known particularly for the Boston Symphony and its relative, the Boston Pops.

Learn about Boston history and architecture at this site with much information and many links.

This page lists many history links for Boston and the area.

Learn about the Boston Tea Party from a unique viewpoint.

Read the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.
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Attractions

Historic Massachusetts
45 School St
Boston, MA 02108-3204
Phone: 617-723-3383

Learn more about the different neighborhoods of Boston

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library
Columbia Point
Boston, Massachusetts 02125
Local: (617) 514-1600
TTY: (617) 514-1573
Toll Free: 1-877-616-4599
Fax: 617-514-1652
Museum Hours: 9:00 am. to 5:00 pm. daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Research Room Hours: 8:30 am. - 4:30 pm. weekdays, closed weekends and Federal holidays

The Freedom Trail
Visit 16 historical sites to learn about the early days of Boston and its importance to our county's history. This page lists links to all 16 sites.

View this page to learn about all different types of visitor attractions in Boston and the Greater Boston area.

Go Boston Card
Unlimited Sightseeing at over 30 Boston Attractions and Tours

One low price includes a 2-day trolley pass, whale watch, zoo, museums, historic sites, excursions and much more. Free 132 page full color pocket guidebook and savings of up to 20% on shopping and dining throughout the city.

Boston Symphony Orchestra, including the popular Boston Pops!
Symphony Hall
Boston, Massachusetts

Museum of Afro-American History
Administrative Office
14 Beacon St., Suite 719
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-725-0022
Fax: 617-720-5225

Here is a general information site for Boston

Boston Online is your guide to Boston.
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Boston City Government

City of Boston
One City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02201
City Clerk phone: 617.635.4600

Boston has a strong mayor/city council form of government. The Mayor is elected and has major authority in the running of the city. Part of the city council represents wards of the city with four members being elected at-large.

This page gives directions to City Hall

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Film Bureau information with help for all aspects of your film-making.

Boston Historical Events

April 2003
The Big Dig in Boston, MA
This project is placing 3.8 million cubic yards of concrete, enough to build a sidewalk three feet wide and four inches thick from Boston to San Francisco and back three times.
It will include the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge which will be the widest cable-stayed bridge in the world and the first hybrid and asymmetrical design in the United States, using both steel (in the main span) and concrete (in the back spans).
It is the largest and most complex highway project in American history. It is larger than the Panama Canal (if the canal's final budget were inflated from 1914 to 2004, when the Artery project will be finished) and the Alaska Pipeline, but smaller than the Channel under the English Channel. A dam now under construction in China across the Yangtze River is several times as large as the Central Artery project.
The project is holding the line at $ 14.625 billion

Boston Chamber

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
75 State Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 227-4500
Fax: (617) 227-7505

Boston Organizations

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
75 State Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 227-4500
Fax: (617) 227-7505

Boston Libraries

Boston Public Library
Central Library
700 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02117
Phone: 617-536-5400

Boston Schools

Boston Public Schools
School Committee
26 Court Street, 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: (617) 635-9014
Fax: (617) 635-9689

To reach various departments of the School System, please go to the contact page

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HIGHER EDUCATION

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Berklee College of Music
1140 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 266-1400

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Boston College
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

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The Boston Conservatory
8 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: (617) 536-6340
Fax: (617) 912-9101

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Boston University
One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-353-4636

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Harvard University
Phone: 617-495-1000

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MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617-253-1000

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New England College of Optometry
424 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 266-2030

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Suffolk University

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Wheelock College
200 the Riverway
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Phone: 617-879-2000 Boston

Miscellany

The population of Boston was:
1990 - 574,283
2000 - 589,141
2005 - 559,034

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Boston, Massachusetts, has the world's smallest suspension bridge. It is in the public garden.