Boston
City in Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Boston is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, with 675,647 residents (2020 Census). It sits at 141 ft (43 m) above sea level. The nearest town is Winthrop Town, 4.5 miles NE.
- 675,647residents (2020 Census)
- 141 ftelevation · 43 m
- 48.3 sq miland area · 125.2 km²
- 13,977 / sq mipopulation density
- 02127main ZIP code (30 in total)
About Boston
Boston ( BAW-stən, ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It serves as a cultural and financial center of New England, a region of the Northeastern United States. Boston has an area of 48.4 square miles (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in the Northeastern United States after New York City and Philadelphia. The larger Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area had a population of 5 million in 2025, making it the largest metropolis in New England and the eleventh-largest in the United States.
Boston was founded on Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by English Puritan settlers, who named the city after the market town of Boston, Lincolnshire, England. During the American Revolution and Revolutionary War, Boston was home to several seminal events, including the Boston Massacre (1770), the Boston Tea Party (1773), the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775), and the Siege of Boston (1775–1776).
Following American independence from Great Britain, Boston played an important national role as a port, manufacturing hub, and education and culture center, and the city expanded significantly beyond the original peninsula by filling in land and annexing neighboring towns. Boston's many firsts include the nation's first public park (Boston Common, 1634), the first public school (Boston Latin School, 1635), and the first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897). By the 21st century, Boston emerged as a global leader in higher education and research, and has become the largest biotechnology hub in the world. With an economy led by finance, professional and business services, information technology, and government, the city is a national leader in medicine, engineering, and business.
Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Boston weather: 7-day forecast
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Live webcams in Boston
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Living in Boston
- Median household income
- $97,344
- Median home value
- $731,700
- Median rent
- $2,147/mo
- Median age
- 33.3
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Map of Boston
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Open in Google Maps ›Boston, MA population
Boston had 675,647 residents in the 2020 Census.
| 2020 Census | 675,647 |
|---|---|
| Density | 13,977 per sq mi (5,396 per km²) |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.
Boston at a glance
| State | Massachusetts (MA) |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Type | City |
| Population | 675,647 (2020) |
| Land area | 48.34 sq mi (125.2 km²) |
| Water area | 41.27 sq mi (106.90 km²) |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Coordinates | 42.3327° N, 71.0135° W |
| ZIP codes | 02127, 02108, 02109, 02110, 02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116, 02118, 02119, 02120, 02121, 02122, 02124, 02125, 02128, 02129, 02133, 02141, 02142, 02150, 02152, 02170, 02171, 02199, 02203, 02205, 02210, 02215 |
| Official website | boston.gov |
| Census code (GEOID) | 2507000 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.
Towns near Boston
- Winthrop Town4.5 mi NE
- Chelsea4.5 mi N
- Quincy5.0 mi S
- Everett5.5 mi NW
- Somerville6.0 mi NW
- Cambridge6.1 mi NW
- Revere6.2 mi N
- Brookline6.6 mi W
- Hull7.0 mi E
- Malden7.1 mi N
- Milton7.2 mi SW
- Nahant7.9 mi NE
Straight-line distance between town centers.
Frequently asked questions about Boston
What county is Boston in?
Boston is in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
What is the population of Boston, MA?
675,647 people lived in Boston at the 2020 Census.
What is the ZIP code of Boston, MA?
The main ZIP code is 02127. Other ZIP codes: 02108, 02109, 02110, 02111, 02113, 02114, 02115, 02116, 02118, 02119, 02120, 02121.
What is the elevation of Boston?
141 feet (43 m) above sea level.
What towns are near Boston?
Winthrop Town (4.5 mi), Chelsea (4.5 mi), Quincy (5.0 mi), Everett (5.5 mi), Somerville (6.0 mi).
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