Holyoke

About Holyoke

Holyoke () is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located 8 miles (13 km) north of Springfield, Holyoke is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of the two distinct metropolitan areas in Massachusetts.

Holyoke is among the early planned industrial cities in the United States. Built in tandem with the Holyoke Dam to utilize the water power of Hadley Falls, it is one of a handful of cities in New England built on the grid plan. During the late 19th century the city produced an estimated 80% of the writing paper used in the United States and was home to the largest paper mill architectural firm in the country, as well as the largest paper, silk, and alpaca wool mills in the world. Although a considerably smaller number of businesses in Holyoke work in the paper industry today, it is still commonly referred to as "The Paper City." Today the city contains a number of specialty manufacturing companies, as well as the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center, an intercollegiate research facility that opened in 2012. Holyoke is also home to the Volleyball Hall of Fame and known as the "Birthplace of Volleyball" since the internationally-played Olympic sport was invented and first played at the local YMCA chapter by William G. Morgan in 1895.

While managing the Holyoke Testing Flume in the 1880s, hydraulic engineer Clemens Herschel invented the Venturi meter to determine the water use of individual mills in the Holyoke Canal System. The device, the first accurate means of measuring large-scale flows, is now widely used in a number of engineering applications, including waterworks and carburetors, as well as aviation instrumentation. Powered by the municipally-owned canals, Holyoke has among the lowest electricity costs in the Commonwealth, and as of 2016, between 85% and 90% of the city's energy was carbon neutral, with administrative goals in place to reach 100% in the future.

Pronunciation

The "L"-less or Elided Version ("Ho-yoke"): Long-time residents and locals in the Connecticut River Valley drop or weaken the middle "l" sound, pronouncing it HO-yoke or HOL-yoke.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Holyoke weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Holyoke

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Holyoke

Median household income

$53,605

Median home value

$274,100

Median rent

$1,021/mo

Median age

40

Map of Holyoke

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Holyoke Street View

Drag the image to look around and tap the arrows on the ground to move. If it says there is no imagery, tap a nearby street on the map above.

Holyoke, MA population

Holyoke had 38,238 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Holyoke at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Holyoke

• Easthampton4.0 mi N
• Chicopee4.4 mi SE
• South Hadley4.4 mi NE
• Southampton5.2 mi W
• West Springfield Town6.0 mi S
• Granby7.6 mi E
• Westfield7.7 mi SW
• Northampton8.1 mi N
• Springfield8.5 mi SE
• Ludlow9.6 mi E
• Montgomery9.9 mi W
• Westhampton9.9 mi NW

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Holyoke