Boston

Boston (US: /ˈbɔːstən/), officially the City of Boston, is the capital and most populous city in Massachusetts, a state 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) and a population of 675,647 as of 2020. The Greater Boston metropolitan statistical area, surrounding the city, is the eleventh-largest in the country.

Boston
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
CountryUnited States
RegionNew England
StateMassachusetts
CountySuffolk
Historic countriesKingdom of England
Commonwealth of England
Kingdom of Great Britain
Historic coloniesMassachusetts Bay Colony, Dominion of New England, Province of Massachusetts Bay
Settled1625
Incorporated (town)
September 7, 1630
(date of naming, Old Style)
Incorporated (city)March 19, 1822
Named forBoston, Lincolnshire
Government
  TypeStrong mayor / Council
  MayorMichelle Wu (D)
  CouncilBoston City Council
  Council PresidentRuthzee Louijeune (D)
Area
  State capital city89.61 sq mi (232.10 km2)
  Land48.34 sq mi (125.20 km2)
  Water41.27 sq mi (106.90 km2)
  Urban
1,655.9 sq mi (4,288.7 km2)
  Metro
4,500 sq mi (11,700 km2)
  CSA10,600 sq mi (27,600 km2)
Elevation
46 ft (14 m)
Population
 (2020)
  State capital city675,647
  Estimate 
(2021)
654,776
  Rank66th in North America
24th in the United States
1st in Massachusetts
  Density13,976.98/sq mi (5,396.51/km2)
  Urban
4,382,009 (US: 10th)
  Urban density2,646.3/sq mi (1,021.8/km2)
  Metro
4,941,632 (US: 10th)
DemonymBostonian
GDP
  Boston (MSA)$571.6 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
53 ZIP Codes
  • 02108–02137, 02163, 02196, 02199, 02201, 02203–02206, 02210–02212, 02215, 02217, 02222, 02126, 02228, 02241, 02266, 02283–02284, 02293, 02295, 02297–02298, 02467 (also includes parts of Newton and Brookline)
Area codes617 and 857
FIPS code25-07000
GNIS feature ID617565
WebsiteBoston.gov

Boston is one of the United States' oldest cities. It was founded on the Shawmut Peninsula in 1630 by Puritan settlers. The city was named after Boston, Lincolnshire, England. During the American Revolution, Boston was home to several key events. These included the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, the hanging of Paul Revere's lantern signal in Old North Church, the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the siege of Boston. 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.

The city expanded significantly beyond the original peninsula through filling in land and annexing neighboring towns. It now attracts many tourists, with Faneuil Hall alone drawing more than 20 million visitors per year. Boston's many firsts include the United States' first public park (Boston Common, 1634), the first public school (Boston Latin School, 1635), and the first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897).

In the 21st century, Boston emerged as a global leader in higher education and academic research. Some of the city's colleges and universities include Boston University and Northeastern University in the city proper. Furthermore, Greater Boston's many colleges and universities include globally-ranked Harvard and MIT in neighboring Cambridge.

Boston has become the largest biotechnology hub in the world. 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, and more recently in artificial intelligence. Boston's economy also includes finance, professional and business services, information technology, and government activities. Households in the city claim the highest average rate of philanthropy in the United States. Furthermore, Boston's businesses and institutions rank among the top in the country overall for environmental sustainability and new investment.

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