Following American independence fromGreat Britain, Boston played an important national role as a port, manufacturing hub, and education and culture center,[15][16] and the city expanded significantly beyond the originalpeninsula by filling in land and annexing neighboring towns. Boston's many firsts include the nation's first public park (Boston Common, 1634),[17] the firstpublic school (Boston Latin School, 1635),[18] and the first subway system (Tremont Street subway, 1897).[19]
Boston later emerged as a global leader in higher education and research[20] and is the largestbiotechnology hub in the world as of 2023.[21] The city is a national leader in scientific research, law, medicine, engineering, and business. With nearly 5,000 startup companies, the city is considered a global pioneer ininnovation,entrepreneurship,[22][23][24] andartificial intelligence.[25] Boston's economy is led byfinance,[26] professional and business services,information technology, and government.[27] Boston households provide the highest average rate ofphilanthropy in the nation as of 2013,[28] and the city's businesses and institutions rank among the top in the nation for environmentalsustainability and new investment.[29]
Isaac Johnson—in one of his last official acts as leader of theCharlestown community before his death on September 30, 1630—named the new settlement across theriver "Boston" after Johnson's hometown ofBoston, Lincolnshire, from where he, his wife (namesake of theArbella), andJohn Cotton (grandfather ofCotton Mather)emigrated. The name of the English town derives from its patron saint,St. Botolph, inwhose church Cotton served as the rector until he and Johnson emigrated toNew England. In early sources, Lincolnshire's Boston was known as "St. Botolph's town", which was later abbreviated as "Boston". Before this renaming, the settlement on the peninsula was known as "Shawmut" byWilliam Blaxton and "Tremontaine" by the Puritan settlers he invited.[30][31][32][33][34][35]
Prior toEuropean colonization, the region surrounding present-day Boston was inhabited by theMassachusett people who established small, seasonal communities in present-day Boston.[36][37] In 1630, settlers led byJohn Winthrop arrived, and foundShawmut Peninsula nearly empty of Native people. Most had died of European diseases borne by earlier settlers and traders.[38][39] Archaeological excavations have unearthed one of the oldestfishweirs in New England, located onBoylston Street, which Native people constructed as early as 7,000 years before European arrival in theWestern Hemisphere.[37][36][40]
The first European to live in what would become Boston was aUniversity of Cambridge-educatedAnglican cleric namedWilliam Blaxton. He was most directly responsible for the foundation of Boston byPuritan colonists in 1630, after Blaxton invited one of their leaders,Isaac Johnson, to crossBack Bay from the failing colony ofCharlestown and share the peninsula with him. In September 1630 Puritans made the crossing to present-day Boston.[41][42][43]
Puritan influence on Boston began even before the settlement was founded with the 1629Cambridge Agreement, which was created theMassachusetts Bay Colony and signed by the colony's first governor,John Winthrop. Puritan ethics and their focus on education also influenced the city's early history. In 1635, America's first public school,Boston Latin School, was founded in Boston.[18][44]
Boston's economy stagnated in the decades prior to the American Revolution. By the mid-18th century, New York City and Philadelphia both surpassed Boston in wealth. During this period, Boston encountered financial difficulties even as other New England cities were growing rapidly.[47][48]
The weather continuing boisterous the next day and night, giving the enemy time to improve their works, to bring up their cannon, and to put themselves in such a state of defence, that I could promise myself little success in attacking them under all the disadvantages I had to encounter.
Boston played a central role in theAmerican Revolution. Many crucial events of the American Revolution and subsequentAmerican Revolutionary War occurred in or near Boston, where the city's revolutionary spirit[50] againstBritain'scolonial governance was demonstrable and ultimately inspiring to the rest of theThirteen Colonies.[47] When theBritish Parliament passed theStamp Act in 1765, the homes ofAndrew Oliver, the official tasked with enforcing the Act, andThomas Hutchinson, then lieutenant governor ofMassachusetts Bay Colony, were raved by Boston mobs.[47][51] The British responded by sending two regiments to Boston in 1768 in an attempt to quell the revolt, but the increased British military presence in Boston only ended up further inflaming the Boston colonists. In 1770, during theBoston Massacre,British troops fired into a Boston mob that was protesting their presence. The massacre forced the British to withdraw their troops and helped fuel revolutionary sentiment in the colonies.[48]
In May 1773, Parliament passed theTea Act, which many colonists saw as a British attempt to compel them to accept taxes established by theTownshend Acts. This led to theBoston Tea Party, a defining event of the American Revolution in which angered Bostonians threw an entire shipment of tea sent from theEast India Company intoBoston Harbor, escalating the American Revolution. The British monarchy responded furiously, implementing theIntolerable Acts and demanding compensation for the tea destroyed during the Boston Tea Party.[47] This response, in turn, angered the colonists further, leading to theBattles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the first battles of theAmerican Revolutionary War, which were fought around Boston in Massachusetts Bay Colony.[47][52]
During thesiege of Boston from April 19, 1775, to March 17, 1776, New England-basedPatriot militia impeded movement by theBritish Army.Sir William Howe, then commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, led the British army in the siege. On June 17, the British captured Charlestown in present-day Boston during theBattle of Bunker Hill during which the British Army outnumbered Patriot militia. But the British sustained irreplaceable casualties, turning the Battle of Bunker Hill into apyrrhic victory for the British. The Battle of Bunker Hill also demonstrated the skill and training of the Patriot militia, whose stubborn defense made it difficult for the British to capture Charlestown without suffering even further casualties.[53][54]
On June 14, 1775, in an effort to unify the Revolutionary War effort, theSecond Continental Congress, convening in the colonial-era capital ofPhiladelphia, founded theContinental Army and unanimously appointedGeorge Washington as its commander-in-chief. Washington then immediately departed Philadelphia for Boston, where he arrived on July 2, 1775, and led the newly-formed Continental Army in the siege. Fighting was limited to small-scale raids and skirmishes, and the Continental Army faced challenges with a deficiency of munitions and supplies.Boston Neck, then narrow and only approximately 100 feet wide, impeded Washington's ability to invade Boston, which led to a prolonged stalemate between the Continental Army and British forces. A young officer,Rufus Putnam, came up with a plan to make portable fortifications out of wood, which were erected on the frozen ground under cover of darkness. Putnam supervised the effort, which successfully installed the fortifications and dozens of cannons onDorchester Heights thatHenry Knox laboriously brought through the snow fromFort Ticonderoga. The following morning, the astonished British Army awoke to see a large array of cannons bearing down on them. General Howe is believed to have said that the Americans had done more in one night than his British Army could have done in six months. The British Army responded by attempting to launch a cannon barrage for two hours, but their shots could not reach the Continental Army's cannons at such a height. The British then gave up, boarded their ships, and sailed away from Boston in what has come to be known as "Evacuation Day", which is now celebrated in Boston annually on March 17. After the British retreat, Washington was so impressed with the effort of Rufus Putnam that he appointed him as his chief engineer.[52][53][55]
After the Revolution, Boston's longseafaring tradition helped make it one of the nation's busiest ports for both domestic and international trade. Boston's harbor activity was significantly curtailed by theEmbargo Act of 1807, which was adopted during theNapoleonic Wars, and theWar of 1812. Foreign trade returned after these hostilities, but Boston's merchants had found alternatives for their capital investments in the meantime. Manufacturing became an important component of the city's economy, and the city's industrial manufacturing overtook international trade in economic importance by the mid-19th century. The small rivers bordering the city and connecting it to the surrounding region facilitated shipment of goods and led to a proliferation of mills and factories. Later, a dense network of railroads furthered the region's industry and commerce.[56]
In 1822,[15] the citizens of Boston voted to change the official name from the "Town of Boston" to the "City of Boston", and on March 19, 1822, the people of Boston accepted thecharter incorporating the city.[68] At the time Boston was chartered as a city, the population was about 46,226, while the area of the city was only 4.8 sq mi (12 km2).[68]
Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It, an 1860 photograph byJames Wallace Black, the first recorded aerial photograph
In the 1820s, Boston's population grew rapidly, and the city's ethnic composition changed dramatically with the first wave of Europeanimmigrants. Irish immigrants dominated the first wave of newcomers during this period, especially following theGreat Famine; by 1850, about 35,000Irish lived in Boston.[69] In the latter half of the 19th century, the city saw increasing numbers of Irish,Germans,Lebanese, Syrians,[70]French Canadians, andRussian andPolish Jews settling there.
By the end of the 19th century, Boston's core neighborhoods had become enclaves of ethnically distinct immigrants with their residence yielding lasting cultural change.Italians became the largest inhabitants of theNorth End,[71]Irish dominatedSouth Boston andCharlestown, andRussianJews lived in theWest End.Irish andItalian immigrants brought with them Roman Catholicism. Currently, Catholics make up Boston's largest religious community,[72] and the Irish have played a major role in Boston politics since the early 20th century; prominent figures include theKennedys,Tip O'Neill, andJohn F. Fitzgerald.[73]
Between 1631 and 1890, the city tripled its area throughland reclamation by filling in marshes, mud flats, and gaps between wharves along the waterfront. Reclamation projects in the middle of the century created significant parts of theSouth End, theWest End, theFinancial District, andChinatown.[74]
Kennedy Sr. had this to say before the Boston Chamber of Commerce on November 15, 1934: "The rogues who seek to live by deception-let me again repeat, the act is like all legal rules, subject to the limitations of effective legal action. Unfortunately, scoundrels will capitalize the registration requirements and may seek to sell you a security on the theory that mere filing indicates approval by the Commission. Beware of any such argument. Our short experience as to this legislation prompts me to sound a note of warning, particularly to you, my friends of the radio audience. Each and everyone of you is a prospective or actual member of a "sucker" list, and when the stranger calls you on the phone to interest you in the purchase of securities, beware."[91]
By the early- to mid-20th century, Boston declined economically as factories became old and obsolete and businesses moved out of the region for cheaper labor elsewhere.[92] Boston responded by initiating variousurban renewal projects, under the direction of theBoston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) established in 1957. In 1958, BRA initiated a project to improve the historic West End neighborhood. Extensive demolition was met with strong public opposition, and thousands of families were displaced.[93]
The BRA continued implementingeminent domain projects, including the clearance of the vibrantScollay Square area for construction of the modernist styleGovernment Center. In 1965, the Columbia Point Health Center opened in theDorchester neighborhood, the firstCommunity Health Center in the United States. It mostly served the massiveColumbia Point public housing complex adjoining it, which was built in 1953. The health center is still in operation and was rededicated in 1990 as the Geiger-Gibson Community Health Center.[94] The Columbia Point complex itself was redeveloped and revitalized from 1984 to 1990 into a mixed-income residential development called Harbor Point Apartments.[95]
Boston is an intellectual, technological, and political center. However, it has lost some important regional institutions,[100] including the loss to mergers and acquisitions of local financial institutions such asFleetBoston Financial, which was acquired byCharlotte-basedBank of America in 2004.[101] Boston-based department storesJordan Marsh andFilene's have both merged into theNew York City–basedMacy's.[102]The 1993 acquisition ofThe Boston Globe byThe New York Times[103] was reversed in 2013 when it was resold to Boston businessmanJohn W. Henry. In 2016, it was announcedGeneral Electric would be moving its corporate headquarters from Connecticut to theSeaport District in Boston, joining many other companies in this rapidly developing neighborhood.[104] The city also saw the completion of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, known as theBig Dig, in 2007 after many delays and cost overruns.[105]
On April 15, 2013, two Chechen Islamist brothersdetonated a pair of bombs near the finish line of theBoston Marathon, killing three people and injuring roughly 264.[106] The subsequent search for the bombers led to a lock-down of Boston and surrounding municipalities. The region showed solidarity during this time as symbolized by the sloganBoston Strong.[107]
In 2016, Boston brieflyshouldered a bid as the U.S. applicant for the2024 Summer Olympics. The bid was supported by the mayor and a coalition of business leaders and local philanthropists, but was eventually dropped due to public opposition.[108] TheUSOC then selectedLos Angeles to be the American candidate with Los Angeles ultimately securing the right to host the2028 Summer Olympics.[109] Nevertheless, Boston is one of eleven U.S. cities which will host matches during the2026 FIFA World Cup, with games taking place atGillette Stadium.[110]
The geographical center of Boston is inRoxbury. Due north of the center we find the South End. This is not to be confused with South Boston which lies directly east from the South End. North of South Boston is East Boston and southwest of East Boston is the North End
Boston has an area of 89.63 sq mi (232.1 km2). Of this area, 48.4 sq mi (125.4 km2), or 54%, of it is land and 41.2 sq mi (106.7 km2), or 46%, of it is water. The city's elevation, as measured atLogan International Airport, is 19 ft (5.8 m)above sea level.[112] The highest point in Boston isBellevue Hill at 330 ft (100 m) above sea level, and the lowest point is at sea level.[113] The city is adjacent toBoston Harbor, an arm ofMassachusetts Bay, and by extension, the Atlantic Ocean.
Boston is sometimes called a "city of neighborhoods" because of the profusion of diverse subsections.[115][116] The city government's Office of Neighborhood Services has designated 23 neighborhoods:[117]
More than two-thirds of inner Boston's modern land area did not exist when the city was founded. Instead, it was created via the gradual filling in of the surrounding tidal areas over the centuries.[74] This was accomplished using earth from the leveling or lowering of Boston's three original hills, the "Trimountain", after which Tremont Street is named, and with gravel brought by train from Needham to fill theBack Bay.[16]
Downtown and its immediate surroundings (including the Financial District, Government Center, andSouth Boston) consist largely of low-rise masonry buildings – oftenfederal style andGreek revival – interspersed with modern high-rises.[121] Back Bay includes many prominent landmarks, such as theBoston Public Library,[122] Trinity Church, single-family homes and wooden/brick multi-family row houses. The South End Historic District is the largest surviving contiguous Victorian-era neighborhood in the US.[123]
The geography of downtown and South Boston was particularly affected by the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (which ran from 1991 to 2007, and was known unofficially as the "Big Dig"). That project removed the elevatedCentral Artery and incorporated new green spaces and open areas.[124]
Greater Boston's 2010 population density and elevation above sea level
Boston is located within the Boston Basinecoregion, which is characterized by low and rolling hills with a number of ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. Forests are mainly transition hardwoods such asoak-hickory mixed withwhite pine.[125] As a coastal city built largely onfill,sea-level rise is of major concern to the city government. A climate action plan from 2019 anticipates 2 ft (1 m) to more than 7 ft (2 m) of sea-level rise in Boston by the end of the 21st century.[126] Many older buildings in certain areas of Boston are supported bywooden piles driven into the area's fill; these piles remain sound if submerged in water, but are subject todry rot if exposed to air for long periods.[127]Groundwater levels have been dropping in many areas of the city, due in part to an increase in the amount of rainwater discharged directly into sewers rather than absorbed by the ground. The Boston Groundwater Trust coordinates monitoring groundwater levels throughout the city via a network of public and private monitoring wells.[128]
The city developed a climate action plan coveringcarbon reduction in buildings, transportation, and energy use. The first such plan was commissioned in 2007, with updates released in 2011, 2014, and 2019.[129] This plan includes the Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, which requires the city's larger buildings to disclose their yearly energy and water use statistics and to partake in anenergy assessment every five years.[130] A separate initiative, Resilient Boston Harbor, lays out neighborhood-specific recommendations forcoastal resilience.[131] In 2013, Mayor Thomas Menino introduced the Renew Boston Whole Building Incentive which reduces the cost of living in buildings that are deemed energy efficient.[132]
Boston's skyline in the sunny background withfall foliage in the foreground
A graph of cumulative winter snowfall atLogan International Airport from 1938 to 2015, highlighting the four winters with the most snowfall
Under theKöppen climate classification, Boston has either a hot-summerhumid continental climate (KöppenDfa) under the 0 °C (32.0 °F) isotherm or ahumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) under the −3 °C (26.6 °F) isotherm.[133] Summers are warm to hot and humid. Winters are cold and stormy, with occasional periods of heavy snow. Spring and fall are usually cool and mild, with varying conditions dependent on wind direction and the position of thejet stream. Prevailing wind patterns that blow offshore minimize the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. In winter, areas near the immediate coast often see more rain than snow, as warm air is sometimes drawn off the Atlantic.[134] Boston lies at the border betweenUSDA planthardiness zones 6b (away from the coastline) and 7a (close to the coastline).[135] Receiving over 2,600 hours of sunshine annually, Boston is one of the sunniest oceanic cities located at its latitude globally.
The warmest month is July, with a mean temperature of 74.1 °F (23.4 °C). The coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of 29.9 °F (−1.2 °C). Periods exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) in summer and below freezing in winter are not uncommon but tend to be fairly short, with about 13 and 25 days per year seeing each, respectively.[136]
Sub- 0 °F (−18 °C) readings usually occur every 3 to 5 years.[137] The most recent sub- 0 °F (−18 °C) reading occurred on February 4, 2023, when the temperature dipped down to −10 °F (−23 °C). This was the lowest temperature reading in Boston since 1957.[136] Several decades may pass between 100 °F (38 °C) readings. The last such reading occurred on June 24, 2025.[136] Boston's average window for freezing temperatures is November 9 to April 5.[136][b] Official temperature records have ranged from −18 °F (−28 °C) on February 9, 1934, up to 104 °F (40 °C) on July 4, 1911. The record cold daily maximum is 2 °F (−17 °C) on December 30, 1917. The record warm daily minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on both August 2, 1975 and July 21, 2019.[138][136]
Boston averages 43.6 in (1,110 mm) ofprecipitation a year, with 49.2 in (125 cm) of snowfall per season.[136] Most snowfall occurs from mid-November to early April. Snow is rare in May and October.[139][140] There is high year-to-year variability in snowfall. For instance, the winter of 2011–12 saw only 9.3 in (23.6 cm) of accumulating snow, but the previous winter, the corresponding figure was 81.0 in (2.06 m).[136][c] Boston's coastal location on theNorth Atlantic makes the city very prone tonor'easters, which can produce large amounts of snow and rain.[134]
Fog is relatively common, particularly in spring and early summer. Due to its coastal location, Boston often receivessea breezes, especially in the late spring, when water temperatures are still quite cold and temperatures at the coast can be more than 20 °F (11 °C) colder than a few miles inland, sometimes dropping by that amount near midday.[141][142] Thunderstorms typically occur from May to September. Occasionally, they can become severe, with largehail, damaging winds, and heavy downpours.[134] Although downtown Boston has never been struck by a violenttornado, Boston has experienced manytornado warnings. Damaging storms are more common to areas north, west, and northwest of the city.[143]
In the2020 census, Boston was estimated to have 691,531 residents living in 266,724 households[4]—a 12% population increase over 2010. Boston is thethird-most densely populated large U.S. city of over half a million residents, and the most densely populated state capital. Some 1.2 million persons may be within Boston's boundaries during work hours, and as many as 2 million during special events. This fluctuation of people is caused by hundreds of thousands of suburban residents who travel to the city for work, education, health care, and special events.[165]
In 2011, 21.9% of the population was aged 19 and under, 14.3% was from 20 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.[166] There were 252,699 households, of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 25.5% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 54.0% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.08.[166]
In 2011, themedian household income in Boston was $51,739, while the median income for a family was $61,035. Full-time year-round male workers had a median income of $52,544 versus $46,540 for full-time year-round female workers. The per capita income for the city was $33,158. 21.4% of the population and 16.0% of families were below the poverty line. Of the total population, 28.8% of those under the age of 18 and 20.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.[167] Boston has a significantracial wealth gap with White Bostonians having a median net worth of $247,500 compared to an $8 median net worth for non-immigrant Black residents and $0 for Dominican immigrant residents.[168]
From the 1950s to the end of the 20th century, the proportion ofnon-Hispanic Whites in Boston declined. In 2000, non-Hispanic Whites were 49.5% of Boston's population, making the citymajority minority for the first time. In the 21st century, Boston has experienced significantgentrification, during which affluent Whites have moved into formerly non-White areas. In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated non-Hispanic Whites again formed a slight majority. As of 2010, in part due to the housing crash, as well as increased efforts to make more affordable housing more available, the non-White population has rebounded. This may also have to do with increasedLatin American andAsian populations and more clarity surrounding U.S. Census statistics, which indicate a non-Hispanic White population of 47% (some reports give slightly lower figures).[169][170][171]
In 2011,African-Americans comprised 22% of the city's population. People ofIrish descent formed the second-largest singleethnic group in the city, making up 15.8% of the population, followed byItalians, accounting for 8.3% of the population. People ofWest Indian andCaribbean ancestry are another sizable group, collectively at over 15%.[172]
In Greater Boston, these numbers grew significantly, with 150,000 Dominicans according to 2018 estimates, 134,000 Puerto Ricans, 57,500 Salvadorans, 39,000 Guatemalans, 36,000 Mexicans, and over 35,000 Colombians.[173] East Boston has a diverse Hispanic/Latino population of Salvadorans, Colombians, Guatemalans, Mexicans, Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. Hispanic populations in southwest Boston neighborhoods are mainly made up of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, usually sharing neighborhoods in this section with African Americans and Blacks with origins from the Caribbean and Africa especially Cape Verdeans and Haitians. Neighborhoods such asJamaica Plain andRoslindale have a growing number ofDominican Americans.[174]
There is a large and historicalArmenian community in Boston,[175] and the city is home to theArmenian Heritage Park.[176] Over 27,000Chinese Americans made their home in Boston city proper in 2013.[177] According to the 2012–2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, the largest ancestry groups in Boston are:[178][179]
In 2010, theCatholic Church had the highest number of adherents as a single denomination in theGreater Boston area, with more than two million members and 339 churches, followed by theEpiscopal Church with 58,000 adherents in 160 churches. TheUnited Church of Christ had 55,000 members and 213 churches.[185]
In 2015, the Boston metro area had aJewish population of approximately 248,000.[186] More than half the Jewish households in the Greater Boston area reside in the city itself,Brookline,Newton,Cambridge,Somerville, or adjacent towns.[186] A small minority practicesConfucianism, and some practiceBoston Confucianism, an American evolution of Confucianism adapted for Boston intellectuals.[187]
Boston's colleges and universities exert a significant impact on the regional economy. Boston attracts more than 350,000 college students from around the world, who contribute more than US$4.8 billion annually to the city's economy.[193][194] The area's schools are major employers and attract industries to the city and surrounding region. The city is home to a number of technology companies and is a hub forbiotechnology, with theMilken Institute rating Boston as the toplife sciences cluster in the country.[195] Boston receives the highest absolute amount of annual funding from theNational Institutes of Health of all cities in the United States.[196]
Boston is considered highly innovative for a variety of reasons, including the presence ofacademia, access toventure capital, and the presence of manyhigh-tech companies.[23][197] TheRoute 128 corridor and Greater Boston continue to be a major center for venture capital investment,[198] and high technology remains an important sector.[199]
Tourism composes a large part of Boston's economy, with 21.2 million domestic and international visitors spending $8.3 billion in 2011.[200] Excluding visitors from Canada and Mexico, over 1.4 million international tourists visited Boston in 2014, with those from China and the United Kingdom leading the list.[201] Boston's status as a state capital as well as the regional home of federal agencies has rendered law and government to be another major component of the city's economy.[202] Boston is a majorseaport along the East Coast of the United States and the oldest continuously operated industrial and fishing port in theWestern Hemisphere.[203]
Boston Latin School, established in 1635, is the oldest public high school in the U.S.
Boston Public Schools enroll 57,000 students attending 145 schools, includingBoston Latin Academy,John D. O'Bryant School of Math & Science, and theBoston Latin School. The Boston Latin School was established in 1635 and is the oldest public high school in the US. Boston also operates the United States' second-oldest public high school and its oldest public elementary school.[18] The system's students are 40% Hispanic or Latino, 35% Black or African American, 13% White, and 9% Asian.[210]
There are private, parochial, andcharter schools. Approximately 3,300 minority students attend participating suburban schools through theMetropolitan Educational Opportunity Council.[211] In September 2019, the city began Boston Saves, a program that provides every child enrolled in the city'skindergarten system asavings account, containing $50 to be used toward college or career training.[212]
Several of the highest-ranked universities in the world are near Boston.[214] Three universities with a major presence in the city,Harvard,MIT, andTufts, are just outside of Boston in the cities ofCambridge andSomerville, known as theBrainpower Triangle.[215] Harvard is the nation's oldest institute of higher education and is centered across the Charles River in Cambridge, though the majority of its land holdings and a substantial amount of its educational activities are in Boston. Itsbusiness school and athletics facilities are in Boston'sAllston neighborhood, and itsmedical,dental, andpublic health schools are located in theLongwood area.[216] TheMassachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) originated in Boston and was long known as "Boston Tech"; it moved across the river to Cambridge in 1916.[217]Tufts University's main campus is north of the city inSomerville andMedford, though its medical and dental schools are located in Boston's Chinatown atTufts Medical Center.[218]
Five members of theAssociation of American Universities are in Greater Boston, more than any other metropolitan area: Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Boston University, andBrandeis University.[225] Greater Boston contains sevenHighest Research Activity (R1) Universities as per theCarnegie Classification. This includes, in addition to the aforementioned five, Boston College, and Northeastern University. This is, by a large margin, the highest concentration of such institutions in a single metropolitan area. Hospitals, universities, and research institutions in Greater Boston received more than $1.77 billion inNational Institutes of Health grants in 2013, more money than any other American metropolitan area.[226] This high density of research institutes also contributes to Boston's high density of early career researchers, which, due to high housing costs in the region, have been shown to face housing stress.[227][228]
TheBoston City Council is elected every two years. There are nine district seats, and four citywide "at-large" seats.[235] The School Committee, which oversees theBoston Public Schools, is appointed by the mayor.[236] Boston uses an algorithm called CityScore to measure the effectiveness of city services. This score is available on a public online dashboard and allows city managers in police, fire, schools, emergency management services, and3-1-1 to take action and make adjustments in areas of concern.[237]
Federally, Boston is split between two congressional districts. Three-fourths of Boston is in the7th district and is represented byAyanna Pressley. The remaining southern fourth is in the8th district and is represented byStephen Lynch.[243] Both are Democrats; a Republican has not represented a significant portion of Boston in over a century. The state's senior member of theUnited States Senate is DemocratElizabeth Warren, first elected in 2012.[244] The state's junior member of the United States Senate is DemocratEd Markey, who was elected in 2013 to succeedJohn Kerry after Kerry's appointment and confirmation as theUnited States Secretary of State.[245]
Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 26, 2024 – Boston[246]
Boston included $414 million in spending on theBoston Police Department in the fiscal 2021 budget. This is the second largest allocation of funding by the city after the allocation to Boston Public Schools.[247]
Like many major American cities, Boston has experienced a great reduction in violent crime since the early 1990s. Boston's low crime rate since the 1990s has been credited to the Boston Police Department's collaboration with neighborhood groups and church parishes to prevent youths from joining gangs, as well as involvement from theUnited States Attorney and District Attorney's offices. This helped lead in part to what has been touted as the "Boston Miracle". In 1999, murders in Boston dropped from 152 in 1990, a murder rate of 26.5 per 100,000 people, to 31—not one of them a juvenile, for a 1999 murder rate of 5.26 per 100,000.[248]
According to theUniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program in 2022, Boston had 3,955 reportedviolent crimes, which include homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, and 11,514 reportedproperty crimes, which include arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. With a violent crime rate of 608.7 per 100,000 people, the city's violent crime rate is higher than Massachusetts' rate of 322 per 100,000 people and the national rate of 380.7 per 100,000 people. While Boston's property crime rate, at 1,772.0 per 100,000 people, is higher than Massachusetts' property crime rate of 1,070.1 per 100,000 people, it is lower than the national property crime rate of 1,954.4 per 100,000 people.[249][h]
In the early 1800s,William Tudor wrote that Boston was "'perhaps the most perfect and certainly the best-regulated democracy that ever existed. There is something so impossible in the immortal fame of Athens, that the very name makes everything modern shrink from comparison; but since the days of that glorious city I know of none that has approached so near in some points, distant as it may still be from that illustrious model.'[254] From this, Boston has been called the "Athens of America" (also a nickname ofPhiladelphia)[255] for itsliterary culture, earning a reputation as "the intellectual capital of the United States".[256]
There are several major annual events, such asFirst Night which occurs on New Year's Eve, theBoston Early Music Festival, the annualBoston Arts Festival at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, the annual Bostongay pride parade and festival held in June, and Italian summer feasts in the North End honoring Catholic saints.[265] The city is the site of several events during theFourth of July period. They include the week-long Harborfest festivities[266] and a Boston Pops concert accompanied by fireworks on the banks of theCharles River.[267]
Fenway Park, home stadium of theBoston Red Sox. Opened in 1912, Fenway Park is theoldest professional baseball stadium still in use.
Boston has teams inthe four major North American men's professional sports leagues plusMajor League Soccer. As of2024, the city has won 40 championships in these leagues. During a 23-year stretch from 2001 to 2024, the city's professional sports teams have won thirteen championships: Patriots (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018), Red Sox (2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018), Celtics (2008, 2024), and Bruins (2011).[279]
Persistent reports that the team was known in 1903 as the "Boston Pilgrims" appear to be unfounded.[283] Boston's first professional baseball team was the Red Stockings, one of the charter members of theNational Association in 1871, and of theNational League in 1876. The team played under that name until 1883, under the name Beaneaters until 1911, and under the name Braves from 1912 until they moved toMilwaukee after the 1952 season. Since 1966 they have played inAtlanta as theAtlanta Braves.[284]
While they have played in suburbanFoxborough since 1971, theNew England Patriots of theNational Football League were founded in 1960 as the Boston Patriots, changing their name after relocating. The team won theSuper Bowl after the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons.[288] They shareGillette Stadium with theNew England Revolution ofMajor League Soccer.[289] Another team associated with Boston who plays outside the city is theBoston Fleet of thePWHL, which plays at theTsongas Center in nearbyLowell. During the inaugural 2024 PWHL playoffs, the Fleet (then simply known as PWHL Boston) made it to the Walter Cup finals, where they lost to the Minnesota Frost (PWHL Minnesota at the time).[290]
Harvard Stadium, the nation's first collegiate athletic stadium made of concrete
The area's many colleges and universities are active in college athletics. FourNCAA Division I members play in the area—Boston College,Boston University,Harvard University, andNortheastern University. Of the four, only Boston College participates in college football at the highest level, theFootball Bowl Subdivision. Harvard participates in the second-highest level, theFootball Championship Subdivision. These four universities participate in theBeanpot, an annual men's and women'sice hockey tournament. The men's Beanpot is hosted at the TD Garden,[291] while the women's Beanpot is held at each member school's home arena on a rotating basis.[292]
One of the best-known sporting events in the city is theBoston Marathon, the 26.2 mi (42.2 km) race which is the world's oldest annualmarathon,[296] run onPatriots' Day in April. TheRed Sox traditionally play a home game starting around 11 a.m. on the same day, with the early start time allowing fans to watch runners finish the race nearby after the conclusion of the ballgame.[297] Another major annual event is theHead of the Charles Regatta, held in October.[298]
Another major park is theEsplanade, along the banks of the Charles River. TheHatch Shell, an outdoor concert venue, is adjacent to the Charles River Esplanade. Other parks are scattered throughout the city, with major parks and beaches nearCastle Island and the south end, in Charlestown and along the Dorchester, South Boston, and East Boston shorelines.[301]
The Boston Globe is the oldest and largest daily newspaper in the city[302] and is generally acknowledged as itspaper of record.[303] Boston is served by other publications such as theBoston Herald,Boston magazine,DigBoston, and the Boston edition ofMetro.The Christian Science Monitor, headquartered in Boston, was formerly a worldwide daily newspaper but ended publication of daily print editions in 2009, switching to continuous online and weekly magazine format publications.[304]The Boston Globe also releases a teen publication to the city's public high schools, calledTeens in Print orT.i.P., which is written by the city's teens and delivered quarterly within the school year.[305]The Improper Bostonian, a glossy lifestyle magazine, was published from 1991 to April 2019.
The city's growingLatino population has given rise to a number of local and regionalSpanish-language newspapers. These includeEl Planeta (owned by the former publisher of theBoston Phoenix),El Mundo, andLa Semana.Siglo21, with its main offices in nearbyLawrence, is also widely distributed.[306]
LGBT publications serve Boston's large LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) population such asThe Rainbow Times, the only minority and lesbian-owned LGBT news magazine. Founded in 2006,The Rainbow Times is now based out of Boston, but serves all of New England.[307]
Boston is the largest broadcasting market in New England, with the radio market being the ninth largest in the United States.[308] Several majorAM stations includetalk radioWRKO,sports/talk stationWEEI, andnews radioWBZ (AM). WBZ is a 50,000 watt "clear channel" station whose nighttime broadcasts are heard hundreds of miles from Boston.[309] A variety of commercialFMradio formats serve the area, as doNPR stationsWBUR andWGBH. College and university radio stations includeWERS (Emerson),WHRB (Harvard),WUMB (UMass Boston),WMBR (MIT),WZBC (Boston College),WMFO (Tufts University),WBRS (Brandeis University),WRBB (Northeastern University) andWMLN-FM (Curry College).[310]
The Boston televisionDMA, which also includesManchester, New Hampshire, is the eighth largest in the United States.[311] The city is served by stations representing every majorAmerican network, includingWBZ-TV 4 and its sister stationWSBK-TV 38 (the former aCBSO&O, the latter anindependent station),WCVB-TV 5 and its sister stationWMUR-TV 9 (bothABC),WHDH 7 and its sister stationWLVI 56 (the former an independent station, the latter aCW affiliate),WBTS-CD 15 (anNBC O&O), andWFXT 25 (Fox). The city is also home toPBS member stationWGBH-TV 2, a major producer of PBS programs,[312] which also operatesWGBX 44.
Spanish-language television networks, includingUniMás (WUTF-TV 27),Telemundo (WNEU 60, a sister station to WBTS-CD), andUnivisión (WUNI 66), have a presence in the region, with WNEU and WUNI serving as networkowned-and-operated stations. Most of the area's television stations have their transmitters in nearbyNeedham andNewton along theRoute 128 corridor.[313] Seven Boston television stations are carried by satellite television and cable television providers in Canada.[314]
Downtown Boston's streets grew organically, so they do not form aplanned grid,[324] unlike those in later-developedBack Bay,East Boston, theSouth End, andSouth Boston. Boston is the eastern terminus ofI-90, which in Massachusetts runs along theMassachusetts Turnpike. TheCentral Artery followsI-93 as the primary north–south artery that carries most of the through traffic in Downtown Boston. Other major highways includeUS 1, which carries traffic to theNorth Shore and areas south of Boston,US 3, which connects to the northwestern suburbs,MA 3, which connects to theSouth Shore andCape Cod, andMA 2 which connects to the western suburbs. Surrounding the city isMA 128, a partial beltway which has been largely subsumed by other routes (mostlyI-95 and I-93).[325]
With nearly a third of Bostonians using public transit for their commute to work, Boston has thefourth-highest rate of public transit usage in the country.[326] The city of Boston has a higher than average percentage of households without a car. In 2016, 33.8 percent of Boston households lacked a car, compared with the national average of 8.7 percent. The city averaged 0.94 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[327] Boston's public transportation agency, theMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), operates the oldest underground rapid transit system in theAmericas and is thefourth-busiest rapid transit system in the country,[19] with 65.5 mi (105 km) of track on four lines.[328] The MBTA also operates busy bus and commuter rail networks as well as water shuttles.[328]
Amtrak intercity rail to Boston is provided through four stations:South Station,North Station,Back Bay, andRoute 128. South Station is a majorintermodal transportation hub and is the terminus of Amtrak'sNortheast Regional,Acela Express, andLake Shore Limited routes, in addition to multiple MBTA services. Back Bay is also served by MBTA and those three Amtrak routes, while Route 128, in the southwestern suburbs of Boston, is only served by theAcela Express andNortheast Regional.[329] Meanwhile, Amtrak'sDowneaster toBrunswick, Maine terminates in North Station, and is the only Amtrak route to do so.[330]
Nicknamed "The Walking City", Boston hosts more pedestrian commuters than do other comparably populated cities. Owing to factors such as necessity, the compactness of the city and large student population, 13 percent of the population commutes by foot, making it thehighest percentage of pedestrian commuters in the country out of the major American cities.[331] As of 2024[update],Walk Score ranks Boston as the third most walkable U.S. city, with a Walk Score of 83, a Transit Score of 72, and a Bike Score of 69.[332]
^The average number of days with a low at or below freezing is 94.
^Seasonal snowfall accumulation has ranged from 9.0 in (22.9 cm) in 1936–37 to 110.6 in (2.81 m) in 2014–15.
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Boston were kept at downtown from January 1872 to December 1935, and at Logan Airport (KBOS) since January 1936.[144]
^"Why Boston Will Be the Star of The AI Revolution". VentureFizz. October 24, 2017. Archived fromthe original on November 9, 2023. RetrievedNovember 9, 2023.Boston startups are working to overcome some of the largest technical barriers holding AI back, and they're attracting attention across a wide variety of industries in the process.
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^Cf. Roessner, p.293. "The HOPE VI housing program, inspired in part by the success of Harbor Point, was created by legislation passed by Congress in 1992."
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^"1870 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1860 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
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Core cities are metropolitan core cities of at least a million people. The other areas are urban areas of cities that have an urban area of 150,000+ or of a metropolitan area of at least 250,000+. Satellite cities are in italics.
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