Wilmington, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Wilmy | |
 Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°33′N71°10′W / 42.550°N 71.167°W /42.550; -71.167 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex |
| Region | New England |
| Settled | 1665 |
| Incorporated | 1730 |
| Named after | Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| • Town Manager | Jeffrey M. Hull |
| Area | |
• Total | 44.6 km2 (17.2 sq mi) |
| • Land | 44.4 km2 (17.1 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0.2 km2 (0.077 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 29 m (95 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 23,349 |
| • Density | 526/km2 (1,360/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01887 |
| Area code | 978 |
| FIPS code | 25-80230 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618246 |
| Website | www.wilmingtonma.gov |
Wilmington is a town inMiddlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Its population was 23,349 at the2020 United States census.[1]
Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading, and Billerica. The first settlers are believed to have been Will Butter, Richard Harnden or Abraham Jaquith. Butter, a ScottishCovenanter who fought againstOliver Cromwell in theEnglish Civil War, was brought to Woburn as anindentured servant. He achieved his freedom, as did all indentured service, after nine years, then relocated to the opposite side of a large swamp (“the boggy part of Wooburne” “across the river") in what is now Wilmington. Harnden settled in Reading, in an area that is now part of Wilmington. Jaquith settled in an area of Billerica that became part of Wilmington in 1740.
Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm on April 19, 1775, and fought at Merriam's Corner inConcord.
TheMiddlesex Canal passed through Wilmington. Chartered in 1792, opened in 1803, it provided freight and passenger transport between theMerrimack River and Boston. One important cargo on the canal was hops. From the middle of the 18th century until the early 19th century, Massachusetts was the acknowledged leader in hop production in North America. Middlesex County in particular was famous for its hop yards, and Wilmington was the first place where the culture grew to a fever pitch.[2]
WhenLowell was built in the 1820s, the canal became a primary means of transporting cotton to and from the mills. It was abandoned in 1852 after the construction of theBoston and Lowell Railroad.
The Boston and Lowell Railroad was built in 1835. The line is now the oldest operating rail line in the U.S. Wilmington is also served by the Haverhill Division (the oldB&M Portland Division). A spur track known as theWildcat connects the Haverhill and Lowell divisions, following the path of the old Wilmington & Andover Railroad, the corporate ancestor of the Boston & Maine.
Wilmington is where theBaldwin apple was discovered.
Wilmington is also home to the Col. Joshua Harnden Tavern, which probably served as a stop on theUnderground Railroad and now houses the Wilmington TownMuseum.
Since World War II, Wilmington's population has quadrupled.Interstate 93,Route 62,Route 129 andRoute 38 run through town, andRoute 128 is about a mile south of Wilmington.
Wilmington residents have always gone to Silver Lake Town Beach and dug an extremely large hole in the sand. The largest hole made was over 12 ft deep.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 17.2 square miles (45 km2), of which 17.1 square miles (44 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.46%, is water.
Wilmington borders the towns ofAndover,North Reading,Reading,Woburn,Burlington,Billerica, andTewksbury. The town is frequently divided into distinct areas, includingSilver Lake andNorth Wilmington.
Much of Wilmington was built on or still iswetlands. TheIpswich River starts in Wilmington, and theShawsheen River forms part of Wilmington's border with Billerica.
There is one lake in the town,Silver Lake, akettle lake formed in the retreat of thePleistoceneglaciers at the end of the lastice age.[3] It is open for swimming during the summer.
In a typical year, Wilmington, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50 °F (10 °C) for 195 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 44.4 inches per year (high in the US) and snow covers the ground 62 days per year, or 17% of the year (high in the US). It may be helpful to understand the yearly precipitation by imagining nine straight days of moderate rain per year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 25.4 days, or 7% of the year.[4]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 874 | — |
| 1860 | 919 | +5.1% |
| 1870 | 866 | −5.8% |
| 1880 | 933 | +7.7% |
| 1890 | 1,213 | +30.0% |
| 1900 | 1,596 | +31.6% |
| 1910 | 1,858 | +16.4% |
| 1920 | 2,581 | +38.9% |
| 1930 | 4,013 | +55.5% |
| 1940 | 4,645 | +15.7% |
| 1950 | 7,039 | +51.5% |
| 1960 | 12,475 | +77.2% |
| 1970 | 17,102 | +37.1% |
| 1980 | 17,471 | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 17,651 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 21,363 | +21.0% |
| 2010 | 22,325 | +4.5% |
| 2020 | 23,349 | +4.6% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] | ||
The Census Bureau has defined Wilmington as acensus-designated place that is equivalent to the town
As of thecensus[16] of 2000, there were 21,363 people, 7,027 households, and 5,776 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 1,247.0 inhabitants per square mile (481.5/km2). There were 7,158 housing units at an average density of 417.8 per square mile (161.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.31%White, 0.41%Black orAfrican American, 0.08%Native American, 2.03%Asian, 0.42% fromother races, and 0.74% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 7,027 households, out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. Of all households 14.0% were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $70,652, and the median income for a family was $76,760. Males had a median income of $50,446 versus $36,729 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $25,835. About 1.8% of families and 1.9% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over. It is the 134th richest place in Massachusetts. SeeMassachusetts locations by per capita income.
Companies based in Wilmington includeAnalog Devices,Charles River Laboratories,Onto Innovation andUniFirst.
Points of interest include:
Wilmington has an opentown meeting, aboard of selectmen and atown manager. The current town manager is Eric Slagle.[19] Five of the town's six districts are represented in theMassachusetts House of Representatives by David Robertson, the last is represented byKen Gordon. The town'sstate senator isBarry Finegold. Wilmington is in the Massachusetts 6th Congressional District and is represented in theUnited States House of Representatives bySeth Moulton.
Wilmington has its own schools.Kindergarten students attend the Wildwood Street and Boutwell Street Schools. Grades 1–3 attend the Woburn Street School and the Shawsheen School. Grades 4 and 5 attend the North Intermediate School and the West Intermediate School. Grades 6–8 attend Wilmington Middle School. High School Students attendWilmington High School. Wilmington High's mascot is thewildcat and its athletic teams participate in theEssex League, which the town recently changed to. The Wildcats' colors are Navy Blue, Columbia Blue and White and the primary rivals are theTewksbury Redmen of the Merrimack Valley Conference. Wilmington is also home to Abundant Life Christian School a Pre-K to 8 private religious school. Wilmington students also have the option of attending Shawsheen Valley Technical High School.
TheMBTA Commuter Rail serves Wilmington with two train stations on two of the system's branches – one station per branch. TheLowell Commuter Rail Line stops atWilmington Station in the center of town, while theHaverhill Commuter Rail Line servesNorth Wilmington Station located two miles further east. Both stations are located adjacent toMassachusetts State Route 62.[20][21]
The MBTA Bus serves the city.[22]
Municipalities and communities ofMiddlesex County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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