#0excludeGlossary
Massachusetts (/mæsəˈtʃ(j)uːsɪts/ ⓘ /-zɪts/ MASS-ə-CHOO-sits, -zits; Massachusett: Muhsachuweesut [məhswatʃəwiːsət]), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode Island to its south, New Hampshire and Vermont to its north, and New York to its west. Massachusetts is the seventh-smallest state by land area. With an estimated population of over 7.1 million, it is the most populous state in New England (with nearly half of all New Englanders residing in Massachusetts), the 16th-most-populous in the United States, and the third-most densely populated U.S. state after New Jersey and Rhode Island.
Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| Commonwealth of Massachusetts | |
| Nicknames: The Bay State (official) The Pilgrim State; The Puritan State The Old Colony State The Baked Bean State The Spirit of America | |
| Motto(s): Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (Latin) By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty | |
| Anthem: "All Hail to Massachusetts" | |
.svg) Location of Massachusetts within the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Province of Massachusetts Bay (1691–1780, independent from the UK in 1776), became Commonwealth of Massachusetts under 1780 constitution |
| Admitted to the Union | February 6, 1788 (6th) |
| Capital (and largest city) | Boston |
| Largest county or equivalent | Middlesex |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Greater Boston |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Maura Healey (D) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Kim Driscoll (D) |
| Legislature | General Court |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court |
| U.S. senators | Elizabeth Warren (D) Ed Markey (D) |
| U.S. House delegation | 9 Democrats (list) |
| Area | |
• Total | 10,565 sq mi (27,363 km2) |
| • Land | 7,800 sq mi (20,202 km2) |
| • Water | 2,715 sq mi (7,032 km2) 26.1% |
| • Rank | 44th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 184 mi (296 km) |
| • Width | 114 mi (184 km) |
| Elevation | 490 ft (150 m) |
| Highest elevation | 3,489 ft (1,063.4 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean) | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2025) | |
• Total |  7,154,084 |
| • Rank | 16th |
| • Density | 914.9/sq mi (353.24/km2) |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| • Median household income | $99,900 (2023) |
| • Income rank | 1st |
| Demonym | Bay Stater (official)
Masshole (colloquial) Massachusettsan (recommended by the U.S. GPO) Massachusite (traditional) |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English |
| • Spoken language |
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| Time zone | UTC– 05:00 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC– 04:00 (EDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | MA |
| ISO 3166 code | US-MA |
| Traditional abbreviation | Mass. |
| Latitude | 41°14′ N to 42°53′ N |
| Longitude | 69°56′ W to 73°30′ W |
| Website | www |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
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| Poem | Blue Hills of Massachusetts |
| Slogan | Make It Yours, The Spirit of America |
| Living insignia | |
| Bird | Black-capped chickadee, wild turkey |
| Fish | Cod |
| Flower | Mayflower |
| Insect | Ladybug |
| Mammal | Right whale, Morgan horse, Tabby cat, Boston Terrier |
| Reptile | Garter snake |
| Tree | American elm |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Beverage | Cranberry juice |
| Color(s) | Blue, green, cranberry |
| Dance | Square dance |
| Food | Cranberry, corn muffin, navy bean, Boston cream pie, chocolate chip cookie, Boston cream doughnut |
| Fossil | Dinosaur Tracks |
| Gemstone | Rhodonite |
| Mineral | Babingtonite |
| Rock | Roxbury Puddingstone |
| Shell | New England Neptune, Neptunea lyrata decemcostata |
| Ship | Schooner Ernestina |
| Soil | Paxton |
| Sport | Basketball |
| State route marker | |
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| State quarter | |
 Released in 2000 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
Massachusetts was a site of early English colonization. The Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims of Mayflower. In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, taking its name from the Indigenous Massachusett people, also established settlements in Boston and Salem. In 1692, the town of Salem and surrounding areas experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem witch trials. The American Revolution originated in Massachusetts, with Boston becoming known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for its political agitation. In 1786, Shays' Rebellion, a populist revolt, influenced the United States Constitutional Convention. Originally dependent on agriculture, fishing, and trade, Massachusetts transformed into a manufacturing hub during the Industrial Revolution. Before the American Civil War, the state was a center for the abolitionist, temperance, and transcendentalist movements. During the 20th century, the state's economy shifted from manufacturing to services; in the 21st century, Massachusetts has become the global leader in biotechnology, and also excels in artificial intelligence, engineering, higher education, finance, and maritime trade.
Boston is Massachusetts' capital and most populous city, as well as its cultural and financial center; other major cities are Worcester, Springfield, and Cambridge. The state also hosts the urban core of Greater Boston, the largest metropolitan area in New England, with profound influence on U.S. history, academia, and the research economy. Massachusetts has a reputation for social and political progressivism; it is the only U.S. state with a right to shelter law, and was the first U.S. state—and one of the earliest jurisdictions in the world—to legally recognize same-sex marriage. Harvard University in Cambridge is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, with the largest financial endowment of any university in the world. Both Harvard and MIT, also in Cambridge, are perennially ranked as either the most or among the most highly regarded academic institutions in the world.
Massachusetts is the most educated U.S. state, ranking first by the percentage of population 25 and over with either a bachelor's degree or advanced degree. Its public school system ranks first in the country, with public school students placing among the top tier in the world in academic performance. Massachusetts is among the wealthiest and most developed states, with the best performing economy. It ranks first in both the American and United Nations Human Development indexes, first in per capita income, and first in median income, both by household and individually. Consequently, Massachusetts is typically ranked as one of the most expensive U.S. states to live in.