Boston Travel Guide
Destination Guides > North America > USA > New England > Massachusetts > Boston

Boston Overview

Boston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England".[11] Boston city proper had a 2008 estimated population of 609,023, making it the twenty-second largest in the country.[6] Boston is also the anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area called Greater Boston, home to 4.5 million people and the tenth-largest metropolitan area in the country.[8] Greater Boston as a commuting region includes seven Massachusetts counties, all of Rhode Island and parts of New Hampshire; it is home to 7.5 million people, making it the fifth-largest Combined Statistical Area in the United States.[9][12]

In 1630, Puritan colonists from England founded the city on the Shawmut Peninsula.[13] During the late 18th century, Boston was the location of several major events during the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Several early battles of the American Revolution, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston, occurred within the city and surrounding areas. Through land reclamation and municipal annexation, Boston has expanded beyond the peninsula. After American independence was attained Boston became a major shipping port and manufacturing center,[13] and its rich history now helps attract 16.3 million visitors annually.[14] The city was the site of several firsts, including America's first public school, Boston Latin School (1635),[15] and the first subway system in the United States.[16]

With many colleges and universities within the city and surrounding area, Boston is a center of higher education and a center for medicine.[17] The city's economy is also based on research, electronics, engineering, finance, and technology—principally biotechnology.[18] Boston ranks first in the country in jobs per square mile ahead of New York City and Washington, D.C.[19] The city has been experiencing gentrification and has one of the highest costs of living in the United States,[20] and it remains high on world livability rankings.[21]

Click here to see the hotels in Boston