Explore this Massachusetts map to know everything you want to know about the thirtieth state of the US. Learn about Massachusetts’s location in the United States of America. Get more information on the state’s geography, history, time zones, area/zip codes, significant cities, name of the capital/most prominent city, flag/seal, national parks, trails, frequently asked questions (FAQs), etc.

About Massachusetts

Massachusetts is the sixth state in the United States. On February 6, 1788, it was admitted to the Union. Boston is Massachusetts’s capital city and its most significant. It is a metropolitan urban area. English is the official language of the state. Around 78% of the population in Massachusetts speaks English. In the US, Massachusetts is the 15th most populous state and the seventh smallest state by area.

The US state of Massachusetts has many nicknames, such as:

• The Bay State
• The Old Colony State
• The Codfish State

The state motto of Massachusetts is, “By the sword, we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.”

Check Key Facts of Massachusetts to learn more about this US state. 

Massachusetts Flag

The flag of Massachusetts was officially adopted on July 3, 1971. However, it was first adopted in 1907. Recently, in October 2020, a bill was passed to modify the flag further. The flag’s design includes a white background and the state’s coat of arms at the center. 

Massachusetts’s Coat of Arms is at the center of the state seal of Massachusetts. The Latin text “Sigillum Reipublicæ Massachusettensis” or “The Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts” is written around the coat of arms. 

Massachusetts State Symbols

In 1692, Massachusetts was declared a province. The Great Seal of Massachusetts was adopted in 1775, and its official design was created on December 13, 1780. However, on June 4, 1885, the current seal in its legally authorized form came to be accepted.

The Great Seal of Massachusetts’ current design includes a coat of arms from 1692. On January 6, 2021, the state legislature passed a bill recommending changes to the Massachusetts flag and seal.

Learn more exciting things about the state from Massachusetts Facts & Trivia.

Massachusetts Location

The Massachusetts Location Map shows the exact location of the US state of Massachusetts on the United States map. It shows the US state’s boundaries, neighboring countries, and oceans.

The State of Massachusetts is in the northeastern USA. It shares its land border with:

• Vermont and New Hampshire (in the north)
• The Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine (in the east and southeast)
• Rhode Island and Connecticut (in the south)
• New York (in the west)

Massachusetts’s coordinates are 41°14′ N to 42°53′ N Latitude and 69°56′ W to 73°30′ W Longitude. Check the Massachusetts Longitude and Latitude Map to learn more about the location.

Massachusetts Time Zones

The time zone in Massachusetts is UTC– 05:00 (Eastern). Its Summer (DST) is UTC– 04:00 (EDT). 

Massachusetts Geography

Massachusetts is spread across a total area of 10,565 sq mi (27,337 sq km), out of which 7,840 sq mi (20,306 sq km) is land area. It is the 44th largest state in the United States in terms of size. 

The geographical area of Massachusetts has four significant landforms:

• The low coastal plain in the east: The Atlantic coastal plain is a region of lowlands running along the USA’s East Coast. You’ll find many rivers, bogs, swamps, and wetlands here. Hence, the weather remains moist most of the time.
• The New England Uplands: These elevated lands run through the central and extreme eastern part of the state. They mostly have bifurcated plateaus and tapering valleys. The presence of too many glaciers has changed the contour of these lands.
• The Pioneer Valley: The Pioneer Valley is a part of the Connecticut River Valley that falls within Massachusetts. It includes the three counties of Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin.
• Berkshire and Taconic Mountains: You’ll find the Berkshires if you go towards the western regions of Massachusetts. The term “Berkshires” is usually referred to the Green Mountains of Vermont that extend into Massachusetts. Check this Massachusetts Topographic Map to learn more.

Learn about the state boundary and location of mountain peaks, rivers, lakes, the state capital, ocean, and neighboring states from this Physical Map of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts History

The original inhabitants of the current Massachusetts area were the tribes of the Algonquian language family. The Wampanoag, Narragansetts, Nipmucs, Pocomtucs, Mahicans, and Massachusetts belong to the Algonquian language family. Their primary source of livelihood was hunting and fishing. 

Although the Europeans started coming here in the 16th century, they were not interested in settling down here permanently in the beginning. Later, around a hundred years later, the Pilgrims, who had fled from England to Holland, became the first settlers in Massachusetts. In 1620, they landed on a ” Mayflower ” ship. They soon set up a colony and named it Plymouth. Gradually, their relationship with the natives became very close. After some years, the Pilgrims drafted the Mayflower Compact, one of America’s first documents of self-governance.

As a mark of respect to God for all the good luck and well-being in their new venture, the pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in 1621. In the next ten years, the Plymouth colony grew a little and had 300 people living in it.

Historical evidence suggests that Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to ban slavery. 

Check out Massachusetts Facts to learn more about the history and colonization of the state.

Massachusetts Counties

Massachusetts has 14 counties. Suffolk County is the largest county, having a total area of 2,372.9 sq mi (6,146 sq km). Nantucket County is the smallest county, having a total area of 48 sq mi (120 sq km). Check the Massachusetts County Map to learn more about the location and boundaries of different counties in the state. 

Massachusetts Area Codes

The US State of Massachusetts has the following area codes:

• 339: It covers Boston, Lynn, Waltham, Malden, Medford, and Weymouth Town
• 351: It covers northeastern Massachusetts covering Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Peabody
• 508: It covers south-central and southeastern Massachusetts
• 617: Boston, Belmont, Cambridge, and Chelsea
• 774: It covers Worcester, New Bedford, Brockton, Fall River, and Framingham
• 781: It covers the cities of Lynn, Waltham, Malden, Medford, etc.
• 857: It covers Brookline, Cambridge, Newton, and Quincy
• 978: It covers Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Peabody. It has an overlay with 351.

The Massachusetts Area Codes Map will help you know the location of a particular area code. You can also use this map to learn more about the boundaries of various area codes, county and state boundaries, and state capital. 

Massachusetts Zip Codes

There are 536 active zip codes in Massachusetts. The best zip codes to live in Massachusetts include 02493, 02110, 02199, 02116, 02108, 02481, etc. You can find the location of a particular zip code, boundary, state boundary, and state capital with the help of the Massachusetts Zip Codes Map.

Massachusetts Major Cities

Learn about the major cities from this Massachusetts cities map. It also helps you learn about state boundaries, neighboring states, the exact location of the state capital, other cities, oceans, and many more.

Massachusetts’s most prominent cities are Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Cambridge, Lowell, Brockton, Quincy, Lynn, and many more. Check out the Massachusetts Cities Map for more details.

Massachusetts Airports

The busiest airport in Massachusetts is Boston Logan International Airport. The other airports are Nantucket Memorial Airport, Worcester Regional Airport, Martha’s Vineyard Airport, Barnstable Municipal Airport, and Provincetown Municipal Airport. Have a look at the location of different airports in the state on the Massachusetts Airports Map. This map also shows Massachusetts’s state and country boundaries, cities, the state capital, neighboring states, and oceans.

Massachusetts National Park and Trails

Massachusetts has sixteen national parks. Around 10,003,220 visitors visit these national parks annually. Major national parks in the State are Adams, Appalachian, Blackstone River Valley, Boston, Boston African American, Boston Harbor Islands, Cape Cod, and Frederick Law Olmsted.

In Massachusetts, you can enjoy more than ninety recreational trails (hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, and other adventurous trails). Moore State Park, Borderland State Park, Split Rock Hiking Trail, Douglas State Forest, and Charles River Bike Trails are some of the most popular trails in Massachusetts.

Check out the National Parks in Massachusetts Map to get a clear idea about the locations of different national parks, monuments, preserves, etc.

Massachusetts Climate

Massachusetts’s general climatic condition is humid but continental. The summers are very warm and moist, while the winters are bleak and frosty.

Massachusetts has around 43 inches of rain yearly, equally distributed. The weather is wetter in winter than in summer. It is warm during the summer, and mean high temperatures are north of 80 °F or 26.7 °C in July. At night the temperature slides back to 60 °F or 15.6 °C across the state. It is cold during the winter, but the temperatures are slightly higher along the coast. Massachusetts has acute temperatures, occasionally reaching 100 °F (37.8 °C) during summer and dropping below 0 °F or −17.8 °C during winter. 

Nor’easters are common to Massachusetts, as are storms during winter. The summer also brings thunderstorms; on average, thirty of these yearly. Hurricanes are also a threat to Massachusetts from time to time.  

Besides southern Connecticut, almost all of New England has a humid continental climate, with very warm summers and bleak, frosty winters. The dense deciduous forests make Fall an attractive season in Massachusetts, with bright colors everywhere. The mean rainfall is between 1,000 to 1,500 millimeters or 40 to 60 inches annually. Snowfall can sometimes be more than 100 inches or 2.5 meters yearly as you move to the highlands. 

Massachusetts Education

There are over 121 higher education institutions in Massachusetts, including doctoral and research universities, baccalaureate colleges, master’s degree-granting institutions, and special-focus institutions. The institutions are administered by the University of Massachusetts system. The major universities in Massachusetts are Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, etc.

FAQs On Massachusetts

FAQ #1: What Time Zone Is Massachusetts?

Ans: The time zone in Massachusetts is UTC−05:00/−04:00 (Eastern Daylight Time).

FAQ #2: Where Is Massachusetts?

Ans: Massachusetts is in the northeastern USA.

FAQ #3: Is Massachusetts A Red State?

Ans: Massachusetts is not a Red state. Instead, it is a Blue state. Since 1928, it has had a Democratic-leaning. For the last sixty years, this state has been a Democratic stronghold. Incumbent US President Joe Biden won the previous elections in 2020 by over 60% votes.

FAQ #4: What Is Massachusetts Known For?

Ans: Massachusetts is known for Harvard, MIT, the Freedom Trail, and many more. Check out these places to visit in Massachusetts.

FAQ #5: What Is The Capital Of Massachusetts?

Ans: Boston is the capital of Massachusetts.

FAQ #6: What Planting Zone Is Massachusetts?

Ans: In Massachusetts, the planting zone ranges from 5a to 7a.

FAQ #7: How Many Lakes Are There In Massachusetts?

Ans: There are around 15 lakes in Massachusetts. Major lakes in the state are Great Herring Pond, Lake Monomonac, Lake Cochituate, and Lake Quinsigamond. 

FAQ #8: What Is The Population Of Massachusetts?

Ans: The population of Massachusetts in 2022 is estimated to be 6.96 million.

FAQ #9: Who Is The Governor Of Massachusetts?

Ans: Republican Party Charlie Baker is the current governor of Massachusetts. He is Massachusetts’s 72nd governor. He assumed office on January 8, 2015. 

FAQ #10: Are There Bears In Massachusetts?

Ans: Yes, black bears are becoming common in Massachusetts. As per reports, there are more than four thousand five hundred bears in the state.