Massachusetts City and Town
Incorporation and Settlement Dates
The following is a list of cities and towns of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the dates of when they were settled, when incorporated as a town and, if applicable, when incorporated as a city, as well as the county in which they are located. Cities are listed in capital letters. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was settled in 1620 and incorporated in 1629. The term settled refers to the arrival of the Europeans. Paleo-Indians in Massachusetts date back to 8000 BC. In some instances a town may have been established at an earlier date than its present name would suggest. Example: Wayland was first part of Sudbury (1639) before splitting from and becoming East Sudbury (1780), later to change its name to Wayland (1835). In these cases we recognize the first date of incorporation when the area in question stands alone: 1780. Additionally, four towns drowned in building the Quabbin reservoir during the 1930's. They were Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott.
There are fourteen communities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government, though they wish to be known as “The Town of”. They are: AGAWAM, AMHERST, BARNSTABLE, BRAINTREE, BRIDGEWATER, FRANKLIN, NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH, PALMER, RANDOLPH, SOUTHBRIDGE, WATERTOWN, WEST SPRINGFIELD, WEYMOUTH and WINTHROP. There are five communities that have been granted the title of city though they do not have wards; they are: AMESBURY, EASTHAMPTON, GREENFIELD, METHUEN and FRAMINGHAM.
CITIES are in capitals
* Indicates county seat or shiretown
B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | W | Y
Town/City Name |
County |
Date Settled |
Incorporated as a Town/City |
|---|---|---|---|
Abington |
Plymouth |
1668 |
1712 |
Acton |
Middlesex |
1680 |
1735 |
Acushnet |
Bristol |
1659 |
1860 |
Adams |
Berkshire |
1762 |
1778 |
AGAWAM |
Hampden |
1635 |
1855 |
Alford |
Berkshire |
1740 |
1773 |
AMESBURY |
Essex |
1654 |
1668 |
AMHERST |
Hampshire |
1703 |
1775 |
Andover |
Essex |
1642 |
1646 |
Aquinnah |
Dukes |
1669 |
1870 |
Arlington |
Middlesex |
1630 |
1807 |
Ashburnham |
Worcester |
1736 |
1765 |
Ashby |
Middlesex |
1676 |
1767 |
Ashfield |
Franklin |
1743 |
1765 |
Ashland |
Middlesex |
1750 |
1846 |
Athol |
Worcester |
1735 |
1762 |
ATTLEBORO |
Bristol |
1634 |
1694 / 1914 |
Auburn |
Worcester |
1714 |
1778 |
Avon |
Norfolk |
1700 |
1888 |
Ayer |
Middlesex |
1668 |
1871 |
Barnstable |
1637 |
1638 |
|
Barre |
Worcester |
1720 |
1774 |
Becket |
Berkshire |
1740 |
1765 |
Bedford |
Middlesex |
1640 |
1729 |
Belchertown |
Hampshire |
1731 |
1761 |
Bellingham |
Norfolk |
1713 |
1719 |
Belmont |
Middlesex |
1636 |
1859 |
Berkley |
Bristol |
1638 |
1735 |
Berlin |
Worcester |
1665 |
1812 |
Bernardston |
Franklin |
1738 |
1762 |
BEVERLY |
Essex |
1626 |
1668 / 1894 |
Billerica |
Middlesex |
1637 |
1655 |
Blackstone |
Worcester |
1662 |
1845 |
Blandford |
Hampden |
1735 |
1741 |
Bolton |
Worcester |
1682 |
1738 |
BOSTON* |
Suffolk |
1625 |
1630 / 1822 |
Bourne |
Barnstable |
1640 |
1884 |
Boxborough |
Middlesex |
1680 |
1835 |
Boxford |
Essex |
1645 |
1685 |
Boylston |
Worcester |
1705 |
1785 |
BRAINTREE |
Norfolk |
1634 |
1640 |
Brewster |
Barnstable |
1656 |
1803 |
BRIDGEWATER |
Plymouth |
1650 |
1656 |
Brighton |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1806 annexed to Boston 1/5/1874 |
Brimfield |
Hampden |
1706 |
1731 |
BROCKTON* |
Plymouth |
1700 |
1821 / 1881 |
Brookfield |
Worcester |
1664 |
1718 |
Brookline |
Norfolk |
1638 |
1705 |
Buckland |
Franklin |
1779 |
1779 |
Burlington |
Middlesex |
1641 |
1799 |
Middlesex |
1630 |
1636 / 1846 |
|
Canton |
Norfolk |
1630 |
1797 |
Carlisle |
Middlesex |
1650 |
1780 |
Carver |
Plymouth |
1660 |
1790 |
Charlemont |
Franklin |
1742 |
1765 |
CHARLESTOWN |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1630 / 1847 annexed to Boston 1873 |
Charlton |
Worcester |
1735 |
1775 |
Chatham |
Barnstable |
1665 |
1712 |
Chelmsford |
Middlesex |
1633 |
1655 |
CHELSEA |
Suffolk |
1624 |
1739 / 1857 |
Cheshire |
Berkshire |
1766 |
1793 |
Chester |
Hampden |
1760 |
1765 |
Chesterfield |
Hampshire |
1760 |
1762 |
CHICOPEE |
Hampden |
1652 |
1848 / 1890 |
Chilmark |
Dukes |
1671 |
1714 |
Clarksburg |
Berkshire |
1764 |
1798 |
Clinton |
Worcester |
1654 |
1850 |
Cohasset |
Norfolk |
1647 |
1775 |
Colrain |
Franklin |
1735 |
1761 |
Concord |
Middlesex |
1635 |
1635 |
Conway |
Franklin |
1762 |
1775 |
Cummington |
Hampshire |
1762 |
1779 |
Berkshire |
1755 |
1784 |
|
Dana |
1800-1938 extinct-Quabbin Reservoir |
||
Danvers |
Essex |
1636 |
1775 |
Dartmouth |
Bristol |
1650 |
1664 |
Dedham* |
Norfolk |
1635 |
1636 |
Deerfield |
Franklin |
1673 |
1677 |
Dennis |
Barnstable |
1639 |
1793 |
Dighton |
Bristol |
1678 |
1712 |
Douglas |
Worcester |
1721 |
1775 |
Dorchester |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1630 annexed to Boston 1/3/ 1870 |
Dover |
Norfolk |
1635 |
1836 |
Dracut |
Middlesex |
1664 |
1701 |
Dudley |
Worcester |
1714 |
1732 |
Dunstable |
Middlesex |
1656 |
1673 |
Duxbury |
Plymouth |
1624 |
1637 |
Plymouth |
1649 |
1823 |
|
East Brookfield |
Worcester |
1664 |
1920 |
East Longmeadow |
Hampden |
1740 |
1894 |
Eastham |
Barnstable |
1644 |
1646 |
EASTHAMPTON |
Hampshire |
1664 |
1809 |
Easton |
Bristol |
1694 |
1725 |
Edgartown* |
Dukes |
1642 |
1671 |
Egremont |
Berkshire |
1730 |
1775 |
Enfield |
1815-1938 extinct-Quabbin Reservoir |
||
Erving |
Franklin |
1801 |
1838 |
Essex |
Essex |
1634 |
1819 |
EVERETT |
Middlesex |
1630 |
1870 / 1892 |
Bristol |
1670 |
1812 |
|
FALL RIVER* |
Bristol |
1656 |
1803 / 1854 |
Falmouth |
Barnstable |
1660 |
1686 |
FITCHBURG* |
Worcester |
1730 |
1764 / 1872 |
Florida |
Berkshire |
1783 |
1805 |
Foxborough |
Norfolk |
1704 |
1778 |
FRAMINGHAM |
Middlesex |
1650 |
1700 / 2018 |
FRANKLIN |
Norfolk |
1660 |
1778 |
Freetown |
Bristol |
1675 |
1683 |
Worcester |
1764 |
1785 / 1923 |
|
Georgetown |
Essex |
1639 |
1838 |
Gill |
Franklin |
1776 |
1793 |
GLOUCESTER |
Essex |
1623 |
1642 / 1873 |
Goshen |
Hampshire |
1761 |
1781 |
Gosnold |
Dukes |
1641 |
1864 |
Grafton |
Worcester |
1718 |
1735 |
Granby |
Hampshire |
1727 |
1768 |
Granville |
Hampden |
1736 |
1775 |
Great Barrington |
Berkshire |
1726 |
1761 |
GREENFIELD* |
Franklin |
1686 |
1775 |
Greenwich |
1754-1938 extinct-Quabbin Reservoir |
||
Groton |
Middlesex |
1655 |
1655 |
Groveland |
Essex |
1639 |
1850 |
Hampshire |
1659 |
1661 |
|
Halifax |
Plymouth |
1670 |
1734 |
Hamilton |
Essex |
1638 |
1793 |
Hampden |
Hampden |
1741 |
1878 |
Hancock |
Berkshire |
1767 |
1776 |
Hanover |
Plymouth |
1649 |
1727 |
Hanson |
Plymouth |
1632 |
1820 |
Hardwick |
Worcester |
1737 |
1739 |
Harvard |
Worcester |
1704 |
1732 |
Harwich |
Barnstable |
1670 |
1694 |
Hatfield |
Hampshire |
1661 |
1670 |
HAVERHILL |
Essex |
1640 |
1641 / 1869 |
Hawley |
Franklin |
1760 |
1792 |
Heath |
Franklin |
1765 |
1785 |
Hingham |
Plymouth |
1633 |
1635 |
Hinsdale |
Berkshire |
1763 |
1804 |
Holbrook |
Norfolk |
1710 |
1872 |
Holden |
Worcester |
1723 |
1741 |
Holland |
Hampden |
1725 |
1835 |
Holliston |
Middlesex |
1659 |
1724 |
HOLYOKE |
Hampden |
1745 |
1850 / 1873 |
Hopedale |
Worcester |
1660 |
1886 |
Hopkinton |
Middlesex |
1715 |
1715 |
Hubbardston |
Worcester |
1734 |
1775 |
Hudson |
Middlesex |
1699 |
1866 |
Hull |
Plymouth |
1624 |
1644 |
Huntington |
Hampshire |
1769 |
1775 |
Hyde Park |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1868 annexed to Boston 1/1/ 1912 |
Essex |
1633 |
1634 |
|
Plymouth |
1620 |
1726 |
|
Plymouth |
1717 |
1853 |
|
Lancaster |
Worcester |
1643 |
1653 |
Lanesborough |
Berkshire |
1753 |
1765 |
LAWRENCE* |
Essex |
1655 |
1847 / 1853 |
Lee |
Berkshire |
1760 |
1777 |
Leicester |
Worcester |
1713 |
1714 |
Lenox |
Berkshire |
1750 |
1775 |
LEOMINSTER |
Worcester |
1653 |
1740 / 1915 |
Leverett |
Franklin |
1713 |
1774 |
Lexington |
Middlesex |
1640 |
1713 |
Leyden |
Franklin |
1738 |
1809 |
Lincoln |
Middlesex |
1650 |
1754 |
Littleton |
Middlesex |
1686 |
1715 |
Longmeadow |
Hampden |
1644 |
1783 |
LOWELL* |
Middlesex |
1653 |
1826 / 1836 |
Ludlow |
Hampden |
1751 |
1775 |
Lunenburg |
Worcester |
1721 |
1728 |
LYNN |
Essex |
1629 |
1629 / 1850 |
Lynnfield |
Essex |
1638 |
1814 |
Middlesex |
1640 |
1649 / 1881 |
|
Manchester-by-the-Sea |
Essex |
1629 |
1645 |
Mansfield |
Bristol |
1659 |
1775 |
Marblehead |
Essex |
1629 |
1649 |
Marion |
Plymouth |
1679 |
1852 |
MARLBOROUGH |
Middlesex |
1657 |
1660 / 1890 |
Marshfield |
Plymouth |
1632 |
1640 |
Mashpee |
Barnstable |
1660 |
1870 |
Mattapoisett |
Plymouth |
1750 |
1857 |
Maynard |
Middlesex |
1638 |
1871 |
Medfield |
Norfolk |
1649 |
1651 |
MEDFORD |
Middlesex |
1630 |
1630 / 1892 |
Medway |
Norfolk |
1657 |
1713 |
MELROSE |
Middlesex |
1629 |
1850 / 1899 |
Mendon |
Worcester |
1660 |
1667 |
Merrimac |
Essex |
1638 |
1876 |
METHUEN |
Essex |
1642 |
1725 |
Middleborough |
Plymouth |
1660 |
1669 |
Middlefield |
Hampshire |
1780 |
1783 |
Middleton |
Essex |
1659 |
1728 |
Milford |
Worcester |
1662 |
1780 |
Millbury |
Worcester |
1716 |
1813 |
Millis |
Norfolk |
1657 |
1885 |
Millville |
Worcester |
1662 |
1916 |
Milton |
Norfolk |
1636 |
1662 |
Monroe |
Franklin |
1800 |
1822 |
Monson |
Hampden |
1715 |
1775 |
Montague |
Franklin |
1715 |
1775 |
Monterey |
Berkshire |
1739 |
1847 |
Montgomery |
Hampden |
1767 |
1780 |
Mount Washington |
Berkshire |
1692 |
1779 |
Essex |
1630 |
1853 |
|
Nantucket* |
Nantucket |
1641 |
1671 |
Natick |
Middlesex |
1718 |
1781 |
Needham |
Norfolk |
1680 |
1711 |
New Ashford |
Berkshire |
1762 |
1835 |
NEW BEDFORD* |
Bristol |
1640 |
1787 / 1847 |
New Braintree |
Worcester |
1709 |
1775 |
New Marlborough |
Berkshire |
1738 |
1775 |
New Salem |
Franklin |
1737 |
1775 |
Newbury |
Essex |
1635 |
1635 |
NEWBURYPORT* |
Essex |
1635 |
1764 / 1851 |
NEWTON |
Middlesex |
1639 |
1688 / 1873 |
Norfolk |
Norfolk |
1795 |
1870 |
NORTH ADAMS |
Berkshire |
1737 |
1878 / 1895 |
North Andover |
Essex |
1644 |
1855 |
NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH |
Bristol |
1669 |
1887 |
North Brookfield |
Worcester |
1664 |
1812 |
North Reading |
Middlesex |
1651 |
1853 |
NORTHAMPTON* |
Hampshire |
1654 |
1656 / 1883 |
Northborough |
Worcester |
1672 |
1775 |
Northbridge |
Worcester |
1704 |
1775 |
Northfield |
Franklin |
1673 |
1723 |
Norton |
Bristol |
1669 |
1711 |
Norwell |
Plymouth |
1634 |
1849 |
Norwood |
Norfolk |
1678 |
1872 |
Dukes |
1642 |
1880 |
|
Oakham |
Worcester |
1749 |
1775 |
Orange |
Franklin |
1746 |
1810 |
Orleans |
Barnstable |
1693 |
1797 |
Otis |
Berkshire |
1735 |
1773 |
Oxford |
Worcester |
1687 |
1713 |
Hampden |
1727 |
1775 |
|
Paxton |
Worcester |
1749 |
1775 |
PEABODY |
Essex |
1626 |
1868 / 1916 |
Pelham |
Hampshire |
1738 |
1743 |
Pembroke |
Plymouth |
1650 |
1712 |
Pepperell |
Middlesex |
1720 |
1775 |
Peru |
Berkshire |
1767 |
1771 |
Petersham |
Worcester |
1733 |
1754 |
Phillipston |
Worcester |
1751 |
1786 |
PITTSFIELD* |
Berkshire |
1752 |
1761 / 1891 |
Plainfield |
Hampshire |
1770 |
1807 |
Plainville |
Norfolk |
1661 |
1905 |
Plymouth* |
Plymouth |
1620 |
1620 |
Plympton |
Plymouth |
1662 |
1707 |
Prescott |
1821-1938 extinct-Quabbin Reservoir |
||
Princeton |
Worcester |
1743 |
1771 |
Provincetown |
Barnstable |
1700 |
1727 |
Norfolk |
1625 |
1792 / 1888 |
|
Norfolk |
1710 |
1793 |
|
Raynham |
Bristol |
1652 |
1731 |
Reading |
Middlesex |
1639 |
1644 |
Rehoboth |
Bristol |
1636 |
1645 |
REVERE |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1846 / 1914 |
Richmond |
Berkshire |
1760 |
1765 |
Rochester |
Plymouth |
1638 |
1686 |
Rockland |
Plymouth |
1673 |
1874 |
Rockport |
Essex |
1623 |
1840 |
Rowe |
Franklin |
1762 |
1785 |
Rowley |
Essex |
1638 |
1639 |
Roxbury |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1630 / 1846 annexed to Boston 1868 |
Royalston |
Worcester |
1762 |
1765 |
Russell |
Hampden |
1782 |
1792 |
Rutland |
Worcester |
1686 |
1713 |
Essex |
1626 |
1626 / 1836 |
|
Salisbury |
Essex |
1638 |
1639 |
Sandisfield |
Berkshire |
1750 |
1762 |
Sandwich |
Barnstable |
1630 |
1639 |
Saugus |
Essex |
1630 |
1815 |
Savoy |
Berkshire |
1777 |
1797 |
Scituate |
Plymouth |
1630 |
1636 |
Seekonk |
Bristol |
1636 |
1812 |
Sharon |
Norfolk |
1650 |
1775 |
Sheffield |
Berkshire |
1726 |
1733 |
Shelburne |
Franklin |
1756 |
1775 |
Sherborn |
Middlesex |
1652 |
1674 |
Shirley |
Middlesex |
1720 |
1775 |
Shrewsbury |
Worcester |
1722 |
1727 |
Shutesbury |
Franklin |
1735 |
1761 |
Somerset |
Bristol |
1677 |
1790 |
SOMERVILLE |
Middlesex |
1630 |
1842 / 1872 |
South Hadley |
Hampshire |
1659 |
1775 |
Southampton |
Hampshire |
1732 |
1775 |
Southborough |
Worcester |
1660 |
1727 |
SOUTHBRIDGE |
Worcester |
1730 |
1816 |
Southwick |
Hampden |
1770 |
1775 |
Spencer |
Worcester |
1721 |
1775 |
SPRINGFIELD* |
Hampden |
1636 |
1636 / 1852 |
Sterling |
Worcester |
1720 |
1781 |
Stockbridge |
Berkshire |
1734 |
1739 |
Stoneham |
Middlesex |
1645 |
1725 |
Stoughton |
Norfolk |
1713 |
1726 |
Stow |
Middlesex |
1681 |
1683 |
Sturbridge |
Worcester |
1729 |
1738 |
Sudbury |
Middlesex |
1638 |
1639 |
Sunderland |
Franklin |
1673 |
1718 |
Sutton |
Worcester |
1704 |
1714 |
Swampscott |
Essex |
1629 |
1852 |
Swansea |
Bristol |
1667 |
1667 |
Bristol |
1638 |
1639 / 1864 |
|
Templeton |
Worcester |
1751 |
1762 |
Tewksbury |
Middlesex |
1637 |
1734 |
Tisbury |
Dukes |
1660 |
1671 |
Tolland |
Hampden |
1750 |
1810 |
Topsfield |
Essex |
1635 |
1650 |
Townsend |
Middlesex |
1676 |
1732 |
Truro |
Barnstable |
1700 |
1709 |
Tyngsborough |
Middlesex |
1661 |
1809 |
Tyringham |
Berkshire |
1735 |
1762 |
Worcester |
1728 |
1735 |
|
Uxbridge |
Worcester |
1662 |
1727 |
Middlesex |
1639 |
1812 |
|
Wales |
Hampden |
1726 |
1775 |
Walpole |
Norfolk |
1659 |
1724 |
WALTHAM |
Middlesex |
1634 |
1738 / 1884 |
Ware |
Hampshire |
1717 |
1775 |
Wareham |
Plymouth |
1678 |
1739 |
Warren |
Worcester |
1664 |
1742 |
Warwick |
Franklin |
1739 |
1763 |
Washington |
Berkshire |
1760 |
1777 |
WATERTOWN |
Middlesex |
1630 |
1630 |
Wayland |
Middlesex |
1638 |
1780 |
Webster |
Worcester |
1713 |
1832 |
Wellesley |
Norfolk |
1660 |
1881 |
Wellfleet |
Barnstable |
1724 |
1775 |
Wendell |
Franklin |
1754 |
1781 |
Wenham |
Essex |
1635 |
1643 |
West Boylston |
Worcester |
1642 |
1808 |
West Bridgewater |
Plymouth |
1651 |
1822 |
West Brookfield |
Worcester |
1664 |
1848 |
West Newbury |
Essex |
1635 |
1819 |
West Roxbury |
Suffolk |
1630 |
1851 annexed to Boston 1/5/ 1874 |
WEST SPRINGFIELD |
Hampden |
1660 |
1774 |
West Stockbridge |
Berkshire |
1766 |
1775 |
West Tisbury |
Dukes |
1669 |
1892 |
Westborough |
Worcester |
1675 |
1717 |
WESTFIELD |
Hampden |
1660 |
1669 / 1920 |
Westford |
Middlesex |
1635 |
1729 |
Westhampton |
Hampshire |
1762 |
1778 |
Westminster |
Worcester |
1737 |
1770 |
Weston |
Middlesex |
1642 |
1713 |
Westport |
Bristol |
1670 |
1787 |
Westwood |
Norfolk |
1640 |
1897 |
WEYMOUTH |
Norfolk |
1630 |
1635 |
Whately |
Franklin |
1672 |
1771 |
Whitman |
Plymouth |
1670 |
1875 |
Wilbraham |
Hampden |
1730 |
1763 |
Williamsburg |
Hampshire |
1735 |
1771 |
Williamstown |
Berkshire |
1749 |
1765 |
Wilmington |
Middlesex |
1639 |
1730 |
Winchendon |
Worcester |
1753 |
1764 |
Winchester |
Middlesex |
1640 |
1850 |
Windsor |
Berkshire |
1767 |
1771 |
WINTHROP |
Suffolk |
1635 |
1852 |
WOBURN |
Middlesex |
1640 |
1642 / 1889 |
WORCESTER* |
Worcester |
1673 |
1684 / 1848 |
Worthington |
Hampshire |
1764 |
1768 |
Wrentham |
Norfolk |
1669 |
1673 |
Barnstable |
1639 |
1639 |
This information comes from the:
2010 Census Report
Community Profiles, Department of Housing and Community Development
Historic Atlas of Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts Press 1991
Historical Data Relating to Counties, Cities and Towns in Massachusetts 1997. Prepared by William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth and published by The New England Historic Genealogical Society.