Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston area, right across the Charles River from Boston. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Cambridge had a population of 118,403, making it the largest city in the county and the fourth-largest in Massachusetts.

The city was founded in December 1630 and was one of the first cities in the Thirteen Colonies. It played an important role during the American Revolution. In May 1775, American patriots gathered in Cambridge Common to organize their response to the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Later that year, George Washington came to Cambridge to lead the Continental Army, which helped trap British troops in Boston.

Cambridge is also home to two famous universities. Harvard University, founded in 1636, is the oldest college in the United States. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has a large campus in the city as well. In recent years, an area called Kendall Square near MIT has become a center for new technology and business companies.

History

Cambridge has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. Long before European settlers arrived, Native Americans lived along the Charles River. The area was home to the Naumkeag people from the Pawtucket Confederacy and the Massachusett people to the south.

In the 1630s, English settlers arrived and established a settlement called Newe Towne. It was chosen because it was safely upriver from Boston Harbor. In 1636, the first college in North America, Harvard College, was founded there. The town was later named Cambridge in honor of the University of Cambridge in England. Over time, parts of the original town became separate towns like Newton, Lexington, and Arlington.

During the American Revolution, General George Washington took command of the Continental Army in Cambridge. The city grew rapidly in the 19th century with new bridges and roads, becoming a center for literature and industry. Famous poets like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived there.

In the 20th century, Cambridge became known for its universities and technology. Harvard University and MIT played major roles in shaping the city. The area saw growth in technology companies and biotechnology, making it a hub for innovation and learning.

Geography

Cambridge is a city in Massachusetts, United States. It covers an area of 7.1 square miles, with 6.4 square miles of land and 0.7 square miles of water.

Adjacent municipalities

Cambridge is surrounded by several places:

• the city of Boston to the south and east (across the Charles River)
• the neighborhood of Charlestown, Boston to the east
• the city of Somerville to the north
• the town of Arlington to the northwest
• the town of Belmont
• the city of Watertown to the west

The border between Cambridge and Somerville passes through busy neighborhoods connected by the MBTA Red Line. Some main squares like Inman, Porter, and Harvard are close to the city line, along with Somerville's Union and Davis Squares.

Neighborhoods

Squares

Cambridge is known as the "City of Squares" because many of its commercial areas are at street intersections called squares. Each square is a neighborhood center.

Kendall Square is at the junction of Broadway, Main Street, and Third Street. It is known for many new ideas and inventions since 2010. Technology Square is a group of office and laboratory buildings nearby. It is served by the Kendall/MIT station on the MBTA Red Line. Big technology companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Apple have offices here.

Central Square is at the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Prospect Street, and Western Avenue. It has many different kinds of restaurants and has become more expensive in recent years. It is served by the Central Square stop on the MBTA Red Line.

Harvard Square is at the junction of Massachusetts Avenue, Brattle Street, Dunster Street, and JFK Street. This is where Harvard University is located and a major shopping area. It is served by the Harvard Square Red Line station.

Porter Square is about a mile north on Massachusetts Avenue from Harvard Square, at the junction of Massachusetts and Somerville Avenues. It includes part of Somerville and is served by the Porter Square Station.

Inman Square is at the junction of Cambridge and Hampshire streets. It has restaurants, bars, music venues, and shops.

Lechmere Square is at the junction of Cambridge and First streets, next to the CambridgeSide Galleria shopping mall. It is served by Lechmere station on the MBTA Green Line.

Other neighborhoods

The City of Cambridge officially recognizes 13 neighborhoods.

• East Cambridge is bordered by Somerville, the Charles River, Broadway, Main Street, and the Grand Junction Railroad tracks.
• MIT Campus is bordered by Broadway, the Charles River, and the Grand Junction Railroad tracks.
• Wellington-Harrington is bordered by Somerville, Hampshire Street, and the Grand Junction Railroad tracks.
• The Port is bordered by Hampshire Street, Massachusetts Avenue, Prospect Street, and the Grand Junction Railroad tracks.
• Cambridgeport is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, River Street, and the Grand Junction Railroad tracks.
• Mid-Cambridge is bordered by Kirkland and Hampshire Streets, Massachusetts Avenue, Peabody Street, and Prospect Street.
• Riverside is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, the Charles River, JFK Street, and River Street.
• Baldwin is bordered by Somerville, Kirkland Street, and Massachusetts Avenue.
• Neighborhood Nine or Radcliffe is bordered by railroad tracks, Concord Avenue, and Massachusetts Avenue.
• West Cambridge is bordered by Concord Avenue, Garden Street, the Charles River, Watertown, Fresh Pond, and the Collins Branch Library.
• North Cambridge is bordered by Arlington, Somerville, railroad tracks, Belmont, and Somerville.
• Cambridge Highlands is bordered by railroad tracks, Fresh Pond, and Belmont.
• Strawberry Hill is bordered by Fresh Pond, Watertown, Belmont, and the Watertown-Cambridge Greenway.

Gallery

Cambridge skyline in November 2016

• Areas of Cambridge

  Central Square

[Harvard Square](/wiki/Harvard_Square)

[Inman Square](/wiki/Inman_Square)

Climate

Cambridge has four distinct seasons. Summers are warm to hot, fall and spring are cool and rainy, and winter is cold with occasional snowstorms. Rain is common throughout the year, and snow often falls in winter. The average temperature in January is 26.6 °F (−3 °C).

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census in 2010, Cambridge had 105,162 people living there. The city had many different groups of people. Most were White (66.60%), with many also being Black or African American (11.70%) and Asian (15.10%, including Chinese, Asian Indian, Korean, and Japanese). Some people were from other races or a mix of races.

In 2010, about 16.9% of households had children under 18, and many people lived alone or in small groups. The median income for a household was $47,979, but about 12.9% of the population lived below the poverty line, including some children and older adults.

The city is sometimes called “The People’s Republic of Cambridge” by locals. It has a strong economy and a very good bond credit rating. In 2000, many residents had ancestry from Ireland, England, Italy, West Indies, and Germany. Most people spoke only English at home, but some spoke Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, French Creole, French, Korean, or Italian.

Income

See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income

Data is from the 2009–2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Economy

Cambridge has a strong economy, especially in technology and science. In the past, making things was a big part of the city's work. Today, famous schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University employ many people. Companies that make medicines and work with biology also have offices in Cambridge.

Many well-known technology companies have offices in Cambridge, including Analog Devices, Akamai, IBM Research, and Microsoft Research. The city is also home to many groups that help others and study important ideas, like the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. In 2021, Cambridge received a top rating for its finances from three big companies that check how well cities manage money. This helped keep taxes low for people living there.

Arts and culture

Cambridge is a wonderful place for art and culture. The city has many museums, including the Harvard Art Museum with its collections of different kinds of art, the Harvard Museum of Natural History with its famous Glass Flowers, and the MIT Museum. There are also special museums like the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology and the Semitic Museum, both at Harvard.

Cambridge has lots of public art. You can find art on city property, at the Community Art Center, and on the Harvard and MIT campuses. Every winter, there is a big art festival called the Cambridge River Festival along the Charles River. There are also street musicians in Harvard Square, especially in the warmer months.

The city has many beautiful old buildings, some from the 1600s! Harvard and MIT have built many modern buildings too, including some famous ones designed by well-known architects.

Cambridge has a lively music scene with many places to listen to different kinds of music. Even though the city doesn’t have big parks, there are green spaces on the university campuses, like Harvard Yard and MIT's Great Lawn. Mount Auburn Cemetery and Fresh Pond Reservation offer more open space to explore.

Government

Cambridge is split between two U.S. congressional districts. The 5th district is represented by Katherine Clark, and the 7th by Ayanna Pressley. Elizabeth Warren is one of Massachusetts' U.S. senators and lives in Cambridge.

Cambridge has a mayor and a nine-member city council. The mayor is chosen by the council members from among themselves and chairs council meetings. The city manager, appointed by the council, handles daily operations. The council cannot give orders to city staff who report to the city manager.

Cambridge was once a county seat of Middlesex County, but county government was abolished in 1997. Some county services remain in Cambridge, while others moved to nearby cities.

Education

Cambridge is a special place for learning. It is home to many important schools and colleges.

Higher education

Some of the world’s most famous colleges and universities are in Cambridge, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Many winners of the very special Nobel Prize have studied or worked at these schools.

Primary and secondary public education

Cambridge has many public schools for children, organized by the Cambridge Public School District. There are elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools, including Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. There are also special charter schools like the Community Charter School of Cambridge.

Primary and secondary private education

Cambridge also has private schools, such as the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School and the International School of Boston. These schools offer different learning environments for families to choose from.

Media

See also: Media in Boston

Television

As part of the Metro Boston area, Cambridge gets its main TV stations from nearby Boston. These include WBTS-CD (NBC), WBZ-TV (CBS), WCVB-TV (ABC), and WFXT (Fox). The CW station, WLVI, is licensed to Cambridge. There are also other local stations you can watch. Cambridge is served by WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV, which are PBS stations. Several TV services offer cable, DSL, fiber, and satellite TV, along with Internet services like AT&T U-verse/DIRECTV, Comcast/Xfinity, and DISH Network.

Newspapers

Because Cambridge is close to Somerville, local news often covers both places. Cambridge has an online newspaper called Cambridge Day, started in 2015. It became a nonprofit group in 2024. Students from Harvard University publish newspapers such as The Harvard Crimson and The Harvard Independent, and students from MIT publish The Tech. The Boston Globe has a section called "Camberville" covering Cambridge and Somerville. The City of Cambridge’s Public Library has a digital archive of old local newspapers.

Radio

Cambridge is home to several radio stations, including some run by students.

Television and broadband

Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) has served the city since 1988. CCTV runs public access TV and three channels on the XFinity cable system (Comcast). The city has asked other cable companies to provide service, but Comcast is still the main TV and Internet provider, though satellite TV services are also available. In October 2014, Cambridge’s City Manager set up a group to look at ways to improve TV and Internet service for people living there.

Infrastructure

Further information: List of tallest buildings in Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge has many important services to help people live comfortably. The city provides cable TV through XFINITY, electricity and natural gas through Eversource Energy, and telephone service through Harvard University, MIT, and Verizon. Cambridge also runs its own public TV channel called Cambridge Community Television.

The city gets its water from nearby rivers and reservoirs, treating it at a plant before sending it to homes. Cambridge also connects to a larger water system for extra supply when needed. Sewer service is handled through a network that connects to a treatment plant in Boston Harbor.

Cambridge has many roads, including MA-2, MA-3, MA-16, MA-28, and US-3. The city is also served by several public transportation options. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority runs trains and buses, with stations like Porter, Lechmere, Alewife, Harvard, Central, and Kendall Square/MIT. There are also special shuttles supported by local companies and the city government.

Cycling is popular in Cambridge, with many bike paths along the Charles River and other streets. Walking is also common, with many people choosing to walk to work. The city has several historic areas that are friendly for pedestrians.

The city is protected by the Cambridge Police Department, with help from state police and university police forces. The Cambridge Fire Department provides fire safety services, and emergency medical care is available through a private service called PRO EMS. The Cambridge Public Library offers many resources and has several branches across the city.

Sister cities and twin towns

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the United States

Cambridge has several sister cities with active partnerships. These include:

• Coimbra, Portugal (1982)
• Gaeta, Italy (1982)
• Tsukuba, Japan (1983)
• San José Las Flores, El Salvador (1987)
• Yerevan, Armenia (1987)
• Galway, Ireland (1997)
• Les Cayes, Haiti (2014)
• Huế, Vietnam

Cambridge also has ten additional sister city relationships that are no longer active.

Notable people

Cambridge, Massachusetts has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some well-known individuals from the city include actors like Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, and Sam Waterston. Other notable residents include poets such as E.E. Cummings and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, as well as scientists like Eric Allin Cornell, who won a Nobel Prize. The city has also seen famous athletes, authors, and leaders grow up or live there over the years.