Amherst, Massachusetts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amherst, Massachusetts
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| Town of Amherst | |||
   _-_IMG_6526.JPG)  Left-right from top: Downtown Amherst, Congregational Church in North Amherst, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Town Hall, Downtown Amherst
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| Nickname(s):
"The People's Republic of Amherst"
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Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts
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 Amherst, Massachusetts
Location in Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
Location in the United States
Amherst, Massachusetts
Location in North America
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Hampshire | ||
| Settled | 1703 | ||
| Incorporated | February 13, 1759 | ||
| Named for | Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council–manager | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 27.7 sq mi (71.8 km2) | ||
| • Land | 27.6 sq mi (71.5 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 295 ft (90 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 39,263 | ||
| • Density | 1,422/sq mi (549.1/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) | ||
| ZIP Codes |
01002, 01003 (UMass), 01004 (post office boxes), 01059 (North Amherst post office; shared with Leverett)
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| Area code(s) | 413 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-01325 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0618195 | ||
Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It's located in the beautiful Connecticut River valley. Even though it's called "The Town of Amherst," it actually has a city-style government.
In 2020, about 39,263 people lived here. This makes Amherst the most populated place in Hampshire County. It's also home to three famous colleges: Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. These are part of a group called the Five College Consortium.
Amherst has three main areas: Amherst Center, North Amherst, and South Amherst. It's also part of the larger Springfield Metropolitan Area.
Contents
What's in a Name?
The name "Amherst" is usually said without the "h" sound, like "AM-erst." People who live here often say, "only the 'h' is silent." This saying also hints at how active the town's people are in politics!
A Look Back: Amherst's History
The land where Amherst now stands was first bought in December 1658. John Pynchon of Springfield bought it from three native people: Umpanchla, Quonquont, and Chickwalopp. They sold the land for "two Hundred fatham of Wampam" (a type of shell bead money) and other gifts.
Europeans first visited the area around 1665. The first permanent English settlers arrived in 1727. Amherst was part of Hadley until 1759, when it became its own town.
The colonial governor named the town "Amherst" after Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst. He was a British commander during the French and Indian War. He was very popular in New England at the time.
In 2009, Amherst celebrated its 250th anniversary! The town held many events, and a book called Amherst A to Z was published.
More recently, in 2021, the town council created the Amherst African Heritage Reparation Assembly. This group studies ways to help Black residents. In 2022, the town approved $2,000,000 to start these efforts.
Exploring Amherst's Geography
Amherst covers about 71.8 square kilometers (about 27.7 square miles). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. It shares borders with several other towns like Hadley and Sunderland.
The highest point in Amherst is on the side of Mount Norwottuck. This mountain is part of the Mount Holyoke Range.
Amherst has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters. The weather can change quite a bit throughout the year!
| Climate data for Amherst, Massachusetts, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 70 (21) |
78 (26) |
85 (29) |
93 (34) |
98 (37) |
101 (38) |
104 (40) |
100 (38) |
99 (37) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
72 (22) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 55.4 (13.0) |
57.1 (13.9) |
66.4 (19.1) |
80.6 (27.0) |
87.9 (31.1) |
94.6 (34.8) |
93.2 (34.0) |
91.2 (32.9) |
88.1 (31.2) |
78.3 (25.7) |
68.9 (20.5) |
58.5 (14.7) |
95.0 (35.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
37.0 (2.8) |
45.2 (7.3) |
58.2 (14.6) |
69.5 (20.8) |
78.0 (25.6) |
83.1 (28.4) |
81.5 (27.5) |
74.4 (23.6) |
64.9 (18.3) |
49.7 (9.8) |
39.2 (4.0) |
59.6 (15.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.9 (−4.5) |
26.2 (−3.2) |
34.7 (1.5) |
46.3 (7.9) |
57.5 (14.2) |
66.5 (19.2) |
71.7 (22.1) |
69.9 (21.1) |
62.3 (16.8) |
50.2 (10.1) |
39.4 (4.1) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
48.2 (9.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.8 (−10.1) |
15.3 (−9.3) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
34.4 (1.3) |
45.4 (7.4) |
55.0 (12.8) |
60.2 (15.7) |
58.3 (14.6) |
50.3 (10.2) |
38.6 (3.7) |
29.1 (−1.6) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
37.1 (2.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −5.7 (−20.9) |
−2.6 (−19.2) |
6.5 (−14.2) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
30.3 (−0.9) |
40.5 (4.7) |
49.5 (9.7) |
46.0 (7.8) |
35.5 (1.9) |
24.7 (−4.1) |
14.5 (−9.7) |
3.4 (−15.9) |
−8.4 (−22.4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −30 (−34) |
−27 (−33) |
−17 (−27) |
8 (−13) |
24 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
32 (0) |
25 (−4) |
12 (−11) |
−4 (−20) |
−22 (−30) |
−30 (−34) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.36 (85) |
2.93 (74) |
3.47 (88) |
3.79 (96) |
3.71 (94) |
4.46 (113) |
4.12 (105) |
4.12 (105) |
4.62 (117) |
4.74 (120) |
3.38 (86) |
3.89 (99) |
46.59 (1,182) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 8.1 (21) |
11.0 (28) |
7.3 (19) |
1.0 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.6 (4.1) |
7.5 (19) |
36.5 (93.6) |
| Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) | 7.3 (19) |
8.9 (23) |
7.0 (18) |
0.9 (2.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
1.2 (3.0) |
5.7 (14) |
11.8 (30) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.8 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 11.1 | 12.6 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 8.9 | 10.8 | 9.5 | 10.6 | 125.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.6 | 5.0 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 19.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People and Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1790 | 1,233 | — |
| 1800 | 1,258 | +2.0% |
| 1810 | 1,469 | +16.8% |
| 1820 | 1,917 | +30.5% |
| 1830 | 2,631 | +37.2% |
| 1840 | 2,550 | −3.1% |
| 1850 | 3,057 | +19.9% |
| 1860 | 3,206 | +4.9% |
| 1870 | 4,035 | +25.9% |
| 1880 | 4,298 | +6.5% |
| 1890 | 4,512 | +5.0% |
| 1900 | 5,028 | +11.4% |
| 1910 | 5,112 | +1.7% |
| 1920 | 5,550 | +8.6% |
| 1930 | 5,883 | +6.0% |
| 1940 | 6,410 | +9.0% |
| 1950 | 10,856 | +69.4% |
| 1960 | 13,718 | +26.4% |
| 1970 | 26,331 | +91.9% |
| 1980 | 33,229 | +26.2% |
| 1990 | 35,228 | +6.0% |
| 2000 | 34,874 | −1.0% |
| 2010 | 37,819 | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 39,263 | +3.8% |
| 2023* | 40,277 | +2.6% |
| * = population estimate Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data. |
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Amherst is home to many people, including a large number of students. In 2010, about 37,819 people lived here. Many of them are students from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire College.
The town is quite diverse. In 2010, about 76.9% of residents were White, 5.4% Black or African American, and 10.9% Asian. About 7.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
Many adults in Amherst have advanced degrees, with 41.7% having a graduate or professional degree. The biggest job sector in town is education, health, and social services.
Amherst's Economy
The main employers in Amherst are the colleges:
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Amherst College
- Hampshire College
Other important employers include the William D. Mullins Memorial Center and the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District.
Arts and Culture in Amherst
Amherst has many interesting places to visit:
- Amherst Cinema Arts Center: A non-profit movie theater that shows independent films.
- Amherst History Museum: Learn about the town's past here.
- Beneski Museum of Natural History: See cool exhibits, including dinosaur footprints!
- Emily Dickinson Museum: Visit the home of the famous poet, Emily Dickinson.
- Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: A museum dedicated to picture books and their creators.
- Hitchcock Center for the Environment: An education center focused on nature and the environment.
- Jones Library: The town's public library.
- Mead Art Museum: Located at Amherst College, it has a collection of 18,000 art pieces.
- W. E. B. Du Bois Library: At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it's the tallest academic library in the U.S.
Sports in Amherst
Amherst has a lively sports scene:
- The town hosted games during the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
- The Amherst Regional High School girls' basketball team from 1992–93 inspired a book called In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle.
- The University of Massachusetts Amherst's Ultimate Frisbee Team was ranked first in the country in 2017!
- The Amherst Invitational, started in 1992, is the oldest high school Ultimate Frisbee tournament in the United States.
Learning in Amherst
Amherst is part of the Amherst Regional School District. This district also includes the towns of Leverett, Pelham, and Shutesbury.
- Elementary Schools: Crocker Farm, Fort River, and Wildwood Elementary Schools serve students from kindergarten to 6th grade.
- Middle School: Students go to Amherst Regional Middle School for grades 7–8.
- High School: High school students attend Amherst Regional High School.
Amherst is also famous for its colleges:
- University of Massachusetts Amherst: This is a large public university.
- Amherst College: A private liberal arts college.
- Hampshire College: Another private liberal arts college.
Getting Around Amherst
Public Transportation
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) provides bus service around Amherst and the surrounding area. Students at the Five Colleges Consortium can ride the buses for free!
You can also find bus services like Peter Pan Bus Lines and Megabus for travel to other cities like Boston and New York City.
Train Travel
For train service, you can go to Northampton to catch the Vermonter train. More frequent train service to New York City and Washington, D.C. is available from Union Station in Springfield.
Airports
The closest major airport is Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, about an hour away. For bigger international flights, you can go to Logan International Airport (BOS) in Boston, which is about 90 miles away.
Famous People from Amherst
Many notable people have lived in or are from Amherst:
- Chinua Achebe (1930–2013): A famous writer who was a professor at the University of Massachusetts.
- Emily Dickinson (1830–1886): One of America's most celebrated poets, born and lived in Amherst.
- P. D. Eastman: A children's author and illustrator, known for books like Are You My Mother?.
- Robert Frost (1874–1963): A Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who taught at Amherst College.
- Helen Hunt Jackson (1830–1885): An author born in Amherst, known for her novel Ramona.
- Norton Juster: The author of the beloved children's book The Phantom Tollbooth.
- J Mascis: Singer and guitarist for the band Dinosaur Jr.
- Uma Thurman: An Oscar-nominated actress whose father taught at Amherst College.
- Noah Webster (1758–1843): The author of An American Dictionary of the English Language.
Sister Cities
Amherst has "sister city" relationships with other towns around the world:
- Kanegasaki, Japan
- La Paz Centro, Nicaragua
- Nyeri, Kenya
Images for kids
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A streetcar crosses Amherst Center around 1903.
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Mount Norwottuck in the fall.
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A view of Amherst in 1886.
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The Amherst skyline from the northwest.
See also
In Spanish: Amherst (Massachusetts) para niños
