Essex County, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Essex County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: The Crane Estate in Ipswich; Heron in the Great Salt Marsh; The John Hale House in Beverly; Eaglehead in Manchester-by-the-Sea
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Founded	1643
Named for	Essex, England
Seat	Salem and Lawrence
Largest city	Lynn
Area
• Total	828 sq mi (2,140 km2)
• Land	493 sq mi (1,280 km2)
• Water	336 sq mi (870 km2)  41%%
Population  (2020)
• Total	809,829
• Density	1,643/sq mi (634/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	3rd, 6th

Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of Massachusetts, a state in the United States. In 2020, over 809,000 people lived here, making it the third-most populated county in Massachusetts. It is also one of the most populated counties in the entire country.

Essex County is part of the larger Greater Boston area. The biggest city in the county is Lynn. The county was named after Essex, a county in England.

Essex County has two traditional county seats: Salem and Lawrence. Even though the county government was dissolved in 1999, these cities still hold historical importance. The county itself is recognized as the Essex National Heritage Area by the National Park Service.

History of Essex County

This old drawing from 1812 shows how voting areas were shaped strangely in Essex County. This led to the word gerrymander.

Essex County was created on May 10, 1643, by the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It was one of the first four "sheires" (counties) in the colony.

The county was named after Essex in England. At first, it included towns like Salem, Lynn, Ipswich, and Andover. Later, in 1680, more towns like Haverhill and Amesbury joined Essex County. Over many years, these towns were divided into the cities and towns we know today.

A famous word, gerrymandering, came from Essex County. Elbridge Gerry, who was born in Marblehead, created a strangely shaped voting district in 1812. This was done to help his political party win elections. People thought the district looked like a monster, and that's how the term "gerrymander" was born.

Geography of Essex County

Essex County is shaped a bit like a diamond. It is located in the northeastern corner of Massachusetts.

The county covers about 828 square miles. About 493 square miles are land, and 336 square miles are water. This means a large part of the county, about 41%, is covered by water.

Essex County is next to Rockingham County, New Hampshire to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. To the south is Suffolk County, and to the west is Middlesex County.

Neighboring Counties

• Middlesex County (west)
• Suffolk County (south)
• Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (northwest)
• Rockingham County, New Hampshire (north)

Getting Around Essex County

Several major roads pass through Essex County, making it easy to travel. These include:

• I‑93
• I‑95
• I‑495
• US 1
• Route 1A
• Route 128

There are also two regional airports in the county: Lawrence Municipal Airport and Beverly Municipal Airport. For bigger flights, people use Logan Airport in Boston or Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire.

Public transportation is available too. The MBTA commuter rail has two lines, the Haverhill Line and the Newburyport Line, which connect to Boston. There are also MBTA buses and the MVRTA bus company, which serves the Merrimack Valley area of Essex County.

Special Protected Areas

Essex County has a very rich history. Because of this, the entire county has been named the Essex National Heritage Area by the National Park Service. This means the area's history and nature are protected and celebrated.

Other important protected areas include:

• Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
• Salem Maritime National Historic Site
• Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
• Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge

People of Essex County

In 2010, there were about 743,159 people living in Essex County. The population density was about 1,509 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were White (81.9%). Other groups included Black or African American (3.8%), Asian (3.1%), and American Indian (0.4%). About 16.5% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many people in Essex County have Irish (23.3%), Italian (17.1%), or English (12.6%) backgrounds.

The average age of people in Essex County was 40.4 years. About 32.9% of households had children under 18 living with them.

Education in Essex County

Essex County has many schools and libraries for students of all ages.

School Districts

Here are some of the school districts in Essex County:

K-12 (Kindergarten to 12th Grade):

Secondary (High School):

• Masconomet School District

Elementary (Primary School):

• Boxford School District
• Middleton School District
• Nahant School District
• Topsfield School District

High Schools

Public High Schools

Technical High Schools

These schools offer special training for jobs and careers.

Private High Schools

Colleges and Universities

After high school, students can attend these higher education institutions:

Libraries

Essex County has many libraries that are part of larger networks:

• Merrimack Valley Library Consortium
• North of Boston Library Exchange

Economy of Essex County

Jobs and Businesses

In 2015, over 282,000 people worked in Essex County. The biggest employer in the county is Massachusetts General Hospital, which has more than 5,000 employees.

Banks

The largest banks in Essex County, based on how much money people have deposited, include:

• TD Bank, N.A.
• Salem Five Cents Bank
• Institution for Savings
• Bank of America
• Eastern Bank

Essex National Heritage Area

The Essex National Heritage Area (ENHA) was officially recognized by the U.S. Congress in 1996. This special area covers all of Essex County, about 500 square miles. It stretches from the Atlantic Coast to the Merrimack Valley.

The ENHA includes 34 cities and towns. It also has thousands of historic places that tell the story of early colonial settlements, the growth of industries like shoe-making and textiles, and the history of maritime activities like fishing and trade.

The Essex National Heritage Commission is a non-profit group that works to protect and promote the history, culture, and natural beauty of the ENHA. They help people connect with the special places in Essex County through various projects and events.

Cities and Towns of Essex County

Here are the different communities you can find in Essex County:

Cities

Towns

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are recognized for census purposes but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns.

Other Villages

These are smaller communities or neighborhoods within the towns.

Images for kids

• 

  The Crane Estate in Ipswich

• 

  A Great Blue Heron in the Great Salt Marsh

• 

  The John Hale House in Beverly

• 

  Eaglehead in Manchester-by-the-Sea

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Essex (Massachusetts) para niños