Middlesex County, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Middlesex County
County
Images, from top down, left to right: The Great Dome at MIT; Hartwell Tavern in Minute Man National Historical Park; Historic buildings of the Lowell mills; Walden Pond in Concord
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Founded	May 10, 1643
Named for	Middlesex, England
Seat	Lowell and Cambridge (de jure)
Largest city	Cambridge
Area
• Total	847 sq mi (2,190 km2)
• Land	818 sq mi (2,120 km2)
• Water	29 sq mi (80 km2)  3.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,632,002
• Density	1,996/sq mi (771/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th

Middlesex County is a county in Massachusetts, United States. Massachusetts is called a "Commonwealth," which is just another name for a state. In 2020, over 1.6 million people lived here. This makes it the most populated county in Massachusetts and all of New England. It is also the 22nd most populated county in the entire United States.

Middlesex County is a very important area. It is part of the larger Boston–Cambridge–Newton area. This region is a major center for jobs and living.

Even though it's a county, Middlesex County doesn't have its own executive government anymore. This government was ended on July 11, 1997. However, the county still exists as a geographic area. It is used for things like court districts and elections. Weather alerts from the National Weather Service also use county lines.

History of Middlesex County

Middlesex County was created a long time ago, on May 10, 1643. The government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony decided to divide the area into four "shires," which are like counties.

When it was first formed, Middlesex County included towns like Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, and Concord. In 1649, the first office for keeping land records was set up in Cambridge.

A very important event happened in Middlesex County on April 19, 1775. This was the location of the first armed fight of the American Revolutionary War. This battle helped start the war for American independence.

Over time, some cities and towns from Middlesex County became part of Boston. This changed the county's shape a bit. Before the county government ended, Middlesex County had two main areas for its offices. The northern part had its main office in Lowell. The larger southern part had its main office in Cambridge.

Today, many of the county offices are spread out in different towns. For example, the main courthouse is now in Woburn. The Sheriff's Office is in Medford.

How Middlesex County is Governed Today

Even though the main county government was ended, some important jobs still exist. These jobs help keep records and manage the court system. For example, records of land ownership are still kept in two offices.

People in Middlesex County also elect several officials. These include the Sheriff, who manages the county jails. They also elect the District Attorney, who works on legal cases. These officials are elected for six-year terms.

In Massachusetts, most government services are handled by the cities and towns themselves. This means things like schools, roads, and collecting taxes are managed by your local city or town government, not the county.

Here are some of the elected officials who serve Middlesex County:

Geography of Middlesex County

Middlesex County covers about 847 square miles. Most of this area is land, with about 29 square miles of water. It is the third-largest county in Massachusetts by land area.

The Charles River forms part of its southeastern border. Other important rivers that flow through the county include the Merrimack, Nashua, and Concord rivers.

The southern part of the county is often called the MetroWest region.

Neighboring Counties

Middlesex County shares borders with several other counties:

• Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (to the north)
• Essex County (to the northeast)
• Suffolk County (to the southeast)
• Norfolk County (to the south)
• Worcester County (to the west)

Major Roads in Middlesex County

Many important roads and highways pass through Middlesex County, connecting its towns and cities. These include major interstates like I-90, I-93, I-95, and I-495. Several U.S. Routes and Massachusetts Routes also cross the county, making it easy to travel around.

Protected Natural Areas

Middlesex County is home to several national protected areas. These places help protect nature and history. They include:

• Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
• Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
• Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
• Lowell National Historical Park
• Minute Man National Historical Park
• Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge (part of it)

Population and People

Middlesex County has grown a lot over the years. In 1790, about 42,000 people lived here. By 2020, the population had grown to over 1.6 million!

In 2010, the county had over 1.5 million people. Most people were white (80%), but there were also many Asian (9.3%) and Black or African American (4.7%) residents. People from other backgrounds also live here, making it a diverse place. About 6.5% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many different cultures are represented in Middlesex County. The largest ancestry groups include:

Most people in Middlesex County speak English (79.6%). Other languages spoken include Spanish (4.3%), Portuguese (2.7%), Italian (1.6%), Chinese (1.6%), and French (1.5%).

Middlesex County has the largest population of Irish-Americans of any county in the U.S.

Law Enforcement

The main law enforcement agency for Middlesex County is the Middlesex Sheriff's Office. This office is mostly in charge of the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail in Billerica. They used to run another jail in Cambridge, but it closed in 2014.

Middlesex Sheriff's Office
Patch of the Middlesex Sheriff's Office
Abbreviation	MSO
Agency overview
Formed	1692; 333 years ago (1692)
Employees	800
Annual budget	$60 Million
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction	Massachusetts, U.S.
Legal jurisdiction	County of Middlesex, Massachusetts
General nature	Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Medford, Massachusetts
Sheriff responsible	Peter Koutoujian
Facilities
Lockups	2
Patrol Vehicles	Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

The Sheriff's Office also handles civil processes, which are legal papers. They also run community programs to help prevent crime. The job of sheriff in Middlesex County started in 1692, making it one of the oldest law enforcement groups in the U.S. The sheriff is elected by the people for a six-year term.

Cities and Towns in Middlesex County

1889 map of Middlesex County

Map of Middlesex County, with Cambridge highlighted

Middlesex County has many different communities. Most of them are called "towns" and have a special New England style of government. Others are called "cities." Villages listed below are parts of larger cities or towns and do not have their own separate governments.

Cities in Middlesex County

Towns in Middlesex County

Other Communities and Neighborhoods

Middlesex County also has many smaller communities and neighborhoods. Some of these are called "Census-designated places" (CDPs). This means the U.S. Census Bureau counts them as separate areas for statistics. Other areas are just villages or neighborhoods within a larger city or town.

Here are some of these communities:

Education in Middlesex County

Middlesex County has many school districts for students of all ages. These districts provide education from kindergarten through 12th grade. There are also schools just for high school or just for elementary school.

School Districts (K-12)

High School Districts

• Concord-Carlisle School District
• Dover-Sherborn School District
• Lincoln-Sudbury School District

Elementary School Districts

Colleges and Universities

Middlesex County is also home to some very famous colleges and universities. These include:

• Harvard University (in Cambridge)
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (in Cambridge)
• Framingham State University (in Framingham)

Culture in Middlesex County

Middlesex County has a rich culture. It is home to the Middlesex County Volunteers. This is a fife and drum corps, which is a musical group that plays old instruments like fifes and drums. They play music from the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

The group was started in 1982. They perform all over New England and have even played at the Boston Pops. They have also traveled to other countries, like the British Isles and Western Europe. They even performed in Sydney, Australia!

Images for kids

• 

  Patch of the Middlesex Sheriff's Office

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Middlesex (Massachusetts) para niños