Massachusetts New England town

massachusetts cities , towns. territory of state within bounds of municipal corporation.

massachusetts contains 351 municipal corporations, consisting of cities , towns. these 351 municipalities encompass entire territory of massachusetts; there no area outside bounds of municipality. using usual american terminology, there no unincorporated land in massachusetts.

of 351 municipalities, number cities , number towns matter of ambiguity. depending on source consulted, anywhere 39 53 cities. ambiguity result of questions around legal status of municipalities have since 1970s, through home-rule petition, adopted corporate charters approved state legislature forms of government resemble city government , not include elements traditionally associated town government (especially, board of selectmen , town meeting). of fourteen communities have done so, 3 call town in municipal operations, , referred residents towns , massachusetts secretary of commonwealth s office considers fourteen legally cities. other sources within state government refer fourteen municipalities towns, however. u.s. federal census bureau listed towns through 1990 census. 2000 census, listed federal government towns , cities, situation continues in census materials since 2000. massachusetts appears new england state issue has arisen, though other new england states have municipalities have adopted amounts city forms of government continue call towns . in other new england states, not appear need officially label such municipalities cities has been identified.

for purposes of determining largest town , smallest city , in article, 42 municipalities title cities recognized cities. includes 39 cities adopted city forms of government through pre-home rule procedures. other 309 municipalities in state treated towns below. same classification used identifying massachusetts cities on list of new england towns , attendant pages historical census population statistics.

for further information, see section of massachusetts government.

the largest municipality in massachusetts population city of boston (pop. 617,594).
the smallest city , not town palmer (pop. 12,140).
the largest town , not city framingham (pop. 68,318).
the smallest overall town of gosnold (pop. 75).
the largest municipality land area town of plymouth (96 square miles (250 km)).
the smallest town area town of nahant (1.24 square miles (3.2 km)).




^ massachusetts department of housing , community development. massachusetts communities operating under home rule charters (prepared , adopted under provisions of home rule amendment , m.g.l., c. 43b)
^ forms of municipal government . mma.org. retrieved 2013-11-28. 
^ massachusetts cities , towns secretary of commonwealth of massachusetts. retrieved january 14, 2007. of 2005, massachusetts state government identifies eleven municipalities cities call town of ____. municipalities are: agawam, amesbury, barnstable, easthampton, franklin, greenfield, methuen, southbridge, watertown, west springfield, , weymouth. see secretary of commonwealth: listing of counties , cities , towns within, indicates there 301 towns , 50 cities, , again specifying eleven cities call town of ___ , indicates courts recognize city attribution eleven municipalities. of these, easthampton, greenfield, , methuen of 2009 call cities, , since 2005, municipalities of braintree, palmer, , winthrop have adopted city forms of government.
^ [1] archived april 23, 2007, @ wayback machine.