Cambridge | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto(s): | |
 Location of Cambridge in Middlesex County, Massachusetts | |
  Cambridge Location in Massachusetts  Cambridge Location in the United States  Cambridge Cambridge (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 42°22′25″N 71°06′38″W / 42.37361°N 71.11056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex |
| Region | New England |
| Settled | 1630 |
| Incorporated | 1636 |
| City | 1846 |
| Named for | University of Cambridge |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | E. Denise Simmons[2] |
| • Vice mayor | Marc C. McGovern |
| • City manager | Yi-An Huang |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.10 sq mi (18.40 km2) |
| • Land | 6.40 sq mi (16.57 km2) |
| • Water | 0.71 sq mi (1.83 km2) |
| Elevation | 40 ft (12 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 118,403 |
| • Density | 18,512.04/sq mi (7,147.01/km2) |
| • Demonym | Cantabrigian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 02138-02142 |
| Area code | 617 / 857 |
| FIPS code | 25-11000 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0617365 |
| Website | cambridgema |
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Cambridge (/ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/[4] KAYM-brij) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the most populous city in the county, the fourth-largest in Massachusetts behind Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, and ninth-most populous in New England.[5] The city was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, which was an important center of the Puritan theology that was embraced by the town's founders.[6]: 18
Harvard University, an Ivy League university founded in Cambridge in 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Lesley University, and Hult International Business School also are based in Cambridge.[7] Radcliffe College, a women's liberal arts college, was based in Cambridge from its 1879 founding until its assimilation into Harvard in 1999.
Kendall Square, near MIT in the eastern part of Cambridge, has been called "the most innovative square mile on the planet" due to the high concentration of startup companies that have emerged there since 2010.[8]
Founded in December 1630 during the colonial era, Cambridge was one among the first cities established in the Thirteen Colonies, and it went on to play a historic role during the American Revolution.
In May 1775, approximately 16,000 American patriots assembled in Cambridge Common to begin organizing a military retaliation against British troops following the Battles of Lexington and Concord. On July 2, 1775, two weeks after the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia formally established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington commander of it, Washington arrived at Cambridge Common to take command of the Patriot soldiers camped there. Many of these soldiers played a role in supporting Washington's successful Siege of Boston, which trapped garrisoned British troops from moving by land, forcing the British to ultimately abandon Boston. Cambridge Common is thus celebrated as the birthplace of the Continental Army.[9][10]
- ^ Cambridge Historical Commission. "Frequently Asked Questions". City of Cambridge. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
- ^ Levy, Marc (January 1, 2024). "Simmons and McGovern return as mayoral team after Cambridge inaugural is disrupted by protest". Cambridge Day.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 28, 2022. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
- ^ "Cambridge". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States". USDOC. Population, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ^ Degler, Carl Neumann (1984). Out of Our Pasts: The Forces That Shaped Modern America. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-131985-3. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2009.
- ^ "World Reputation Rankings". Times Higher Education. April 21, 2016. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2016.[title missing]
- ^ "Kendall Square Initiative". MIT. Archived from the original on January 17, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ "July 3, 1775: George Washington takes command of Continental Army" Archived February 20, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, History.com
- ^ "Cambridge", George Washington's Mount Vernon website