Haverhill, Massachusetts

Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill from across the Merrimack River
Haverhill from across the Merrimack River
Flag of Haverhill, Massachusetts
Official seal of Haverhill, Massachusetts
Nickname: 
"The Queen Slipper City"
Location in Essex County, Massachusetts
Haverhill is located in Massachusetts
Haverhill
Haverhill
Location in Massachusetts
Haverhill is located in the United States
Haverhill
Haverhill
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 42°47′N 71°5′W / 42.783°N 71.083°W / 42.783; -71.083
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Settled1640
Incorporated1641
Incorporated (city)1870
Named forHaverhill, Suffolk
Government
 • TypeMayor-council city (Strong Mayor)
 • MayorMelinda Barrett
Area
 • Total35.70 sq mi (92.45 km2)
 • Land33.04 sq mi (85.56 km2)
 • Water2.66 sq mi (6.89 km2)
Elevation
50 ft (20 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total67,787
 • Density2,051.91/sq mi (792.24/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
01830–01832, 01835
Area code351/978
FIPS code25-29405
GNIS feature ID0612607
Websitewww.haverhillma.gov

Haverhill (/ˈhvrɪl/ HAY-vril) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles (56 km) north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles (27 km) from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States census.[2]

Located on the Merrimack River, Haverhill began as a farming community of Puritans, largely from Newbury Plantation. The land was officially purchased from the Pentuckets on November 15, 1642 (one year after incorporation) for three pounds, ten shillings.[3][4] Pentucket was renamed Haverhill (after the Ward family's hometown in England) and evolved into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Haverhill developed woolen mills, tanneries, shipping and shipbuilding. The town was home to a significant shoe-making industry for many decades. By the end of 1913, one tenth of the shoes produced in the United States were made in Haverhill, and because of this the town was known during the time as the "Queen Slipper City".

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Haverhill city, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  3. ^ The History of Haverhill, Massachusetts by George Wingate Chase, pp. 46, 47
  4. ^ COCO+CO. (August 21, 2016). "How Haverhill Was Really Founded". WHAV. Retrieved March 29, 2017.