Boston

Boston is the capital and most populous city in the <a href="/facts/Commonwealth_(U.S._state)/Qbw83wwD">Commonwealth</a> of <a href="/facts/Massachusetts/9uumCbFI">Massachusetts</a> in the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>. The city serves as the cultural and <a href="/facts/Financial_centre/aGWvLxWC">financial center</a> of <a href="/facts/New_England/ufw2BmSl">New England</a>, a region of the <a href="/facts/Northeastern_United_States/Xa8zQlkM">Northeastern United States</a>. It has an area of 48.4 sq mi (125 km2) and a population of 675,647 as of the <a href="/facts/2020_United_States_census/dTEm5TRr">2020 census</a>, making it the third-largest city in the Northeastern United States after <a href="/facts/New_York_City/YlyvFmVC">New York City</a> and <a href="/facts/Philadelphia/2bFFCCTU">Philadelphia</a>. The larger <a href="/facts/Greater_Boston/cF49dxCK">Greater Boston</a> metropolitan statistical area has a population of 4.9 million as of 2023, making it the largest metropolitan area in New England and the <a href="/facts/Metropolitan_statistical_area/Y2yX0KJg">eleventh-largest</a> in the country.
Boston was founded on <a href="/facts/Shawmut_Peninsula/qfxnSone">Shawmut Peninsula</a> in 1630 by English <a href="/facts/Puritans/BJQsWCfT">Puritan</a> settlers, who named the city after the market town of <a href="/facts/Boston,_Lincolnshire/JLIkK4To">Boston, Lincolnshire</a> in England. During the <a href="/facts/American_Revolution/zy1F0LxK">American Revolution</a> and <a href="/facts/American_Revolutionary_War/8MxJNtcU">Revolutionary War</a>, Boston was home to several seminal events, including the <a href="/facts/Boston_Massacre/fCtmFbub">Boston Massacre</a> (1770), the <a href="/facts/Boston_Tea_Party/Fh0orPTu">Boston Tea Party</a> (1773), <a href="/facts/Paul_Revere%27s_midnight_ride/7nrBFXkv">Paul Revere's midnight ride</a> (1775), the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill/AgT23lvk">Battle of Bunker Hill</a> (1775), and the <a href="/facts/Siege_of_Boston/HPMa5zfJ">Siege of Boston</a> (1775–1776). 
Following American independence from <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Great_Britain/5yBEtQIt">Great Britain</a>, the city played an important national role as a port, manufacturing hub, and education and culture center, and the city expanded significantly beyond the original <a href="/facts/Boston_Neck/aGclcjjK">peninsula</a> by filling in land and annexing neighboring towns. Boston's many firsts include the nation's first public park (<a href="/facts/Boston_Common/azSjry1e">Boston Common</a>, 1634), the first <a href="/facts/State_school/l0PkjUuJ">public school</a> (<a href="/facts/Boston_Latin_School/m2heaD5c">Boston Latin School</a>, 1635), and the first subway system (<a href="/facts/Tremont_Street_subway/rEVfDwfX">Tremont Street subway</a>, 1897).
Boston later emerged as a global leader in higher education and research and is the largest <a href="/facts/Biotechnology/8eFnI6FB">biotechnology</a> hub in the world as of 2023. The city is a national leader in scientific research, law, medicine, engineering, and business. With nearly 5,000 startup companies, the city is considered a global pioneer in <a href="/facts/Innovation/aa7hadLw">innovation</a>, <a href="/facts/Entrepreneurship/gr8E0Su2">entrepreneurship</a>, and <a href="/facts/Artificial_intelligence/lJGauQwX">artificial intelligence</a>. Boston's economy is led by <a href="/facts/Financial_centre/aGWvLxWC">finance</a>, professional and business services, <a href="/facts/Information_technology/glMzunwe">information technology</a>, and government. Boston households provide the highest average rate of <a href="/facts/Philanthropy/Xep5s0gd">philanthropy</a> in the nation as of 2013, and the city's businesses and institutions rank among the top in the nation for environmental <a href="/facts/Sustainability/9oYH9mAs">sustainability</a> and new investment.

Boston open-in-new

Boston