Greater Boston

The most densely populated region in Massachusetts, Greater Boston is roughly bounded by the I-95 beltway, Boston Harbor, and Massachusetts Bay.

Cities

42°22′48″N 71°4′48″W

Map of Greater Boston

Inner core

Directly abutting Boston proper, these cities offer years of communal history and a multitude of shared transit options. To the casual visitor, it can be difficult to tell when you've left one town for another. Visitors can easily fill itineraries with just the offerings found here.

42.360278-71.0577781 Boston — The Hub of the Universe
42.331667-71.1216672 Brookline — a suburb tucked inside the city, ranging from urban bustle to peaceful streets and birthplace of John F. Kennedy
42.375-71.1061113 Cambridge — highly urbanized city across the Charles River from Boston; home to prestigious universities such as Harvard and MIT
42.3875-71.14 Somerville — Working Class city with a vibrant community of Blue Collar workers, immigrants, students and artists.

Northern suburbs

Connected to public transit, these destinations have expanded in popularity as rising housing prices push folks further and further from the city. You won't find many "must see" tourist sights, but reclaimed industrial spaces and the closeness of the ocean do offer options.

42.408333-71.0541675 Everett — working class city much like Chelsea, home to Encore Casino
42.425-71.0666676 Malden — suburban city along the Northeast Expressway, similar to Everett
42.418333-71.1066677 Medford — home to Tufts University.
42.408333-71.01258 Revere — home to Revere Beach
42.375-70.9833339 Winthrop — across the harbor from Logan Airport

Western suburbs

Similar to the northern suburbs, this collection of towns is also feeling the squeeze of the increasing Boston metro population. These places are generally leafy and exclusive, and are sometimes rooted in an agrarian heritage instead of an industrial background.

42.415278-71.15694410 Arlington — residential communities along Route 2 and close to Cambridge
42.444444-71.22511 Lexington — historic town, site of the first battle of the American Revolution
42.336944-71.20972212 Newton — upscale suburb directly west of Boston.
42.380596-71.23500513 Waltham — center of the Route 128 technology corridor, and home to Brandeis University and Bentley College
42.370833-71.18333314 Watertown — home to an Armenian immigrant community
42.296389-71.29305615 Wellesley — wealthy suburb, home to Wellesley and Babson Colleges
42.366667-71.30305616 Weston — one of the most affluent towns in the United States

Southern suburbs

Thoroughly suburban, this collection of towns boasts a proud colonial past. Today, their transit connections to Boston put these locations on the radar of many recent arrivals.

42.25-71.06666717 Milton — a wealthy suburb, home to Milton Academy, the Blue Hills Reservation, and former home of George H. W. Bush
42.283333-71.23333318 Needham — middle class residential suburb
42.25-7119 Quincy — "City of Presidents", home to the Adams family

Far northern suburbs

The main attractions in this area are its many large parks and lush green spaces.

42.525556-71.09583320 Reading - similar to Burlington, but further up 128
42.464722-71.01055621 Saugus - north of Malden, home to a lengthy commercial strip along Route 1 with anything you could ever want
42.48-71.122 Stoneham — a good zoo and some nice countryside here
42.506389-71.07333323 Wakefield — a commuter suburb along 128 with a 4 mile walking trail near the town center
42.479167-71.15277824 Woburn — wealthy suburbs along Route 3/Route 128/I-93

Other destinations

42.318611-70.9458331 Boston Harbor Islands — Where you can remove yourself from civilization without having to give up good cell phone reception.

Understand

Greater Boston is home to more than 110 institutions of higher education, including Harvard University in Cambridge, the nation's oldest.
Greater Boston has some of the oldest and most visited historic sites in the country.

Get in

By plane

42.363056-71.0063891 Boston Logan International Airport (BOS^IATA). Offering a wide variety of international and domestic carriers and serving over 25 million passengers a year, Boston Logan will be your best bet for finding the most direct and affordable route.

By train

42.351944-71.0552782 South Station, 700 Atlantic Ave. In the center of downtown Boston, this is the largest bus terminal and railroad station in New England. All northbound Amtrak and Commuter Rail trains, as well as all bus service ends here. The Acela Express connects with New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C..
42.3663-71.062223 North Station, 126 Causeway St. This railroad station in Boston's West End is the last stop for all southbound Amtrak and Commuter Rail lines. The massive sports arena TD Garden is built into the station. The Downeaster connects to Portland, Maine.

By car

Masspike — The Massachusetts Turnpike, Interstate 90, begins in the western part of the state at the border with New York and travels all the way to Logan National Airport. It’s an easy route from the New York Thruway or from Connecticut, by traveling through or around either Springfield or Worcester.
Route 128/I-95 — is the 70 mi (110 km) beltway that surrounds the Greater Boston region, separating the region from the rest of the state.
Other major highways in the area radiate from Boston in almost every direction. Route 2 in the northwest suburbs, Route 1 in the northeastern suburbs and Interstate 93 to the north and south.

Get around

See also: Boston#Get around

Mass Bay Transportation Authority, MBTA. Commuter rail service to Worcester, Providence and most of the Boston suburbs. Offers extensive bus and subway service throughout Boston and bordering cities.

Traffic congestion on the highways and major arterials are notoriously bad in this part of Massachusetts, even on the weekends, given the limited coverage of transit and bike networks in the area. Check travel times before heading out, and a GPS is quite useful for navigating the streets.

See

Parks

Boston Common
Boston Public Garden

Monuments

Holocaust Memorial

Museums

Museum of Science
New England Aquarium

Sports

Fenway Park

Itineraries

Black Heritage Trail — This trail covers ten sites important in American black history scattered throughout Boston's Beacon Hill.
Freedom Trail — Seventeen historical sites in downtown Boston that are crucial to understanding revolutionary era America.

Do

Boston Duck Tour
Freedom Trail

With children

42.35197-71.049681 Boston Children's Museum. (updated May 2023)
42.35606-71.065792 Frog Pond. (updated May 2023)

Buy

42.34705-71.081741 The Prudential Center, 800 Boylston St, ☏ +1 617-236-3100. (updated May 2023)

Eat

Drink

Samuel Adams Brewery (Many locations). (updated May 2023)

Connect

Boston Public Library. (updated May 2023)

Go next

Merrimack Valley — Along the mighty Merrimack river you'll find 19th-century industrial mill towns blended with modern suburbs, rural farms, and quaint orchards.
North Shore — A charming collection of wealthy towns and fishing villages; this region's many beaches make it a notable summer destination.
MetroWest — As the name implies, this is a collection of commuter suburbs and superb historic attractions just west of Boston.
Bristol-Norfolk — A collection of forests, rural communities and bedroom suburbs on the way to Providence, Rhode Island.
South Shore — Stretching south to the Cape, it's here where you'll find the "Irish Riviera"; a handful of beach communities nestled along the Atlantic.

This region travel guide to Greater Boston is an outline and may need more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. If there are Cities and Other destinations listed, they may not all be at usable status or there may not be a valid regional structure and a "Get in" section describing all of the typical ways to get here. Please plunge forward and help it grow!