According to Abbreviationfinder, with population of 6,949,503, Massachusetts is the 15th largest state among U.S. 50 states, and MA is the two letter abbreviation for Massachusetts. Here, we provide a list of major rivers and mountains in the state of Massachusetts.
Rivers in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a fairly water-rich U.S. state. Probably the largest and most important rivers are the Connecticut River in the west and the Merrimack River in the northeast – the Charles River flows through Boston.
Since the cities in Massachusetts were or are partially threatened by floods, the rivers had to be partially dammed or even diverted.
Charles River
The Charles River flows through Boston and flows into its port in the Atlantic. The river rises in Echo Lake in Hopkinton and flows through approximately 58 cities and towns in Massachusetts. The Charles River has a length of around 130 km – with its source and mouth only a little more than 40 km away from each other as the crow flies.
Merrimack River
The more than 175 km long Merrimack River is created by the confluence – the “Pemigewasset River”, which rises in the state of New Hampshire and the “Winnipesaukee River”, the outflow of Lake Winnipesaukee, which is also in New Hampshire – at the Franklin town in New Hampshire. The Merrimack River then flows into the Atlantic about 55 km north-northeast of Boston.
- COUNTRYAAH: Alphabetical list of all cities, towns and villages in Massachusetts, including biggest cities by population and capital city in the state of Massachusetts.
Mountains in Massachusetts
Mount Greylock State Reservation near North Adams
If you are good on foot and want to enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Berkshires, you should hike to the highest point in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock. If you have reached the summit at an altitude of around 1,100 m, you can see up to five states on sunny days! If you don’t want to climb quite as high, you can choose between shorter hiking trails in the Greylock State Reservation.
Massachusetts Lakes and Reservoirs
Mill River Dam
The Mill River Dam was located in the Williamsburg Hills and was once the dam of the Mill River, a tributary of the Connecticut River. It was built in 1865 and was around 13 m high. A tragic incident occurred on May 16, 1874. The dam broke due to leachate, destroying several factories in the area.
Quabbin Reservoir
The Quabbin Reservoir is located on the Swift River and, together with the Wachusett Reservoir, is the largest drinking water reservoir in Massachusetts. It was created in the mid-20th century by the construction of the Winsor Dam and other dams, and supplies a city like Boston with water. But it is not only the drinking water that makes him famous, but also the fact that Stephen King once chose the reservoir as the setting for his novel Duddits.
Lowell National Historical Park
Lowell is located in Middlesex County and is the fourth largest city in the state of Massachusetts. The city is named after its founder Francis Cabot Lowell, a textile industrialist who helped create the first planned industrial community. As early as the first half of the 19th century, the city of Lowell became a major center for textile production. Water power was obtained here from Pawtucket Falls on the Merrimack River.
Thus, during the Industrial Revolution, Lowell dominated the wool and cotton industries, a dominance that lasted for over 100 years. Lowell therefore began to be nicknamed the “Spindle City” or “America’s Manchester” due to the developed textile industry. By the mid-1800s, Lowell was the second largest city in the United States and had become recognized for its national achievements.
The city of Lowell is thus considered today as the birthplace of American industry, and the establishment of local factories was the most important transition in the social history of America. Thanks to industrialization, new jobs were created and women also found employment here. There were many technological innovations, production machines had to constantly keep up with the demand for textile products.
Locomotives and railways then took care of the fast and regular transport of goods. Thus many improvements also took place in the field of engineering, and the Lowell factories enjoyed unabated success. Other factories similar to those in Lowell eventually began to spring up across America. Today, the entire city is declared a National Historic Park, which is a reminder of the beginnings of the American Industrial Revolution. It gives visitors a glimpse into the past and introduces them to the possibilities of using water power from the Marrimack River. At the same time, the park also reveals cultural links with the present and presents visions for the future.