Northampton, Massachusetts : Ask Biography

Administration

Full name

Northampton, Massachusetts

Official name

Northampton, Massachusetts

Settlement type

City

Motto

Caritas, educatio, justitia (Latin "Caring, education and justice")

Country

United States

State

Massachusetts

County

Hampshire

Settled and Charter granted

1654

Incorporated as a city

1884

Government

Type

Mayor-council city

Mayor

Acting Mayor David Narkewicz

Geography

Total Area

35.6 sq mi (92.2 km2)

Land Area

34.5 sq mi (89.4 km2)

Water Area

1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2)

Elevation

248 ft (75.6 m)

Demography

Total Population

28978 (2000)

Density (pop.)

324.6/km² (841.0/sq mi)

Other information

Time zone

Eastern (UTC-5)

- Summer (DST)

Eastern (UTC-4)

ZIP code

01060

Area code

413

FIPS code

25-46330

GNIS feature ID

0606674

Home | Settlement N | Northampton, Massachusetts

The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, (excluding its outer, incorporated villages, Florence, Massachusetts and Leeds, Massachusetts,) was 28,549. Northampton is part of the Pioneer Valley, and also one of the northernmost cities in the Knowledge Corridor - a cross-state cultural and economic partnership with other Connecticut River Valley cities and towns.

Northampton is home to Smith College and the Clarke School for the Deaf. Smith students (along with those of the associated Five Colleges) contribute to Northampton's "college town" atmosphere.

Today, Northampton is known as an artistic, musical, and counter-culture hub. It features a large and politically influential LGBT community, along with numerous alternative health and intellectual organizations. Based on U.S. Census demographics, election returns, and other criteria, the website Epodunk rates Northampton as the most politically liberal medium-sized city (population 25,000-99,000) in the United States.

Northampton is considered part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of Massachusetts' two separate metropolitan areas. It sits approximately 15 miles north of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts.