BURLINGTON,
MASSACHUSETTS
Burlington MA Links
The Town of Burlington was formed in 1799
and is sited on the watersheds of the
Ipswich, Mystic and Shawsheen Rivers. It is
now a suburban industrial town at the
junction of the Boston-Merrimac corridor but
for most of its history it was almost
entirely agricultural, selling hops and rye
to Boston and supplementing that income with
small shoe making shops. Early railroad
expansion passed the town by, limiting its
early development, and Burlington continued
to cure hams for the Boston market and
produce milk, fruit and vegetables.
This picture changed drastically, however,
as soon as Route 128 was built. The highway
kicked off an enormous expansion, and
between 1955 and 1965 Burlington was the
fastest growing town in the state. In one
five year period, its population tripled as
residential and commercial retail
development exploded creating the town's
present character.
Burlington is located in northeastern Massachusetts, bordered by
Bedford on the west, Billerica on the
northwest, Wilmington on the northeast,
Woburn on the southeast and south, and
Lexington on the south. Burlington is 12
miles south of Lowell, 13 miles northwest of
Boston, 36 miles southeast of Fitchburg, and
224 miles from New York City.
(Narrative compiled by the Massachusetts
Department of Housing and Community
Development.)
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