Cities & Towns

Just a half-hour drive to the north and west of Boston lies the Greater Merrimack Valley. No matter what the season, the Greater Merrimack Valley has a beauty all its own. The changing seasons add to the vibrancy of the region and with these changes come unmistakable attractions – skiing, biking, fishing, canoeing, white water rafting, strawberry picking, hayrides and concerts under the stars.

There is an undeniable spirit in the Greater Merrimack Valley – the same spirit that gave birth to our country.

Each of our 21 towns and cities has its unique charm. That’s why your getaway in the Valley can be made to order – whether you’re looking for comfortable and cozy, vibrant and active or fun and educational. Whatever kind of getaway you’re looking for, adventure awaits you here.

Acton is a suburban community located 25 miles northwest of Boston. The town has retained much of its rural New England character, including its traditional town center and green, fine examples of historic architecture, and its stone walls and treelined country roads. A wide range of retail stores and services, a community theater, various types of commercial recreation and the Children’s Discovery Museum and Science Discovery Museum can all be found in Acton. acton-ma.gov

Bedford, located adjacent to Lexington and Concord, shares an important place in Revolutionary War History and the events of April 19, 1775. Minutemen gathered at the historic Fitch Tavern in Bedford before proceeding to battle in Concord. The original Bedford flag, currently housed in the Bedford public library, is the oldest known flag in the United States and was carried in the famous battle at the North Bridge in Concord. Bedford’s town center is home to an attractive historic district with well-preserved colonial houses, a town common, as well as a vibrant commercial district with many shops and restaurants. In April, each year in Willson Park, Minutemen from around the region re-enact the “Pole Capping”, a practice from Colonial America showing dissatisfaction with the English government. Celebrating the railroad history of the Area, Bedford’s historic Depot Park at the terminus of the popular Minuteman Bikeway features a restored vintage passenger car, and a preserved Railroad Station and Freight House. bedfordma.gov

Located 20 miles northwest of Boston, Billerica borders Lowell to its south. The remnants of the historic Middlesex Canal are now part of a town renovation project dedicated to bringing back portions of this important waterway that once traversed the town from north to south. Visitors to the Middlesex Canal Museum can discover more about the canal, which was the superhighway of its day. The town is well-known for its Yankee Doodle Homecoming Weekend in September, which celebrates Billerica patriot Thomas Ditson, who is believed to be the subject of the classic American song, “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” The Concord River is a major regional water feature, while the Shawsheen River meanders through the southern part of town. town.billerica.ma.us

The Town of Boxborough’s rugged, hilly terrain is the result of glacial scouring in its geological past. It is a small upland community with a hill-top town center featuring several Federal period houses. Much of the community retains its historical character. Boxborough has an early agricultural history, which includes apple orchards and dairy farming. boxborough-ma.gov

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 BostonMerrimack corridor, but for most of its history it was almost entirely agricultural, selling hops and rye to Boston breweries. Today visitors enjoy a variety of shopping and dining choices at the Burlington Mall, an upscale shopping center featuring four anchor stores and more than 185 specialty shops. Check out 3rd Ave, a shopping destination unlike any other in New England with distinctive restaurants and unique shops. burlington.org

The Town of Carlisle offers peaceful residential living within a short ride of Boston. Carlisle maintains a rich tradition of preserving its open spaces and scenic ways, nearly 20 percent of the town’s 15 square miles is dedicated conservation land. The town is the home of the only working cranberry bog in Middlesex County as well as the beautiful Great Brook Farm State Park. carlislema.gov

Much of Chelmsford’s present area was a Praying Town in the mid-1600s, an established preserve for Christianized Indians. It was an agricultural community with dairy farms and orchards as its specialties. Chelmsford today is a suburban community offering country-like charm and atmosphere while providing access to modern infrastructure, educational and cultural opportunities, a mix of retail establishments and restaurants and a stable and prospering business environment. Chelmsford’s historic town Common hosts large celebrations for the Fourth of July and February Winterfest. townofchelmsford.us

Concord is a quintessential New England town steeped with American history and literature, museums, delightful shopping, and outdoor adventure. The town’s fascinating past makes it a popular tourist destination, with TripAdvisor ranking Concord one of the Best Places to Visit. Here you can retrace the steps of Revolutionary War soldiers and literary greats and learn about how “the shot heard round the world” led to America’s independence. Begin your visit at the Concord Visitor Center where a daily 1 p.m. history tour is the perfect introduction to Concord. Here, you can also gather maps and information, browse the gift shop, take the shuttle or rent a bike. Walk down Main Street with its quaint gift shops and antique stores; throughout the town, enjoy historic buildings preserved in their original settings. Concord was home to some of the most outstanding literary minds, and sightseers can tour the former homes of Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Alcott, and visit their graves at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Not far away, at Walden Pond, experience the connection with nature that inspired Thoreau’s Walden. The town’s most celebrated event is Patriots Day, with an annual parade and gala events. If this is not enough, dozens more historical landmarks, cultural institutions and attractions are just steps away. Few places in America are ripe with so much history than Concord. visitconcord.org

The Town of Dracut borders Lowell and southern New Hampshire. In 1653, the community was part of the Wamesit Praying Town, one of the preserves set aside by the colonists for Christianized Indians. Its early economy relied on fishing and milling of lumber, which led to its 19th century industries of paper and cotton textile manufacturing. These mills attracted Irish and French-Canadian immigrants. Some of Dracut’s rural landscapes survive along the state border, as do some handsome historic houses. One of the better known is the 290-year-old Coburn/Cutter House, with massive beams, huge center chimney and fireplaces. The building, dating from about 1700, has served as the site of an annual crafts fair. dracutma.gov

A rural community located on the New Hampshire border, Dunstable retains its New England charm and is the perfect setting for a Sunday drive. Its open fields and pastures recall its past as a farming community, and visitors are charmed by its old country stores. dunstable-ma.gov

First Settled in 1642, Lexington proudly preserves its rich colonial past and offers visitors a wealth of cultural opportunities. The events of April 19, 1775 put Lexington forever into the pages of American history as the Birthplace of American Liberty. The confrontation between the Lexington Minute Men and the British Redcoats is re-enacted every April on Patriots’ Day, the third Monday in April. The Liberty Ride, a guided sight-seeing tour, provides an entertaining and educational introduction to the town’s history and sites. Excellent shopping and dining can be found downtown. tourlexington.us

The Town of Lincoln is a small suburban town west of Boston. It began as a rural farming community, made up of pieces of land annexed from adjacent towns; hence its nickname was once “Niptown”. Lincoln became a popular site for country estates, of which some have become schools, museums, town buildings and parks. Retention of open space and the protection of its rural character are extremely important to the community. lincolntown.org

The Town of Littleton lies on the western edge of suburban Boston. Part of the town was once allocated as an Indian preserve known as the Nashoba Indian Praying Town. The settlement of Littleton was delayed until the early 18th century when the intense competition that had occurred over Indian land was abandoned when natives were deported to Deer Island during King Philip’s war. By the 19th century some of the finest apple orchards in the state grew here. The apples supplied town cider mills, which in turn shipped their product to Boston. Cider mills, which also made vinegar, eventually consolidated and expanded to become the Very Fine Apple Products Company. The town remains an agricultural community with poultry farms, dairies and orchards. It has preserved several of its 18th century center-chimney houses and unique brick cottages. Littleton’s newest attraction, The Point, is the region’s only mixed-use destination combining shops, restaurants, grocery, a hotel, and entertainment. littletonma.org

The City of Lowell is the fourth largest city in Massachusetts. Its strategic location at the intersections of Interstates 495, 93 and Route 3 provides excellent access to other points in New England. Massachusetts Commuter Rail service also provides an easy 40-minute ride from Lowell to Boston’s North Station. The Lowell National Historical Park was the country’s first urban national park, and a tribute to the Industrial Revolution and textile industry that boomed in New England in the 19th century. The 2,800-seat Lowell Auditorium hosts many of the country’s best performers at affordable prices. The Merrimack Repertory Theater is one of the few self-sustaining repertory theater groups in the northeast. The Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell is host to many fabulous shows and special events. This planned urban community is built along the Merrimack River and its diverse canal system, which provided power to early manufacturers. Today the city is a revitalized urban center with cultural attractions and fine dining including a wealth of ethnic restaurants. Lowell is home to the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Middlesex Community College. lowellma.org | likelowell.com

The Town of Stow is situated midway between Boston and Worcester and is a small residential community with rural aspects. The town boasts several apple orchards, which are a beautiful sight to behold in spring, and which attract many people in the early fall for apple picking. Stow has a public country club with two award-winning 18-hole golf courses. stow-ma.gov

Tewksbury is a suburban community located on the uplands between the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. Tewksbury was gradually settled by residents of Billerica during the early decades of the 18th century. Notable public sculptures in Tewksbury include the Wamesit Indian Monument set on a granite boulder on Main Street and the Anne Sullivan-Helen Keller Monument also on Main. A bronze sculpture depicting the turning point in Keller’s life is dedicated to Sullivan, a longtime Tewksbury resident. Artist Mico Kaufman created both sculptures. Tewksbury Country Club offers a 9-hole golf course that is open to the public. tewksbury-ma.gov

Colonel Jonathan Tyng founded Tyngsborough in 1675. The Tyng Mansion House is one of the oldest homes north of Boston. During the founding period, settlers of Tyngsborough fought a series of small, often bloody, skirmishes with local Indian tribes. Several colonial-era homes in town still have the emergency passageways used during attacks. Tyngsborough is dotted with streams, lakes and great ponds. It is long recognized as the ‘gateway’ to the White Mountains, located only thirty minutes from Boston along the Route 3 corridor. tyngsboroughma.gov

The Town of Westford is a suburban community with rolling hills, lakes and apple orchards. The area is ideal for biking. Incorporated on September 23, 1729, Westford is home to a beautiful library, a community center, an active recreation department, the Nashoba Valley Ski area and two town beaches located on spring-fed ponds. Westford has a championship 18hole semi-private golf course. Kimball Farm has become a town staple for its family fun activities, delicious food and of course ice cream sundaes. westfordma.gov

Wilmington is a suburban town occupying 17.2 square miles of the watershed of the Ipswich River. The Baldwin apple is supposed to have been discovered in Wilmington in the 1790s on Butters Farm. A bronze plaque duly commemorates the discovery. The Middlesex Canal was completed in Wilmington in the early 19th century, and residents were able to ship their produce to market. wilmingtonma.gov

Woburn occupies 13.1 miles of the Fells Upland. It is a small city located in the upper Mystic River Valley. Incorporated in 1642, Woburn became an early manufacturing center, tanning leather and making shoes. Production was large enough that during King Philip’s War town taxes were partially paid in shoes. The smallpox epidemic of 1675 cut deeply into the town’s population. The Middlesex Canal from Boston opened here in 1803, and the Boston and Lowell Railroad in 1835. Woburn was an early English settlement and has a notable old burying ground. woburnma.gov

This symbol denotes a town is part of Freedoms Way National Heritage Area. freedomsway.org