Groton, Massachusetts | |
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Motto(s): "All Are Welcome", "Faith, Labor" | |
Coordinates: 42°36′40″N 71°34′30″W / 42.61111°N 71.57500°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
County | Middlesex |
Settled | 1655 |
Incorporated | 1655 |
Named for | Groton, Suffolk, England |
Government | |
• Type | Open town meeting |
• Administrative Officer | Jean E. Kitchen[1] |
• Board of Selectmen | George F. Dillon, Jr.[2] Peter S. Cunningham John L. Saball Mihran Keoseian, Jr. 1 Vacancy |
Area | |
• Total | 33.7 sq mi (87.3 km2) |
• Land | 32.8 sq mi (84.9 km2) |
• Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2) |
Elevation | 320 ft (98 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 11,315 |
• Density | 340/sq mi (130/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
ZIP Code | 01450 |
Area codes | 351/978 |
FIPS code | 25-27480 |
GNIS feature ID | 0619399 |
Website | www |
Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. An affluent bedroom community roughly 45 miles from Boston, Groton has a large population of professional workers, many of whom work in Boston's tech industry. It is loosely connected to Boston by highways (Route 2) and commuter rail (the MBTA Fitchburg Line).
The town has a long history dating back to the colonial era. It was a battlefield in King Philip's War and Queen Anne's War, and several Grotonians played notable roles in the American Revolution (including William Prescott, the American commander at the Battle of Bunker Hill) and Shays' Rebellion. Groton is home to two college-preparatory boarding schools: Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1792; and Groton School, founded in 1884. Notable Groton residents include U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and journalists Peter Gammons, Steve Kornacki, and Dan Shaughnessy.