Billerica ( ) is a town in
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Middlesex County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002, making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 22nd most populou ...
, United States. The population was 42,119 according to the 2020 census.
It takes its name from the town of
Billericay
Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
in
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, England.
History
In the early 1630s, a
Praying Indian village named Shawshin was at the current site of Billerica, commonly spelled Shawsheen today, as in the
Shawsheen River. In 1638, Massachusetts Bay Governor
John Winthrop and Lt. Governor
Thomas Dudley were granted land along the
Concord River in the area, and roughly a dozen families from
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
and
Charlestown Village had begun to occupy Shawshin by 1652. The settlers chose the name Billerica because some of the families originally came from the town of
Billericay
Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
in Essex, England. The town was incorporated as Billerica in 1655, on the same day as neighboring
Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
and nearby
Groton. The original plantation of Billerica was divided during the colonial period into the towns of Billerica,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
,
Wilmington, and
Tewksbury.

The oldest remaining homestead in the town is the
Manning Manse built in 1696, which was also the residence of
William Manning (1747–1814), the author of ''The Key of Liberty,'' a critique of Federalist policies. Other notable Revolutionary War–era residents included
Asa Pollard, the first soldier killed at the
Battle of Bunker Hill, and Thomas Ditson, who was
tarred and feathered
Tarring and feathering is a form of public torture where a victim is stripped naked, or stripped to the waist, while wood tar (sometimes hot) is either poured or painted onto the person. The victim then either has feathers thrown on them or is ...
in 1775 while on a visit to Boston after attempting to illegally purchase a musket from a soldier of the
47th Regiment of Foot. The song "
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state song of the U.S. ...
" supposedly became a term of national pride instead of an insult because of this event. The town now celebrates "Yankee Doodle Weekend" every September.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which are land and (1.90%) is water.
Billerica is located north-northwest of Boston along the
Northwest Expressway portion of
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 (US 3) is a United States Numbered Highway running from Cambridge, Massachusetts, through New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border near Third Connecticut Lake, where it connects to Quebec Route 257.
Massachu ...
, positioning it as the border between Boston’s inner suburbs to the south and the
Merrimack Valley region to the north. The town is also situated less than from the
Massachusetts Route 128/Interstate 95 High-Technology belt to the south and less than from the
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts) outer belt highway to the north.
Billerica has several small neighborhoods that form villages (or sections) of town. Those villages are Billerica Center, East Billerica,
North Billerica, Nutting Lake,
Pinehurst, West Billerica, River Pines, Riverdale, and South Billerica.
Billerica borders the following towns:
Chelmsford
Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Colchester and Southend-on-Sea. It is located north-east of London ...
,
Lowell,
Tewksbury,
Wilmington,
Burlington,
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
, and
Carlisle
Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England.
Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...
. The border with Lowell is at a point in the middle of the Concord River where Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell and Tewksbury
all meet.
Environment
The
Shawsheen River and
Concord River are the two major waterways within the town. Nuttings Lake offers a public beach and other recreational water activities including canoeing and sailing.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 38,981 people, 12,919 households, and 10,244 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 13,071 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.68%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 1.11%
Black or African American, 0.10%
Native American, 2.76%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.33% from
other races, and 0.99% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.
There were 12,919 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
As of the 2010 census, the median income for a household in the town was $87,073, and the median income for a family was $95,128. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the town was $32,517. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Billerica was a contender for
CNN Money's "Best Places to Live" in 2009 but did not make the top 100 list for the nation.
In 2016, Billerica was on the
NeighborhoodScout's "America's Top 100 Safest Cities" list.
Education
Public schools
Billerica Public Schools operate primary and secondary schools. The Billerica public school system consists of five elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. A sixth elementary school, Eugene C. Vining Elementary, closed permanently at the end of the 2019 school year. In addition, the town is home to a regional technical high school. Shawsheen Valley Technical Highschool.
Elementary schools
*Thomas Ditson Elementary School
*Frederick J. Dutile Elementary School
*S. G. Hajjar Elementary School
*John F. Kennedy Elementary School
*Parker Elementary School
Middle schools
*Orland S.Marshall Middle School
*Cyril D. Locke Middle School
High school
*
Billerica Memorial High School
Billerica Memorial High School (BMHS), formerly Howe High School, is a public secondary school in the town of Billerica, Massachusetts. It is the only high school under the purview of the Billerica Public Schools district, and serves approximate ...
Vocational school
*
Shawsheen Valley Technical High School
:Shawsheen Tech serves Billerica and four of its neighboring towns:
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district.
Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...
,
Burlington,
Tewksbury, and
Wilmington.
Parochial and private schools
There are no parochial or private schools in the town of Billerica. However, there are several in neighboring towns including:
Catholic schools
* Academy of Notre Dame, Tyngsboro; grades Pre-K–12
*
Arlington Catholic High School
Arlington Catholic High School (ACHS) is a coeducational Catholic high school in Arlington, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and serves grades 9-12.
History
The members of St. Agnes Parish, a Catholic chur ...
, Arlington; grades 9–12
* St. Agnes School, Arlington; grades K–8
*
Lowell Catholic High School, Lowell; grades 9–12
*
Austin Preparatory School, Reading; grades 6–12
Sports and recreation
In celebrating ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' 50th anniversary, the magazine named Billerica one of the nation's top fifty towns for sports and recreation and the "Sportstown for the Bay State."
Transportation
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA's) transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track on 12 lines to 142 stations. It ...
provides service from
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
's
North Station with the
North Billerica station on its
Lowell Line. The southern portions of the town are also geographically close to the
Wilmington (MBTA station) and the
Anderson Regional Transportation Center in Woburn. The
Lowell Regional Transit Authority provides bus service in parts of Billerica. Route #3 (South Lowell) services the North Billerica MBTA station and the North Billerica Business Center. Route #13 (Billerica via Edson) services Boston Road (
Massachusetts Route 3A) from North Billerica to
Pinehurst. Stops along the way include the North Billerica MBTA Station, Pollard Street, High Street, Billerica Center and Town Hall, the Billerica Mall, and Towne Plaza, and a shopping center located in Riverdale. Route #14 (
Burlington Mall/
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center) services Route 3A until Billerica Center, where it continues onto Concord Road and the
Middlesex Turnpike.
The
Middlesex Canal, which flowed through Billerica between 1795 and 1852, was used to transport goods between
Lowell and Boston.
In the 1840s, the
Boston and Lowell Railroad's main line was built and passed through the town's villages of North Billerica and East Billerica. Stations were built in both locations and North Billerica station is still an active station on the MBTA Commuter Rail. Trains stopped taking passengers at East Billerica in 1965 and the station was remodeled and is now a private home.
Economy

*
E Ink Corporation, a privately held manufacturer of electrophoretic displays (EPDs) that powers tablets such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook.
*
Raytheon
Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
Company, a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics, has two large offices in Billerica.
*EMD Serono, Inc, the US biopharmaceutical division of
Merck Group
The Merck Group, branded and commonly known as Merck, is a German Multinational corporation, multinational science and technology company headquartered in Darmstadt, with about 60,000 employees and a presence in 66 countries. The group include ...
, Darmstadt, Germany, a global pharmaceutical and chemical group, is undergoing a $75-million expansion of their Billerica facility, naming it the EMD Serono Research & Development Institute.
*
GE Measurement & Control, a $5 billion energy technology unit of
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston.
Over the year ...
, recently moved its headquarters to Billerica.
*
Cabot Corporation
Cabot Corporation is an American specialty chemicals and performance materials company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The company operates in over 20 countries with 36 manufacturing plants, eight research and development facilities and ...
, a $3.3 billion specialty chemicals and performance materials company, has its primary Research and Development facility in Billerica.
*
Avaya
Avaya LLC(), formerly Avaya Inc., is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey, that provides cloud communications and workstream collaboration services. The company's platform includes unified commun ...
Inc, a privately held $8 billion global provider of business communications and collaboration systems, has its New England headquarters in Billerica.
*
L3 Technologies, a $15 billion American company that supplies command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C3ISR) systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training devices and services, instrumentation, space, and navigation products. They have a Billerica office on Concord Road.
*
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. (PAR) is a subsidiary of CSX Corporation that operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine, to Rotterdam Junction, New York. Pan Am Railways is primarily made up of former C ...
, New England's largest railroad, is headquartered in
North Billerica, Massachusetts.
*American Science & Engineering, based in Billerica, "said it received a $6.7 million order for its X-ray detection technology that will be used by the US government for counterterrorism missions."
*Lantheus Medical Imaging Inc., the Billerica-based medical imaging company, "sealed a new purchasing deal with Ottawa-based MDS Nordion for a rare imaging isotope, molybdenum-99."
*
Seahorse Bioscience, a labware products manufacturer, is also headquartered in North Billerica.
*
Entegris, a provider of semiconductor handling solutions.
*
Bruker
Bruker Corporation is an American manufacturer of scientific instruments for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. It is headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, and is the publicly traded parent comp ...
, a manufacturer of scientific instruments for molecular and materials research.
*
FLIR Systems
Teledyne FLIR LLC, formerly FLIR Systems Inc, (an acronym for " forward-looking infrared"), a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies since January 2021, specializes in the design and production of thermal imaging cameras and sensors. Its main custo ...
has a large facility in Billerica.
Government
Billerica has been governed through a
representative town meeting since 1956, after citizens approved its adoption in 1955. In this system, 240 representatives are elected from 12 precincts to attend the town meeting, the town's legislative branch.
The executive branch is headed by a Town Manager, appointed by a five-person Select Board.
Since the
2020 United States census and the redistricting process following it, the town of Billerica has been split between the 3rd and 6th Massachusetts Congressional Districts. With the northern part of the town in the
3rd Congressional District and the southern half in the
6th Congressional District.
The Middlesex House of Correction and Jail is under the jurisdiction of the
Middlesex County Sheriff's Office.
Notable people
*
Gary DiSarcina, former professional baseball player, AL All-Star (1995)
*
Tom Fitzgerald, former professional hockey player
*
Tom Glavine, former professional baseball player, elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame (2014)
*
Dean Jenkins, former collegiate and professional hockey player
*
Marc McLaughlin, professional hockey player
*
Bob Miller, former professional hockey player
*
Julius Sumner Miller, science teacher and popularizer
*
Paul Miller, former professional hockey player
*
Giuseppina Morlacchi,
ballerina,
dancer
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, and actress who introduced the
can-can
The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...
to the American stage
*
Azel W. Patten, Wisconsin politician and businessman
*
Asa Pollard, first man killed at the
Battle of Bunker Hill (1775)
*
Johnny Stearns, actor and producer
*
Ian Wilcox, artist at The Simpsons
Historic places
*
Abraham Jaquith House
*
Bennett Public Library
*
Billerica Town Common District
*
Billerica Mills Historic District
*
Dutton–Holden Homestead
*
Deacon Samuel Hill House
*
Billerica Memorial High School
Billerica Memorial High School (BMHS), formerly Howe High School, is a public secondary school in the town of Billerica, Massachusetts. It is the only high school under the purview of the Billerica Public Schools district, and serves approximate ...
*
Manning Manse
*
Middlesex Canal
*
Thomas Ditson Elementary School – Pinehurst is the original location of its namesake's home.
Sister city
Billerica is a
sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inte ...
of
Billericay
Billericay ( ) is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Basildon in Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, east of the City of London. The town was founded in the 13th century by the Stratford Langthorne Abbey, Abbot of West Ham, ...
, England.
See also
*
Billerica and Bedford Railroad
Footnotes
Further reading
*
* Henry Allen Hazen
''History of Billerica, Massachusetts, with a Genealogical Register.''Boston: A. Williams and Co., 1883.
External links
*
{{authority control
Towns in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts