NORTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

'Northbridge' is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,182 at the 2000 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of Whitinsville, please see the article Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

Contents

History

Geography

Adjacent towns

Demographics

Government

Transportation

Utilities

Notable residents

External links

History

Northbridge was first settled in 1704 and was officially incorporated on July 14, 1772.
This suburb community has a rich manufacturing heritage. The Blackstone and Mumford Rivers run through the Town and in the early 1800s numerous industrial developments were erected along the riverbanks, most notably the Whitin Machine Shop in Whitinsville. Today most of the mill buildings are no longer used to full capacity, however, they do offer valuable incubator space to small businesses. Further, most of the Town's architecture developed during the 1800s has been preserved and serves as a fascinating view into the past.
Northbridge is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission and is actively working with its neighboring communities to promote the region's special character and sense of history.
Several goals of the Town at present are: to strengthen the local economy through developing and reusing industrial areas as well as retaining existing businesses, and; to keep Northbridge as a desirable place to live through preserving and revitalizing the village centers, maintaining and expanding town services, and protecting natural resources.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.8 km² (18.1 mi²). 44.5 km² (17.2 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (4.87%) is water.

Adjacent towns

★ Grafton on the north

★ Upton on the northeast

★ Mendon on the east

★ Uxbridge on the south

★ Sutton on the west

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 13,182 people, 4,800 households, and 3,499 families residing in the town. The population density was 296.3/km² (767.2/mi²). There were 4,941 housing units at an average density of 111.0/km² (287.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.25% White, 0.60% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.
There were 4,800 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,457, and the median income for a family was $62,095. Males had a median income of $42,847 versus $28,093 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,515. About 4.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Transportation

Situated between Interstates 90 (Mass Pike), 146, 395, and 495, Northbridge has excellent access to and from major cities such as Worcester, Providence and Boston.

Utilities

It is a full service community providing a full array of municipal services plus an extensive infrastructure including water and sewer utilities. Local Cable TV service is served by Charter Communication, Electricity is provided by National Grid and gas by Nstar/Commonwealth Gas Company.

Notable residents

★ Lou Lucier (1918), Major League Baseball player

★ Glenn Adams (1947), Major League Baseball player

External links

★ Northbridge official website

★ Northbridge PTA

★ Northbridge Police Department

★ Northbridge Republican Town Committee

★ Northbridge School System

★ Whitinsville Christian School

★ Whitinsville website