Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst (/ˈæmərst/ ⓘ)[4] is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massachusetts municipalities that have city forms of government but retain "The Town of" in their official names.[5] At the 2020 census, the population was 39,263,[6] making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (although the county seat is Northampton). The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, three of the Five Colleges.
Amherst, Massachusetts
United States
1703
February 13, 1759
27.7 sq mi (71.8 km2)
27.6 sq mi (71.5 km2)
0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
295 ft (90 m)
39,263
1,422/sq mi (549.1/km2)
25-01325
0618195
Amherst has three census-designated places: Amherst Center, North Amherst, and South Amherst.
Amherst is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lying 22 miles (35 km) north of the city of Springfield, Amherst is considered the northernmost town in the Hartford–Springfield Metropolitan Region, "The Knowledge Corridor". Amherst is also located in the Pioneer Valley, which encompasses Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin counties.
Economy[edit]
Major employers in Amherst include University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, William D. Mullins Memorial Center, Hampshire College, and Amherst-Pelham Regional School District.[44]
Police report[edit]
Since 1997, the local newspaper, the Amherst Bulletin, has published a weekly log of phone calls received by the Amherst Police Department.[63] This police report, whose tone is deadpan and often unintentionally humorous, has been the subject of at least two books[64][65] and a 2002 article in Harper's Magazine, "Gone When Police Got There".[66] For example, an entry from the March 27, 2015 police report reads: "2:48 a.m.—An Ann Whalen Apartments resident awoke to find someone on her balcony looking into her bedroom. The woman later told police she thinks she may have been dreaming prior to calling 911."[67]
