Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.[1]
Weston, Massachusetts
United States
1642
1713
17.3 sq mi (44.9 km2)
17.0 sq mi (44.1 km2)
0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
180 ft (55 m)
11,851
690/sq mi (260/km2)
25-77255
0618245
Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protection of the town's historic resources is driven by the Weston Historical Commission[2]
and Weston Historical Society.[3] The town has one Local Historic District, 10 National Register Districts, 26 Historic Areas, and seven houses individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[4]
Weston's predominance as a residential community is reflected in its population density, which is among the lowest of Boston's suburbs near or within Route 128.[5] More than 2,000 acres, or 18 percent of the town's total acreage, have been preserved as parks, fields, wetlands, and forests, with 90 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.[6][7] Thirty-seven scenic roads, as defined by Massachusetts law,[8] maintain the town's aesthetic value and historical significance, affording Weston a semi-rural ambiance.[9]
Geography[edit]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.3 square miles (45 km2), of which 17.0 square miles (44 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.85%, is water.
The town is bordered by Newton and Waltham on the east; Wellesley to the south; Natick and Wayland to the west; and Lincoln to the north.
Arts and culture[edit]
Weston Public Library[edit]
The Weston Public Library (WPL), with holdings of 209,000,[22] offers services and programs for adults and youth. With an annual circulation of 347,635 materials, which translates into 6,685 items checked out per week,[23] WPL has one of the highest per-capita circulation rates of all libraries in Massachusetts.[24] The Friends of the Weston Public Library provide financial support for the library's Local History Room, curate an ongoing rotation of art created by local artists, organize a series of musical concerts in the library's community room, and fund passes to Boston-area museums.
Weston Art and Innovation Center[edit]
The Weston Art and Innovation Center, which opened in September 2019 in Weston's Old Library, offers hands-on learning opportunities related to art and technology. The Weston Media Center also relocated to the WAIC.
Weston Media Center[edit]
The Weston Media Center is Weston's independent, non-profit cable TV station and media hub.[25] The Media Center has operated since 2009.
Weston Friendly Society[edit]
The Weston Friendly Society, founded in 1885, is the second oldest community theatre in the United States.[26] WFS performs musicals in the auditorium of Weston Town Hall several times a year. WFS donates money from its productions to local charitable causes.
Periodicals[edit]
News and features of interest to Weston residents are published in WellesleyWeston, a quarterly magazine launched in 2005. The magazine is available in the Weston Public Library.
Government[edit]
As of December 2017, there were 7,632 active registered voters in Weston, with 501 voters listed as inactive. Among party enrollees, 1,869 were Democrats, and 1,211 Republicans, with the balance unenrolled.[27]
Like much of New England, Weston has trended strongly Democratic on the federal level in recent years. Weston supported Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, as well as George H.W. Bush in 1988, against home state Governor Mike Dukakis for president of the United States. However, it supported Bill Clinton in 1992, and has supported the Democratic candidate in every election since then, including Barack Obama over Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.
Weston is located entirely within Massachusetts's 5th congressional district.
Weston is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Michael J. Barrett (D).
Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.
Infrastructure[edit]
Transportation[edit]
The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) traverses Weston in an east-to-west direction in the southern portion of town. The shared highway routes of Interstate 95 and Massachusetts State Route 128 pass in a north-to-south direction on the town's eastern edge. The intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 128 is located in southeastern Weston.
Several local state highways – U.S. Route 20 (Boston Post Road), Massachusetts State Route 30 (South Avenue), and Massachusetts State Route 117 (North Avenue) – also travel east and west through the town in addition to the Massachusetts Turnpike.
As for public transportation, Weston is conveniently served by Kendal Green Station on the MBTA's Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line. Inbound trips from Kendal Green to Boston's North Station terminus take approximately 37 minutes, while outbound service to Wachusett Station in the city of Fitchburg takes approximately 1 hour 12 minutes.[33] The town of Weston previously had two other MBTA Commuter Rail stations – Silver Hill and Hastings – but both train stations were eliminated from regular service in April 2021 following previous years of low ridership and a drastic change in travel patterns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.[34]
The eastern border of Weston (immediately adjacent to the Route 128 highway) comes within one mile of more frequent MBTA transit operations. Riverside Station – a park-and-ride facility which serves the Green Line “D” Branch in the neighboring city of Newton – offers service to Downtown Boston and its northern terminus at Union Square in Somerville at intervals of 6 to 12 minutes due to its classification as a rapid transit service as opposed to commuter train service.[35] The station is close enough that Weston residents living in the southeastern part of town can easily reach Riverside Station by car in roughly five minutes or arrive via bicycle in 13 minutes.[36] Also just across the eastern border of Weston in the neighboring city of Waltham lies the beginning of MBTA Bus Route 70 at two separate terminus points: the Cedarwood bus stop, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway Route 20 and Cedarwood Avenue with limited rush hour-only bus service; and the Market Place Drive bus stop, located near the intersection of Massachusetts State Route 117 and Stow Street offering more frequent bus departures seven days a week.[37][38][39] Inbound MBTA Bus Route 70 service travels from either Cedarwood or Market Place Drive to Central Square in Cambridge to connect with the MBTA Red Line.
Another local bus route – MBTA Bus Route 558 – technically crosses the border into Weston.[40][41] However, no bus stops for this route are located within Weston as its only purpose of entering the town is to gain immediate access to the Route 128 highway for a short express trip to Riverside Station. Service on Bus Route 558 currently travels from Riverside to Newton Corner on weekdays only.