Welcome to Boston.
As the capital of Massachusetts and the largest city in New England, Boston is a global center of higher education, life sciences and financial services. While the city itself is home to 600,000, 4.5 million people call the greater Boston region home. Comprising 48 square miles of land, Boston includes nine commercial submarkets: Back Bay, Charlestown, Fenway/Kenmore Square, Financial District, Government Center, Midtown, North Station, South Boston Waterfront and South Station.
The city of Boston is home to 52 institutions of higher education including eight research universities and 23 special focus institutions (such as the New England Conservatory). However, within the I-495 belt that defines greater Boston are nearly 80 institutions of higher education. As a result, of the well-educated population, greater Boston is home to 12 Fortune 500 companies, two of which (Liberty Mutual and State Street) are located within the confines of the city itself.
As a national life sciences “supercluster,” greater Boston benefits from the breakthrough developments of both established pharmaceutical companies and the cutting-edge, venture capital-funded biotechnology sector. Due to its symbiotic relationship with world-class universities, teaching hospitals and the pool of talent educated within Massachusetts, the industry has continued to thrive despite the current state of the national economy.
The integrated transportation network in Greater Boston links airports, inter-city and commuter rail, highways, rail transit and buses making it easy to travel both within and outside of Boston. Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) serves 175 towns at 278 stations in the state and covers 3,244 square miles.
The metropolitan Boston area is serviced by Logan International Airport. Offering non-stop flights to 71 domestic and 32 international destinations, Logan has been ranked the 12th busiest airport in the country for international travel and 19th for domestic flights.