Town Profile
The Town of Bolton is a residential and agricultural community on the uplands east of the Nashua River Valley on an historic east-west corridor. Its geography greatly shaped its history. Bolton has gently sloping hills but no major streams, so the earliest sources of power for manufacturing were not present and the town from its earliest years was primarily an agricultural community with only a small percentage of industry. But Bolton had rich forests and geological deposits of lime which combined to supplement the farming economy. The town had lime kilns and limestone quarries, and produced potash, lime and bricks.
The town was settled early by Europeans, in 1675. It consisted then of prosperous dispersed farms and its population increased very slowly after King Philip's wars. Agricultural uses grew to include orchards and dairy farming by the 19th century. Much of this rural landscape is still intact in a town that is now primarily a residential suburb for surrounding industrial communities and an exurb for the greater l-495 corridor.
Geography
Central Massachusetts, bordered by Harvard on the north, Stow on the east, Berlin and Hudson on the south, and Clinton and Lancaster on the west. Bolton is 17 miles northeast of Worcester, 31 miles northwest of Boston, and 191 miles from New York City.
- Total Area: 20.00 sq. miles
- Land Area: 19.93 sq. miles
- Population: 3,134
- Density: 157 per sq. mile
Government
Municipal Offices Main Number: (978) 779-2297
Form of Government; Board of Selectmen, Administrative Assistant, Open Town Meeting. Incorporated as a town in 1738.
Museums
- Bolton Historical Society
676 Main Street
(978) 779-6392
Transportation and Access
Bolton is situated in the Greater Boston Area, which has excellent rail, air, and highway facilities. State Route 128 and Interstate Route 495 divide the region into inner and outer zones, which are connected by numerous "spokes" providing direct access to the airport, port, and intermodal facilities of Boston.
Major Highways
Principal highways are State Routes 85, 110, and 117, and Interstate Route 495, the outer belt around Boston.
Rail
There is no passenger or freight rail service in Bolton, but the network of intermodal facilities serving Massachusetts is easily accessible.
Bus
Bolton is not affiliated with a regional transit authority.
Other
Minute Man Airport, a Reliever (RL) facility located in Stow, is easily accessible. It has a 1,600'x 50' gravel runway and a 2,743'x 50' asphalt runway. Instrument approaches available: Non-precision. Approaches: Copter.
