Turners Falls, Massachusetts
Turners Falls is a community of 4,124 people in Franklin County, Massachusetts.
Why visit Turners Falls
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 4 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Shea Theater Arts Center, Canalside Rail Trail Bridge, East Main-High Street Historic District and Franklin County Fairgrounds.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; February lows average 14°F.
Weather in Turners Falls
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Turners Falls
Turners Falls is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Montague in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,512 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its name is often used as a metonym for the entire town of Montague, for which it is the business district and comprises more than half the population.
From the Wikipedia article Turners Falls, Massachusetts (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do9
Canalside Rail Trail Bridge
Bridge · 1.5 mi
Bridge in Massachusetts, USA
Deerfield–Montague railroad bridge
Bridge · 2.4 mi
Rail bridge in Massachusetts, US
French King Bridge
Bridge · 3.0 mi
Steel bridge in Massachusetts, United States
General Pierce Bridge
Bridge · 1.6 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Turners Falls Road Bridge
Bridge · 0.9 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Turners Falls–Gill Bridge
Bridge · 1.0 mi
Road bridge in Massachusetts, US
Museums and landmarks14
East Main-High Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Greenfield, MA, listed on the NRHP in Massachusetts
Franklin County Fairgrounds
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Fair ground in Greenfield, Massachusetts
Garden Theater Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Building in Massachusetts, United States of America
Leavitt-Hovey House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Historic house in Massachusetts, United States
Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
District in Greenfield, Massachusetts
Riverside Village Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic district in Massachusetts, United States
Turners Falls Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Historic district in Montague, Massachusetts, United States
United States Post Office–Greenfield Main
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Building in Massachusetts, United States
Weldon Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Hotel building in Massachusetts, United States of America
Benson's New Block and the Mohawk Chambers
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Newton Street School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes4
History
The village of Turners Falls was founded in 1868 as a planned industrial community according to the plan of Alvah Crocker, a prominent man from Fitchburg who envisioned in the immense power of the waterfalls the means of establishing a great city. Crocker was influenced by other, earlier and successful experiments in Lowell and elsewhere. Crocker's vision was to attract industry to the town by offering cheap hydropower that was made by the harnessing of the Connecticut River, through the construction of a dam and canal. His development concept was to sell mill sites along the power canal to those companies and to sell individual building lots to mill workers who would come to work in the mills. The rest of the village was laid out in a horizontal grid pattern with cross streets numerically. Avenue A, the main commercial district, was designed as a grand tree lined avenue.
From the History section of Turners Falls, Massachusetts on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship4
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries22
Healthcare1
Map of Turners Falls
68 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 15°F | 3.5 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 14°F | 3.1 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 23°F | 3.9 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 34°F | 3.8 in |
| May | 70°F | 45°F | 4.0 in |
| Jun | 78°F | 54°F | 4.8 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 59°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 57°F | 4.7 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 50°F | 4.2 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 39°F | 4.7 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 29°F | 3.8 in |
| Dec | 40°F | 21°F | 4.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Greenfield #3 (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Franklin County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2023-09-15: Hurricane Lee (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-04-19: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2012-10-28: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2012-01-06: Severe Storm And Snowstorm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Northampton Airport (7B2) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Greenfield 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Millers Falls 3 mi east, about 6 min by car
- South Deerfield 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Shelburne Falls 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Northfield 11 mi northeast, about 17 min by car
- Orange 13 mi east, about 22 min by car
- Amherst Town 16 mi south, about 26 min by car
- Hatfield 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Athol 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Northampton 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Turners Falls, MMZach, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GreenfieldMA LeavittHoveyHouse, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Riverside School, Gill MA, John Phelan, CC BY 4.0
- GreenfieldMA FranklinCountyFairgroundGate, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Court Square, Greenfield MA, John Phelan, CC BY 3.0
- GreenfieldMA PostOffice, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GreenfieldMA GardenTheater, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GreenfieldMA EastMainHighStreetHD, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GreenfieldMA WeldonHotel, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GreenfieldMA NewtonStreetSchool, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- GreenfieldMA BensonsAndMohawkBlocks, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish, Turners Falls MA, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IMG 3976 New York, New Hampshire, Hartford rail bridge, Denimadept, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IMG 3952-Turner-Falls-Road-bridge-south-end, Denimadept, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IMG 3992-Turner-Falls-Gill-Bridge, Denimadept, CC BY-SA 3.0
- French King Bridge Panorama1, Denimadept, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IMG 4026 Springfield Terminal railroad bridge, Deerfield, Denimadept, CC BY-SA 3.0
- IMG 3965 Montague City Road Bridge, Denimadept, CC BY-SA 3.0
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