Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city of 207,055 people in Worcester County, Massachusetts, founded in 1673.
Why visit Worcester
Townapedia lists 185 museums and landmarks, 42 parks and trails, 221 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 23 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Clark University, Mechanics Hall, Elm Park and Worcester Art Museum.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 17°F, and about 73 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Worcester
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Worcester
Worcester ( WUUST-ər, locally [ˈwɪstə] ) is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The principal city of Central Massachusetts, Worcester is both the second-most populous city in the state, and the 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city had an estimated 213,862 people as of 2025, also making it the second-most populous city in New England, after Boston. Because it is near the geographic center of Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth"; a heart is the official symbol of the city.
From the Wikipedia article Worcester, Massachusetts (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do23
Clark University
School · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
American private university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts
College of the Holy Cross
School · 2.1 mi
Private liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.
Worcester State University
School · 1.8 mi
Public university in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
Cinema and theater · 0.4 mi
1 Lincoln Street, Worcester
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts
Cinema and theater · 0.7 mi
2 Southbridge Street, Worcester
11 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks185
Elm Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Park in Massachusetts, United States of America
Worcester Art Museum
Monument and historic site · 0.4 mi
55 Salisbury Street, Worcester
We-Su 10:00-17:00
Abbott Street School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic school building in Worcester, Massachusetts
36 Abbott Street
Armsby Block
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic building in Worcester, Massachusetts
144;146 Main Street, Worcester
Bancroft Tower
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
26 Massachusetts Avenue
Castle Street Row
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic building in Worcester, Massachusetts, US
Charles Allen House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic house in Massachusetts, United States
65 Elm Street
Elm Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic district in Massachusetts, United States
Elvira Drew Three-Decker
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Worcester, Massachusetts, a house listed on the NRHP in Worcester County
42 Abbott Street
Lincoln Estate-Elm Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Human settlement in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
Massachusetts Avenue Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Human settlement in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
Oxford-Crown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic district in Massachusetts, United States
173 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds42
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University Park
Park · 1.7 mi
Public park in the Main South neighborhood of Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
965 Main Street, Worcester
Bell Hill Park
Park · 1.2 mi
The park was divided from East Park formerly called Chandler Hill Park in 1895. (See...
30 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes221
110 Grill
Diner · American · 0.7 mi
123 Front Street, Worcester
Mo-Th, Su 11:30-21:00; Fr, Sa 11:30-22:00
185 Bistro
Restaurant · American, Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Diner, Pancake, Sausage, Savory Pancakes · 1.2 mi
185 Shrewsbury Street
Mo-Su 07:00-15:00
Antonio’s Pizza By The Slice Kitchen & Bar - Worcester
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
268 Chandler Street, Worcester
Mo-We 11:00-22:00; Th-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 11:30-22:00
Armsby Abbey
Bar and pub · Pub, American · 0.4 mi
144 Main Street, Worcester
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Bean Counter
Cafe · Breakfast, Tea, Cake, Coffee Shop
Independent coffee shop
Highland Street
Mo-Su 08:00-19:00
Chashu Ramen &
Restaurant · Japanese, Ramen · 0.6 mi
38
Mo, We 12:00-20:30; Su, Th 12:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Tu off
Ciao Bella
Restaurant · Italian · 1.2 mi
402 Grove Street, Worcester
Mo-Sa 11:00-21:00; Su 12:00-20:00
Loving Hut
Restaurant · International · 1.6 mi
56 Hamilton Street, Worcester
Tu-Sa 11:30-19:00; Su 12:00-19:45
Mezcal Tequila Kitchen
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
11 East Central Street
Th-Sa 11:00-00:00; Mo-We 11:00-22:00
Momo Palace
Restaurant · Asian · 1.1 mi
160 Harding Street, Worcester
We-Fr 11:00-19:00; Sa-Su 11:00-20:00
209 more on the map.
History
The area was inhabited by members of the Nipmuc tribe at the time of European contact. The native people called the region Quinsigamond and built a settlement on Pakachoag Hill in Auburn.
In 1673, English settlers John Eliot and Daniel Gookin led an expedition to Quinsigamond to establish a new Christian Indian praying town and identify a new location for an English settlement. On July 13, 1674, Gookin obtained a deed to eight square miles (21 km2) of land in Quinsigamond from the Nipmuc people and English traders and settlers began to inhabit the region.
In 1675, King Philip's War broke out throughout New England with the Nipmuc Indians coming to the aid of Indian leader King Philip. The English settlers completely abandoned the Quinsigamond area and the empty buildings were burned by the Indian forces. The town was again abandoned during Queen Anne's War in 1702.
In 1713, Worcester was permanently resettled for a third and final time by Jonas Rice. Named after the city of Worcester, England, the town was incorporated on June 14, 1722.
On April 2, 1731, Worcester was chosen as the county seat of the newly founded Worcester County government. Between 1755 and 1758, future U.S. president John Adams worked as a schoolteacher and studied law in Worcester.
From the History section of Worcester, Massachusetts on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Holiday Inn Express Worcester Downtown
Motel and hotel · 0.7 mi
110 Summer Street
Churches and places of worship53
Pilgrim Congregational Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
911 Main Street, Worcester
Emmanuel Baptist
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Holy Name of Jesus Complex
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
South Unitarian Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Union Congregational Church
Place of worship · 0.4 mi
5 Chestnut Street
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.8 mi
715;717 Main Street
Saint Peters Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 1.5 mi
931 Main Street
Shopping21
Gas and EV charging14
Schools, colleges and libraries94
Worcester State University School of Science, Technology, and Health
School
51 Sever Street, Worcester
Doherty Memorial High School
School · 0.7 mi
299 Highland Street, Worcester
Saint Mary's Central Catholic High School
School · 1.4 mi
50 Richland Street, Worcester
American Antiquarian Society
Library · 0.6 mi
185 Salisbury Street, Worcester
Healthcare23
Boulevard Pharmaceutical Compounding Center, Inc
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
149;151 Shrewsbury Street, Worcester
UMass Memorial Health Community Healthlink Youth and Family Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
335 Chandler Street
Map of Worcester
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 17°F | 3.5 in | 18.2 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 19°F | 3.3 in | 21.2 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 26°F | 4.2 in | 13.7 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 36°F | 4.1 in | 1.9 in |
| May | 67°F | 47°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 56°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 78°F | 60°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 71°F | 53°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 42°F | 4.8 in | 1.1 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 32°F | 4.0 in | 1.9 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 23°F | 4.3 in | 14.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Worcester Rgnl Ap 72510 (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
Worcester County has had 24 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-05-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-09-15: Hurricane Lee (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-07-19: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2015-04-13: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Lowell 36 mi northeast, about 57 min by car
- Cambridge 36 mi east, about 58 min by car
- Providence 37 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Springfield 39 mi west, about 1 h by car
- Storrs 39 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Boston 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Quincy 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Brockton 42 mi east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Willimantic 43 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Lynn 45 mi east, about 1 h 15 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
- Downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, Terageorge, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WorcesterElmParkwithBridge, JoeyBagODonuts, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bancroft Tower, Rabin Karki from Worcester, USA., CC BY 2.0
- Pilgrim cong church 909 Main, Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger), Public domain
- Charles Allen House Worcester MA, Pvmoutside, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pleasant Street at Crown Street, Worcester MA, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Massachusetts Ave Historic District Worcester MA, Pvmoutside, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Elm St Historic District Worcester MA, Pvmoutside, CC BY-SA 3.0
- JonasClarkBuilding, Namiba at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Elvira Drew 3 Decker Worcester MA, Pvmoutside, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Corner of Sever and Cedar Streets, Worcester MA, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Abbott Street School, Worcester Massachusetts, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Armsby Building, Worcester, MA, by Stephen Earle (1885) 01, Mark Landon, CC BY 4.0
- Castle Row Worcester MA, Pvmoutside, CC BY-SA 3.0
- University Park, Worcester MA, John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Miss worcester, Improbcat, CC BY-SA 3.0
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