Essex County is roughly diamond-shaped and occupies the northeastern corner of the state of Massachusetts. According to the
U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (41%) is water. Essex County is adjacent to
Rockingham County, New Hampshire to the north, the
Atlantic Ocean (specifically the
Gulf of Maine and
Massachusetts Bay) to the east,
Suffolk County to the south,
Middlesex County to the west and a very small portion of
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire to the far north west in
Methuen. All county land is incorporated into towns or cities. Essex County includes the
North Shore,
Cape Ann, and the lower portions of the
Merrimack Valley.
Adjacent Counties • Middlesex County (west)
• Suffolk County (south)
• Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (northwest)
• Rockingham County, New Hampshire (north)
Transportation These routes pass through Essex County: • , in Methuen and Andover • , about twenty-five miles between Lynnfield through Salisbury • , from Andover to Salisbury through Lawrence and Haverhill • , between I-95 and Route 1A, close to the coast • , along the coast • , in Beverly and Essex • , in Methuen and Andover • , in Peabody and Danvers • , from Middleton to Beverly • , from Methuen to Beverly • , in Saugus • , from Saugus to Beverly • , in Haverhill • , from Methuen to Salisbury through Lawrence and Haverhill • , from Methuen to Newburyport through Haverhill • , from Lawrence to Marblehead through Middleton • , from Andover to Haverhill • , from Beverly to Gloucester • , at the tip of Cape Ann • , Lynnfield through Cape Ann • , from Lynnfield to Marblehead • , in Lynn • , from Andover to Gloucester • , in Amesbury • , in Methuen • , in Salisbury The
Lawrence Municipal Airport and
Beverly Municipal Airport are regional airports within the county; the nearest commercial airports are
Logan Airport in Boston and
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, NH. The MBTA commuter rail has two lines operating in Essex County: the
Haverhill Line and the
Newburyport Line, both of which go toward Boston. Close to Boston, MBTA buses also exist. The
MVRTA is a bus company that connects cities within the
Merrimack Valley portion of Essex County.
National protected areas Because of Essex County's rich history, which includes 17th century colonial history, maritime history spanning its existence, and leadership in the expansions of the textile industry in the 19th century, the entire county has been designated the Essex National Heritage Area by the
National Park Service. The following areas of national significance have also been preserved: •
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge •
Salem Maritime National Historic Site •
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site •
Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge ==Demographics==