Worcester, Massachusetts. City and Business guide.

Welcome to Worcester, Massachusetts.

Worcester is a city in the state of Massachusetts in the United States of America. A 2004 estimate put the population at 175,966, making it the third-largest city in New England, behind Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.

Downtown Worcester, Mass., June, 2004, near the corner of Franklin and Main streets.
Worcester is the second-largest city in Massachusetts, and the county seat of Worcester County. Citizens of Worcester are called Worcesterites.

The first dictionary printed in the United States was printed in Worcester in the 18th century, by Isaiah Thomas, who also printed the largest newspaper of the time, the Massachusetts Spy.

The Blackstone River passes through Worcester, but is almost completely covered as it passes through. Water Street (the traditional hub of Worcester's Jewish population, famed for its bakeries), and the appearance of the river just south of the city, are the only indications of its existence. Just as in Rome, Italy, there are seven very steep hills that distinguish its topography: Airport Hill, Bancroft Hill, Belmont Hill (Bell Hill), Grafton Hill, Green Hill, Pakachoag Hill and Vernon Hill. Lake Quinsigamond, on its eastern border, is frequently the site of rowing competitions.

Worcester experiences a continental climate that is very common in New England. The weather, like much of New England, changes rapidly. Summers are typically warm and humid, while winters are cold, windy and snowy. It has been known to snow in October.

Worcester is home to the American Antiquarian Society, Higgins Armory Museum (the largest collection of arms and armor in the western hemisphere), the Worcester Art Museum, Mechanics Hall, the EcoTarium, and the DCU Center (formerly the Worcester Centrum).

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