Local city information for Taunton, MA

Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located 40 miles south of Boston, 18 miles east of Providence, 18 miles north of Fall River and 25 miles west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way south to Mount Hope Bay.

As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,976. The current mayor is Charles Crowley.

Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. The city takes its name from Taunton, Somerset, England, the birthplace of its founder, Elizabeth Poole. The name Taunton means "town (or city) on the River Tone" or "Tone Town".

Taunton is also known as the Silver City, as it was an historic center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as Reed & Barton, F. B. Rogers, Poole Silver and others produced fine quality silver goods in the city.

The city provides a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, also giving it the nickname of Christmas City.

Taunton once included many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, and Berkley. Possession of the latter is still noted by the naming of Taunton Hill in Assonet, which is now North Main Street, a street that heads into Berkley.


Taunton is located at (41.901491, -71.093628). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 48.0 square miles (124.2 km²), of which, 46.6 square miles (120.7 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it (2.81%) is water. This is the second largest city by area in Massachusetts. Only Boston, at of land, is larger.

Taunton has one major river, the Taunton River, alongside with its tributaries including the Mill River and the Three Mile River. These rivers are within the Taunton River Watershed.

There are nine designated historic districts within the city:

• Bay Road Historic District, which is also known as Post Road. The road runs from Taunton to Boston (1300 acres (5.3 km²), 1 structure, 2 objects)
• Bristol County Courthouse Complex (13 acres, 3 buildings)
• Church Green Historic District is also known as Meetinghouse Common (160 acres, 18 buildings, 1 object)
• Hopewell Mills District (120 acres, 13 buildings)
• Old Bay Road Historic District is also known as The Post Road; The King's Highway (150 acres, 1 structure, 3 objects)
• Reed and Barton Complex
• Taunton Green Historic District (50 acres, 22 buildings, 3 objects)
• Taunton State Hospital Historic District is also known as the Taunton Lunatic Asylum (1250 acres (5.1 km²), 38 buildings, 8 structures)

See also: List of Registered Historic Places in Taunton, Massachusetts

Due to the annexation of towns from the original town of Taunton, the city now is irregularly shaped, with it (along with neighboring Raynham) roughly making a triangle. The city is bordered by Norton to the northwest, Easton to the north, Raynham to the northeast, Lakeville to the east, Berkley and Dighton to the south, and Rehoboth to the west.

City neighborhoods include Clearview Estates, East Taunton, Elliot's Corner, Herring Run Estates, Linden Estates, Matthews Landing, North Taunton, Oakland, Pine Crest Estates, Pine Hill Estates, Wades Corner, Weir Village, Westville, Whittenton, Whittenton Junction, Britannia Village, Willis Lake Village and Woodward Estates. Taunton is also home to almost the entirety of the Massasoit State Park in East Taunton, and a large portion of the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area in North Taunton.

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