The following is a list of cities and towns of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the dates of when they were settled, when incorporated as a town and, if applicable, when incorporated as a city, as well as the county in which there are located. Cities are listed in capital letters. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was settled in 1620 and incorporated in 1629. The term settled refers to the arrival of the Europeans.   Paleo-Indians in Massachusetts date back to 8000 BC. In some instances a town may have been established at an earlier date than its present name would suggest. Example: Wayland was first part of Sudbury (1639) before splitting from and becoming East Sudbury (1780), later to change its name to Wayland (1835). In these cases we recognize the first date of incorporation when the area in question stands alone: 1780. Additionally, four towns drowned in building the Quabbin reservoir during the 1930's. They were Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott.

Cities are in capital letters. There are 14 Counties, with 50 cities+ and 301 towns.

+ There are eleven communities in Massachusetts which have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government, though they wish to be known as "the town of". They are: Agawam, Amesbury, Barnstable, Easthampton, Franklin, Greenfield, Methuen, Southbridge, Watertown, West Springfield and Weymouth. This list shows them as cities, as that is how the courts recognize them.

* Indicates county seat or shiretown

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