Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst, Massachusetts
Amherst, Massachusetts
City
	Town of Amherst
	Left-right from top: Downtown Amherst, Congregational Church in North Amherst, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Town Hall, Downtown Amherst
	Flag Seal
	Nickname: "The People's Republic of Amherst"
	Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts
	Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst, Massachusetts
	Coordinates: 42°23′N 72°31′W / 42.383°N 72.517°W
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampshire
Settled	1703
Incorporated	February 13, 1759
Named for	Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst
Government
• Type	Council–manager
Area
• Total	27.7 sq mi (71.8 km2)
• Land	27.6 sq mi (71.5 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation	295 ft (90 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	39,263
• Density	1,422/sq mi (549.1/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	01002, 01003 (UMass), 01004 (post office boxes), 01059 (North Amherst post office)
Area code	413
FIPS code	25-01325
GNIS feature ID	0618195
Website	www.amherstma.gov

Amherst (/ˈæmərst/ ^ⓘ)^[4] is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massachusetts municipalities that have city forms of government but retain "The Town of" in their official names.^[5] At the 2020 census, the population was 39,263,^[6] making it the highest populated municipality in Hampshire County (although the county seat is Northampton). The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, three of the Five Colleges.

Amherst has three census-designated places: Amherst Center, North Amherst, and South Amherst.

Amherst is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. Lying 22 miles (35 km) north of the city of Springfield, Amherst is considered the northernmost town in the Hartford–Springfield Metropolitan Region, "The Knowledge Corridor". Amherst is also located in the Pioneer Valley, which encompasses Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin counties.

^ Hollander, Paul (1981). Political Pilgrims: Western Intellectuals in Search of the Good Society. Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. xxv. ISBN 9781412831208. Retrieved April 7, 2013. Brentlinger, a professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, was robustly and proudly alienated from American society and culture ... he has probably benefited from living amidst like-minded people in what has been jestingly called 'the people's republic of Amherst, Mass.'
^ Arkes, Hadley (1996). "Response to Fund". In Schaefer, David Lewis; Schaefer, Roberta Rubel (eds.). The future of cities. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 9780761802709. Retrieved April 7, 2013. I come to you from one of those places that is in America, but not quite of it...In my case it is the People's Republic of Amherst
^ Sarat, Austin (2008). "Contested Terrain: Visions of Multiculturalism in an American Town". In Minow, Martha; Shweder, Richard A.; Markus, Hazel (eds.). Just Schools: Pursuing Equality in Societies of Difference. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. p. 102. ISBN 9781610447263. Retrieved April 7, 2013. I live in a place whose liberal tendencies have earned it various nicknames. For example, it has been called 'The People's Republic of Amherst'
^ "Amherst". Dictionary.com. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
^ "CIS: Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates". www.sec.state.ma.us. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
^ "Census - Geography Profile: Amherst Town city, Massachusetts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2021.

[pilgrims-1] Hollander, Paul (1981). Political Pilgrims: Western Intellectuals in Search of the Good Society. Piscataway, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. xxv. ISBN 9781412831208. Retrieved April 7, 2013. Brentlinger, a professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, was robustly and proudly alienated from American society and culture ... he has probably benefited from living amidst like-minded people in what has been jestingly called 'the people's republic of Amherst, Mass.'

[futureofcities-2] Arkes, Hadley (1996). "Response to Fund". In Schaefer, David Lewis; Schaefer, Roberta Rubel (eds.). The future of cities. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, Inc. p. 9. ISBN 9780761802709. Retrieved April 7, 2013. I come to you from one of those places that is in America, but not quite of it...In my case it is the People's Republic of Amherst

[justschools-3] Sarat, Austin (2008). "Contested Terrain: Visions of Multiculturalism in an American Town". In Minow, Martha; Shweder, Richard A.; Markus, Hazel (eds.). Just Schools: Pursuing Equality in Societies of Difference. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. p. 102. ISBN 9781610447263. Retrieved April 7, 2013. I live in a place whose liberal tendencies have earned it various nicknames. For example, it has been called 'The People's Republic of Amherst'

[Dictionary-Amherst-Pronounce-4] "Amherst". Dictionary.com. Retrieved November 9, 2014.

[5] "CIS: Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates". www.sec.state.ma.us. Retrieved April 6, 2018.

[Census_2020-6] "Census - Geography Profile: Amherst Town city, Massachusetts". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 25, 2021.

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