Bristol County, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bristol County, Massachusetts | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Massachusetts |
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 Massachusetts's location in the U.S. |
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| Statistics | |
| Founded | June 2, 1685 (from Plymouth Colony) |
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| Seat | Taunton |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
691 sq mi (1,790 km²) 556 sq mi (1,440 km²) 135 sq mi (350 km²), 19.56% |
| Population - (2000) - Density |
534,678 962/sq mi (371/km²) |
| Website: www.countyofbristol.net | |
Bristol County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, adjacent to the state of Rhode Island. As of 2005, the population was estimated at 546,331. Some governmental functions are performed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, others by the county, and others by local towns and cities. See Administrative divisions of Massachusetts. Despite multiple seats being displayed on some maps, the formal county seat is Taunton[1]; Fall River and New Bedford are not county seats, but there are some courthouses and other county-operated facilities in those two places. The property deed records are kept in Taunton, Attleborough, Fall River, and New Bedford. The adjacent counties are Plymouth County, Norfolk County, Bristol County, Rhode Island, Newport County, Rhode Island, Providence County, Rhode Island, and Dukes County.
The county offices are located in the Taunton County Building in Taunton at the Taunton Green.
Contents |
[edit] Elected county officials
- Maria Lopes—Chairperson of Bristol County, Massachusetts
- Paul B. Kitchen—Commissioner
- Christopher Saunders—Commissioner
- C. Samuel Sutter—District Attorney
- Thomas M. Hodgson—Sheriff
- Kevin Finnerty—County Treasurer
- Barry Amaral—Register of Deeds
- Bernard McDonald—Register of Deeds
- J. Mark Treadup—Register of Deeds
- Marc Santos—Clerk of Courts
[edit] History
The land that is now Bristol County was part of the Plymouth Colony, which pre-dates the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Part of the county's land has been transferred to Rhode Island over time; see History of Massachusetts.
[edit] Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 691 square miles (1,790 km²), of which, 556 square miles (1,440 km²) of it is land and 135 square miles (350 km²) of it (19.56%) is water. The highest point in Bristol County is Sunrise Hill (Watery Hill) at 390 feet above sea level located in World War I Memorial Park in North Attleborough.
[edit] Adjacent counties
- Norfolk County, Massachusetts—north
- Plymouth County, Massachusetts—east
- Newport County, Rhode Island—southwest
- Bristol County, Rhode Island—west
- Providence County, Rhode Island—northwest
To the south, Dukes County, Massachusetts is opposite Buzzards Bay from Bristol County.
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Providence County, Rhode Island | Norfolk County |
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| Bristol County, Rhode Island |  |
Plymouth County | |||||
 Bristol County, Massachusetts  |
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| Newport County, Rhode Island | Buzzards Bay |
[edit] National protected area
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile (371/km²). There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile (151/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 90.98% White, 2.03% Black or African American, 0.24% Native American, 1.26% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. 3.60% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 29.7% were of Portuguese, 13.0% Irish, 8.9% French, 8.2% English, 6.8% Italian and 6.4% French Canadian ancestry according to Census 2000. 79.1% spoke English, 13.9% Portuguese, 2.9% Spanish and 1.6% French as their first language. The United States Census Bureau reported Bristol County as being one of two counties in the United States with a plurality of people of Portuguese ancestry (the other being the contiguous Bristol County Rhode Island).
There were 205,411 households out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.60% were married couples living together, 13.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. 26.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county the population was spread out with 24.60% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.50 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $43,496, and the median income for a family was $53,733. Males had a median income of $39,361 versus $27,516 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,978. About 7.80% of families and 10.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.00% of those under age 18 and 12.00% of that age 65 or over.
[edit] Transport
Transportation authorities providing public bus service include the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority; and the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority serving the Fall River and New Bedford areas.
Airports include the Mansfield Municipal Airport, Myricks Airport, New Bedford Municipal Airport and Taunton Municipal Airport; of these, the New Bedford airport is a commercial airport, with flights serving the Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard area.
[edit] Cities, towns, and villages*
- Acushnet
- Acushnet Center (a village in Acushnet)
- Attleboro
- South Attleboro (a village in Attleboro)
- Berkley
- Myricks Association (a village in Berkeley)
- Dartmouth
- Bliss Corner (a village in Dartmouth)
- Smith Mills (a village in Dartmouth)
- Padanaram (a village in Dartmouth)
- Dighton
- North Dighton (a village in Dighton)
- Easton
- Fairhaven
- Fall River
- Flint Village (a village in Fall River)
- Bowensville (a village in Fall River)
- North Watuppa Pond (a village in Fall River)
- Fighting Rock Corner (a village in Fall River)
- Highlands (a village in Fall River)
- Fall River Station (a village in Fall River)
- Steep Brook (a village in Fall River)
- Globe Village (a village in Fall River)
- South Watuppa Pond (a village in Fall River)
- Slade's Ferry (a village in Fall River)
- Copicut Reservoir (a village in Fall River)
- Freetown
- Assonet (a village in Freetown)
- East Freetown (a village in Freetown)
- Mansfield
- Mansfield Center (a village in Mansfield)
- New Bedford
- North Attleborough
- North Attleborough Center (a village in North Attleborough)
- Norton
- Norton Center (a village in Norton)
- Raynham
- Raynham Center (a village in Raynham)
- Tracy Corner (a village in Raynham)
- North Raynham (a village in Raynham)
- Squawbetty (a village in Raynham)
- Prattville (a village in Raynham)
- Gushee Pond (a village in Raynham)
- Rehoboth
- Four Corners (a village in Rehoboth)
- Hornbine (a village in Rehoboth)
- Kingmans Corner (a village in Rehoboth)
- North Rehoboth (a village in Rehoboth)
- Pecks Corner (a village in Rehoboth)
- Perrys Corner (a village in Rehoboth)
- Perryville (a village in Rehoboth)
- Rehoboth Village (a village in Rehoboth)
- South Rehoboth (a village in Rehoboth)
- Seekonk
- North Seekonk (a village in Seekonk)
- Somerset
- Pottersville (a village in Somerset)
- Swansea
- Ocean Grove (a village in Swansea)
- Taunton
- East Taunton (a village in Taunton)
- Weir Village (a village in Taunton)
- Whittenton Junction (a village in Taunton)
- Britannia (a village in Taunton)
- North Taunton (a village in Taunton)
- Oakland (a village in Taunton)
- Westville (a village in Taunton)
- Wade's Corner (a village in Taunton)
- Whittenton (a village in Taunton)
- Westport
- North Westport (a village in Westport)
* Villages are census division, but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.
[edit] See also
- Bristol Community College
- Horseneck Beach State Reservation
- Freetown-Fall River State Forest
- Southern New England School of Law
- Taunton River
- Taunton River Watershed
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- Wheaton College
[edit] References
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Bristol Community College's Home Page
- Bristol County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Official Home Page
- Bristol County Superior Courthouse (in Taunton)
- National Register of Historic Places listing for Bristol Co., Massachusetts
- Map of cities and towns of Massachusetts
- Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development's Official Home Page
- Taunton River Stewardship Program: The Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts' Official Home Page
- Taunton River Watershed Alliance's Official Home Page
- Bristol County Quidditch Club
- Bristol County Sheriff's Office
- Taunton Northern District Registry of Deeds
- Fall River Southwest District Registry of Deeds
- New Bedford Southeast District Registry of Deeds
- Bristol County Retirement System
- Wall & Gray. 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. Map of Massachusetts. USA. New England. Counties—Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden, Worcester, Middlesex, Essex and Norfolk, Boston-Suffolk,Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable and Dukes (Cape Cod). Cities—Springfield, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Newburyport, Salem, Lynn, Taunton, Fall River. New Bedford. These 1871 maps of the Counties and Cities are useful to see the roads and rail lines.
- Beers, D.G. (1872). Atlas of Essex County, Map of Massachusetts Plate 5. Click on the map for a very large image.
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