Lynn, Massachusetts

Lynn
City
Nicknames: 
"City of Sin" and "City of Firsts"
Location in Essex County and Massachusetts.
Lynn
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 42°28′N 70°57′W / 42.467°N 70.950°W / 42.467; -70.950
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyEssex
Settled1629
Incorporated (Town)1629
Named1637
Incorporated (City)May 14, 1850
Named afterKing's Lynn, Norfolk, England
Government
  TypeMayor-council city
  BodyExecutive Branch (Mayor) and Legislative Branch (City Council)
  MayorJared C. Nicholson (D)
  CouncilJohn M. Walsh Jr
(President, Ward 7) (D)
Dianna Chakoutis
(Vice President,
Ward 5) (D)
Brian M. Field
(at-large) (D)
Brian P. LaPierre
(at-large) (D)
Hong L. Net
(at-large) (D)
Nicole McClain
(at-large) (D)
Peter Meany
(Ward 1) (D)
Obed Matul
(Ward 2) (D)
Constantino “Coco” Alinsug
(Ward 3) (D)
Natasha Megie-Maddrey
(Ward 4) (D)
Frederick W. Hogan
(Ward 6) (D)
Area
  Total
13.52 sq mi (35.02 km2)
  Land10.74 sq mi (27.81 km2)
  Water2.78 sq mi (7.20 km2)
Elevation
30 ft (9 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
101,253
  Density9,428.53/sq mi (3,640.41/km2)
DemonymLynner
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
  Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
01901–01905
Area codes339/781
FIPS code25-37490
GNIS feature ID0613376
Websitewww.lynnma.gov

Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts, United States, and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, 3.7 miles (6.0 km) north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core and is a major economic and cultural center of the North Shore.

Settled by Europeans in 1629, Lynn is the 5th oldest colonial settlement in the Commonwealth. An early industrial center, Lynn was long colloquially referred to as the "City of Sin", owing to its historical reputation for crime and vice. Today, however, the city is known for its immigrant population, historic architecture, downtown cultural district, loft-style apartments, and public parks and open spaces, which include the oceanfront Lynn Shore Reservation; the 2,200-acre, Frederick Law Olmsted-designed Lynn Woods Reservation; and the High Rock Reservation and Park designed by Olmsted's sons. Lynn also is home to Lynn Heritage State Park, the southernmost portion of the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, and the seaside, National Register-listed Diamond Historic District. The population was 101,253 at the 2020 United States census.