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Route 9 (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway
in Massachusetts
. Along with U.S. Route 20
, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike
, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston
. Starting at Copley Square
and passing along Huntington Avenue, Route 9 is a limited access route through the MetroWest
suburbs to Worcester, and is also a major alternative to the Pike's toll road
west of the city. After passing along major city streets in that city, the road becomes a country route, passing through the central Worcester Hills, the Pioneer Valley and the city of Northampton, and into the Berkshire Hills. The road ends near the center of the city of Pittsfield.
transformed that part of Route 9 in the late 20th century; this otherwise rural part of the route now has several shops, restaurants, and the mid-sized Hampshire Mall
. Between Worcester
and Boston, Route 9 follows the path of the 19th Century Worcester Turnpike, opened in 1810. This route originally included a floating bridge
over Lake Quinsigamond
in Shrewsbury
. In the 20th century, Route 9 became the focus for urban sprawl
in towns like Newton
and Wellesley
. Further west, in Framingham
, Route 9 was home to one of the first modern shopping mall
s, the aptly named Shoppers World.
In Framingham
, Route 9 is officially the "Ted Williams Highway", named after the Red Sox
sports legend Ted Williams
, who sported that number. In Newton
, it is officially the "United Spanish War Veterans Highway".
From 1903 to 1932, the Boston and Worcester Street Railway
ran mostly via Route 9. Today the E branch of the MBTA's Green Line
follows Route 9 along Huntington Avenue.
An a cappella
group called Route 9, named after the highway, exists at Amherst College
.
, at the junction of U.S. Routes 7
and 20
, where the latter leaves its concurrency with the former. Concurrent with Route 7 for its first mile through the center of the city, it then turns east, passing through the towns of Dalton and Windsor in Berkshire County
. It continues its winding pass through the small towns of The Berkshires
in Berkshire and western Hampshire
Counties before passing through the center of Northampton
, passing Smith College
before its first interstate junction, at Interstate 91
. It then crosses the Connecticut River
at the Calvin Coolidge Bridge
, just downstream from Elwell Island. It goes past the retail area of Hadley before passing the University of Massachusetts Amherst
and Amherst College
. From Amherst, it winds its way into western Worcester County
, south of the Quabbin Reservoir
, through small towns until it makes its way into the city of Worcester
.
Once in Worcester, Route 9 becomes a major thoroughfare through the city, as Park Street, Highland Avenue (which passes Worcester Center Boulevard), before passing under Interstate 290
) and Belmont Street, where University of Massachusetts Medical School
and the former Worcester State Hospital
are located. From Worcester, it crosses Lake Quinsigamond
into Shrewsbury. At this point, Route 9 becomes the main retail artery of the MetroWest
region. Several plazas and chain stores are located along the route as it makes its way towards Northborough, where it crosses U.S. Route 20
; Westborough, where it crosses Interstate 495
; and eventually in the Golden Triangle
retail area of Framingham and Natick, after crossing the Massachusetts Turnpike
. It passes Shopper's World and the Natick Collection
, New England's largest mall.
Beginning in the Golden Triangle, Route 9 becomes one of the major routes into Boston, serving as a valuable bypass to the Mass Pike and its tolls. It crosses Interstate 95
(also known as Massachusetts Route 128) in Wellesley before crossing the Charles River
into Newton and Brookline. It enters the city of Boston by crossing over Brookline's former namesake, the Muddy River, part of the Emerald Necklace
. at this point it becomes Huntington Avenue, also known as "Avenue of the Arts." It passes the Longwood Medical and Academic Area
, which includes Brigham and Women's Hospital
, Harvard Medical School
and other hospitals; the Museum of Fine Arts
; and several colleges and universities, including Northeastern University. This stretch is also a major site of baseball history; the first game of the 1903 World Series
, baseball's first true World Series, was played at the Huntington Avenue Grounds
, the original home of the Boston Red Sox
. (The site is now part of Northeastern's campus.) Route 9 continues past Symphony Hall
and The First Church of Christ, Scientist, which is the mother church of Christian Science
. It then passes Copley Place
and the Prudential Center complex
, before splitting, the westbound half onto Stuart Street, the eastbound onto Saint James Street, past Copley Square
; both the eastbound and westbound segments of Route 9 end at Route 28 on Clarendon Street, which are on either side of the John Hancock Tower
.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Along with U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Starting at Copley Square
Copley Square
Copley Square is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, named for the donor of the land on which it was developed. The square is named for John Singleton Copley, a famous portrait painter of the late 18th century and native of Boston. A bronze statue of...
and passing along Huntington Avenue, Route 9 is a limited access route through the MetroWest
MetroWest
MetroWest is a cluster of cities and towns lying west of Boston and east of Worcester, in the US state of Massachusetts. The name was coined in the 1980s by a local newspaper....
suburbs to Worcester, and is also a major alternative to the Pike's toll road
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
west of the city. After passing along major city streets in that city, the road becomes a country route, passing through the central Worcester Hills, the Pioneer Valley and the city of Northampton, and into the Berkshire Hills. The road ends near the center of the city of Pittsfield.
History
From Dalton to Goshen in the Berkshires, the road follows the old Berkshire Trail. The massive expansion of the University of Massachusetts AmherstUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
transformed that part of Route 9 in the late 20th century; this otherwise rural part of the route now has several shops, restaurants, and the mid-sized Hampshire Mall
Hampshire Mall
Hampshire Mall is a primarily one-story shopping mall with a small second floor in Hadley, Massachusetts, United States, with approximately 55 stores owned by The Pyramid Companies. Current anchor stores include Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, and Target. There is a LaserStorm, a...
. Between Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and Boston, Route 9 follows the path of the 19th Century Worcester Turnpike, opened in 1810. This route originally included a floating bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
over Lake Quinsigamond
Lake Quinsigamond
Lake Quinsigamond is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. It is 4 miles long, between 50 and 85 feet deep, and has a surface area of approximately 772 acres . Lake Quinsigamond hosts 8 islands with the...
in Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,640 people, 12,366 households, and 8,693 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 12,696 housing units at an average density of...
. In the 20th century, Route 9 became the focus for urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
in towns like Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
and Wellesley
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
. Further west, in Framingham
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, Route 9 was home to one of the first modern shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s, the aptly named Shoppers World.
In Framingham
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, Route 9 is officially the "Ted Williams Highway", named after the Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
sports legend Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
, who sported that number. In Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
, it is officially the "United Spanish War Veterans Highway".
From 1903 to 1932, the Boston and Worcester Street Railway
Boston and Worcester Street Railway
Boston and Worcester Electric Companies was a holding company for several streetcar companies between Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts. The main line, built by the Boston and Worcester Street Railway, was an interurban streetcar line partly on the old Boston and Worcester Turnpike and partly...
ran mostly via Route 9. Today the E branch of the MBTA's Green Line
Green Line (MBTA)
The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
follows Route 9 along Huntington Avenue.
An a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group called Route 9, named after the highway, exists at Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
.
Route description
Route 9 passes through six counties and twenty-eight cities and towns. It begins in the western Massachusetts city of PittsfieldPittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, at the junction of U.S. Routes 7
U.S. Route 7
U.S. Route 7 is a north–south United States highway in western New England that runs for from Norwalk, Connecticut, to Highgate, Vermont. The highway's southern terminus is at Interstate 95 in Norwalk, Connecticut...
and 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
, where the latter leaves its concurrency with the former. Concurrent with Route 7 for its first mile through the center of the city, it then turns east, passing through the towns of Dalton and Windsor in Berkshire County
Berkshire County, Massachusetts
Berkshire County is a non-governmental county located on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 131,219. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield...
. It continues its winding pass through the small towns of The Berkshires
The Berkshires
The Berkshires , is a highland geologic region located in the western parts of Massachusetts and Connecticut.Also referred to as the Berkshire Hills, Berkshire Mountains, and Berkshire Plateau, the region enjoys a vibrant tourism industry based on music, arts, and recreation.-Definition:The term...
in Berkshire and western Hampshire
Hampshire County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 152,251 people, 55,991 households, and 33,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 58,644 housing units at an average density of 111 per square mile...
Counties before passing through the center of Northampton
Northampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, passing Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
before its first interstate junction, at Interstate 91
Interstate 91
Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
. It then crosses the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
at the Calvin Coolidge Bridge
Calvin Coolidge Bridge
The Calvin Coolidge Memorial Bridge is a major crossing of the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts, connecting the towns of Northampton and Hadley. The bridge carries Route 9 across the river, where it connects to Interstate 91...
, just downstream from Elwell Island. It goes past the retail area of Hadley before passing the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
and Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
. From Amherst, it winds its way into western Worcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
, south of the Quabbin Reservoir
Quabbin Reservoir
The Quabbin Reservoir is the largest inland body of water in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was built between 1930 and 1939. Today along with the Wachusett Reservoir, it is the primary water supply for Boston, some to the east, as well as 40 other communities in Greater Boston...
, through small towns until it makes its way into the city of Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
.
Once in Worcester, Route 9 becomes a major thoroughfare through the city, as Park Street, Highland Avenue (which passes Worcester Center Boulevard), before passing under Interstate 290
Interstate 290 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 290 runs for from Auburn, Massachusetts to Marlborough, Massachusetts. It is a continuation of I-395 north of I-90 and runs through downtown Worcester, Massachusetts, I-190 splits off, and I-290 runs across Lake Quinsigamond and east to I-495 in Marlborough...
) and Belmont Street, where University of Massachusetts Medical School
University of Massachusetts Medical School
The University of Massachusetts Medical School is one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system and is home to three schools: the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate School of Nursing; a biomedical research enterprise; and a range of...
and the former Worcester State Hospital
Worcester State Hospital
Worcester State Hospital was a Massachusetts state mental hospital located in Worcester, Massachusetts.The hospital and surrounding associated historic structures are listed as Worcester Asylum and related buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.-Early History:Once known as the...
are located. From Worcester, it crosses Lake Quinsigamond
Lake Quinsigamond
Lake Quinsigamond is a body of water situated between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. It is 4 miles long, between 50 and 85 feet deep, and has a surface area of approximately 772 acres . Lake Quinsigamond hosts 8 islands with the...
into Shrewsbury. At this point, Route 9 becomes the main retail artery of the MetroWest
MetroWest
MetroWest is a cluster of cities and towns lying west of Boston and east of Worcester, in the US state of Massachusetts. The name was coined in the 1980s by a local newspaper....
region. Several plazas and chain stores are located along the route as it makes its way towards Northborough, where it crosses U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
; Westborough, where it crosses Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
; and eventually in the Golden Triangle
Golden Triangle (Massachusetts)
The Golden Triangle is one of the largest retail districts in New England and is located on the borders of Framingham and Natick, Massachusetts, in the heart of the MetroWest region of the state. The district is anchored by the two malls in the area, Shoppers World and the Natick Collection...
retail area of Framingham and Natick, after crossing the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
. It passes Shopper's World and the Natick Collection
Natick Collection
The Natick Mall, formerly named the Natick Collection from February 2007 to July 2011, is a large shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties . It is located between routes 9 and 30 in Natick, Massachusetts and is adjacent to Shoppers World in Framingham, Massachusetts...
, New England's largest mall.
Beginning in the Golden Triangle, Route 9 becomes one of the major routes into Boston, serving as a valuable bypass to the Mass Pike and its tolls. It crosses Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
(also known as Massachusetts Route 128) in Wellesley before crossing the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
into Newton and Brookline. It enters the city of Boston by crossing over Brookline's former namesake, the Muddy River, part of the Emerald Necklace
Emerald Necklace
The Emerald Necklace consists of an chain of parks linked by parkways and waterways in Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts. It gets its name from the way the planned chain appears to hang from the "neck" of the Boston peninsula, although it was never fully constructed.-Overview:The Necklace...
. at this point it becomes Huntington Avenue, also known as "Avenue of the Arts." It passes the Longwood Medical and Academic Area
Longwood Medical and Academic Area
The Longwood Medical and Academic Area is a medical campus in Boston....
, which includes Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds...
, Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and other hospitals; the Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
; and several colleges and universities, including Northeastern University. This stretch is also a major site of baseball history; the first game of the 1903 World Series
1903 World Series
The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the Boston Americans of the American League against the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last...
, baseball's first true World Series, was played at the Huntington Avenue Grounds
Huntington Avenue Grounds
Huntington Avenue American League Base Ball Grounds is the full name of the baseball stadium that formerly stood in Boston, Massachusetts and was home to the Boston Red Sox from 1901-1911...
, the original home of the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. (The site is now part of Northeastern's campus.) Route 9 continues past Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, Boston
Symphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, it was built in 1900 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the hall its home. The hall was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1999...
and The First Church of Christ, Scientist, which is the mother church of Christian Science
Church of Christ, Scientist
The Church of Christ, Scientist was founded in 1879 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, by Mary Baker Eddy. She was the author of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Christian Science teaches that the "allness" of God denies the reality of sin, sickness, death, and the material world...
. It then passes Copley Place
Copley Place
Copley Place is an enclosed shopping mall, constructed in 1983, located in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. It is owned by Simon Property Group, which acquired it in the 2002 breakup of the then-Dutch owned Urban Shopping Centers, Inc...
and the Prudential Center complex
Prudential Tower
The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, The Pru, is a skyscraper in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, a part of the Prudential Center complex, currently stands as the 2nd-tallest building in Boston, behind the John Hancock Tower. The Prudential Tower was...
, before splitting, the westbound half onto Stuart Street, the eastbound onto Saint James Street, past Copley Square
Copley Square
Copley Square is a public square located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, named for the donor of the land on which it was developed. The square is named for John Singleton Copley, a famous portrait painter of the late 18th century and native of Boston. A bronze statue of...
; both the eastbound and westbound segments of Route 9 end at Route 28 on Clarendon Street, which are on either side of the John Hancock Tower
John Hancock Tower
The John Hancock Tower, officially named Hancock Place and colloquially known as The Hancock, is a 60-story, 790-foot skyscraper in Boston. The tower was designed by Henry N. Cobb of the firm I. M. Pei & Partners and was completed in 1976...
.