Town Profile
The Town of Lincoln is a small suburb west of Boston with a strong sense of place. It began as a rural farming community made up of pieces of land nipped from adjacent towns; hence its nickname was once "Niptown". The town also became a popular site for country estates, of which some have become schools, museums, town buildings or parks.
Retention of open space and protection of its rural character against an encroaching age of urban development are extremely important to the community. To that end, Lincoln was one of the first towns to create a Conservation Commission that has, with the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, acquired key parcels of land throughout the town. Significant areas of the town are now preserved against development, providing protection for wild life and water supply and creating conservation trails for use by the public. Residents note that Lincoln is a quiet pretty place to be whether to visit a museum or walk in the woods all year round.
Geography
Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by Sudbury and Concord on the west and northwest, Bedford on the north, Lexington and Waltham on the east, and Weston and Wayland on the south. Lincoln is 13 miles northwest of Boston, 18 miles south of Lowell, 30 miles northeast of Worcester, and 210 miles from New York City.
- Total Area: 15.01 sq. miles
- Land Area: 14.37 sq. miles
- Population: 7,666
- Density: 533 per sq. mile
Government
Municipal Offices Main Number: (781) 259-8850
Form of Government; Board of Selectmen, Executive Secretary, Open Town Meeting. Incorporated as a town in 1754.
Museums
- Codman House, The Grange
Codman Road
(781) 259-8843 - De Cordova Museum and Sculpture Park
Sandy Pond Road
(781) 259-8355 - Drumlin Farm Education Center
Lincoln Road
(781) 259-9807 - Gropius House
68 Baker Bridge Road
(781) 259-8843
Transportation and Access
Lincoln is situated in the Greater Boston Area, which has excellent rail, air, and highway facilities. State Route 128 and Interstate Route 495 divide the region into inner and outer zones, which are connected by numerous "spokes" providing direct access to the airport, port, and intermodal facilities of Boston.
Major Highways
Principal highways are State Routes 2, 117, and 126. State Route 128, the inner belt around Boston, is easily accessible in the neighboring towns of Lexington and Waltham.
Rail
Commuter rail service is available to North Station, Boston on the Fitchburg Line from Lincoln Station and Waltham Station. Travel time from Lincoln Station: 28-36 minutes; 179 MBTA parking spaces. Freight rail service is available from the Springfirld Terminal Railway. Contact number: (508) 663-1073
Bus
Lincoln is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which provides THE RIDE, a paratransit service for the elderly and disabled.
Other
L.G. Hanscom Field, a joint civil-military airport, is located in neighboring Bedford. A Reliever Airport with Commercial Service (CR), it has a 5,106' asphalt runway and a 7,001' concrete and asphalt runway. Instrument approaches available: Precision and non-precision. There is fixed route bus service from Hanscom Field to the MBTA Red Line.
