Home › Massachusetts › Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

A quintessential New England college town, Amherst is home to three institutions — UMass Amherst, Amherst College, and Hampshire College — and was where Emily Dickinson wrote nearly all of her 1,800 poems. The H is silent: "AM-erst."

Founded 1759 | Population 40,000 | Peak 40,000 (2024) | County Hampshire County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Amherst, Massachusetts

undefined

1759Founded: Amherst was founded by colonial settlers in Hampshire County.

undefined

1863UMass: UMass Amherst.

undefined

1890Higher Education: Educational institutions helped define Amherst's character and economy.

undefined

2010Modern Era: Amherst continued to develop as part of the greater metropolitan area, with new infrastructure and community amenities.

🧠

How Well Do You Know Amherst?

5 questions • 2 minutes

Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Amherst

News articles will appear here as they're published.

Complete Historical Timeline

1759 Culture

Founded

1863 Culture

UMass

1890 Culture

Higher Education

2010 Culture

Modern Era

Did You Know?

Three colleges.

Emily Dickinson museum.

Silent H — AM-erst.

Amherst is located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts.

Amherst was founded in 1759.

See something that needs correcting?

We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Amherst's history right.