Newburyport, MA

Newburyport occupies the elevated south bank of the Merrimack River near its mouth, between the river and the Newbury marshes. The Essex County city includes part of Plum Island and counted 18,289 residents in 2020. Its seaport economy once combined fishing, shipbuilding, shipping, and silverware production; the fishing fleet ranged from Georges Bank to the Merrimack. Former shipyards along the waterfront are now boatyards, while parking occupies some former dock and yard sites. Joppa Flats marks the riverbank’s transition toward marsh beyond downtown, and the Plum Island Turnpike crosses the marsh on a causeway. A Coast Guard station monitors boating in the river’s strong tidal currents. The MBTA commuter-rail line from Boston terminates in Newburyport, and Interstate 95 crosses the city.