ZIP Code 01001

Agawam is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the western side of the Connecticut River, directly across from Springfield, Massachusetts. The Six Flags New England amusement park is located in Agawam. The city is part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area, the 2nd largest metropolitan area in New England. It has a ZIP code, 01001, which is the lowest in the contiguous U.S., and a population of 28,692 at the 2020 census. It was originally known as Agawanus, Aggawom, Agawom, Onkowam, Igwam, and Auguam. It's speculated to mean "unloading place" and "fishcuring place", perhaps in reference to fish being unloaded from canoes for curing on the flats at the mouth of the Westfield River. It incorporated as a town on May 17, 1855, and had a gin distillery until 1938. It furnished 172 men who fought in the American Civil War, 22 of whom died in battle or of disease. It also had a pari-mutuel horse racing track, including grandstand and stables, was built adjacent to Bowles Airport. The airport had plans in the 1960s to become a commercial airport and host airlines for the city of Springfield, but those plans were shelved in the late 1980s and the area is now an industrial area. It borders West Springfield, to the west, Southwick, Massachusetts and Suffield, Connecticut to the northwest.

Etymology

The Native American village originally sited on the west bank of the Connecticut River was known as Agawam, or Agawanus. It is variously speculated to mean "unloading place" and "fishcuring place" perhaps in reference to fish being unloaded from canoes for curing on the flats at the mouth of the Westfield River. Ipswich, Massachusetts, was also known as Agawam during much of the 17th century, after the English name for the AgawAM tribe of Massachusetts, who were indigenous inhabitants of the area. The town of Ipswich is now part of the town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts and was once known as "Aguawam" or "Agaawanus" in the English language. The village is now a suburb of Boston and the town's name is now "Chittenden" or 'Aguwam' in the U.S. version of the English word for "chick" (pronounced "chee-dong"). The village was originally located on the banks of the Connecticut River, and later moved to the west side of the river, where it became known as 'Agawanus' or 'Aggawom' It was also called 'Auwanus' by the Native Americans, who lived in the area from 17th to 19th century. The name was derived from the word "auwam", which means "to unload" or to "cure".

History

Agawam, Massachusetts, incorporated as a town on May 17, 1855. The original town hall, built in 1874, housed the town government divisions as the current one does today. Bowles Agawam Airport opened in 1930 and operated as a civil airport until 1982. A pari-mutuel horse racing track, including grandstand and stables, was built adjacent to Bowles Airport in 1935. The airport and racetrack were demolished in the late 1980s and the area is now an industrial park. The town furnished 172 men who fought in the American Civil War, 22 of whom died in battle or of disease. In 1771, John Porter founded a gin distillery nine years later. After he died, his grandson, Harry, continued to work the business as the H. Porter Distilling Company. The plant was sold in 1917, and during Prohibition, the main products produced in the building were potato chips and cider. After the Volstead Act was repealed, the mill began producing gin again but closed permanently in 1938. The building was demolished in 1938, and the property is now the site of Benjamin Phelps Elementary School. A small school building was located near the premises and held grades one through three. In 1950, the Clifford M. Granger Elementary School opened in 1946 now occupies that land. A scheduled air service operated out of Bowles for approximately one year, before ending. It also had plans in the early 1960s to become a commercial airport and host airlines for the city of Springfield.

Geography

The city is located at 42°419N 72°3839W (42.071961, 72.644097). The highest point in the city is the 640-foot (195 m) Provin Mountain. The city has a total area of 24.2 square miles (63 km²), of which 23.2 sq miles (60 km²) is land and 1 sq mile (4.09km) is water. It is part of the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Its border with Westfield, Massachusetts, was mainly determined by Line Street, and its border with Suffield, Connecticut, was determined by the name of the town. It has a subsection known as Feeding Hills that runs along the border of Southwick and Westfield. It also borders Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the east, Springfield, Massachusetts, to the northeast, and Suffield, Connecticut, to the south. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population at 1,856,000 (1,857,000 in 2011). It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. It was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1864. The town's name is derived from the word "bulge" which means "to dig" or "to search" for a specific place.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 28,144 people, 11,260 households, and 7,462 families residing in the city. There were 11,659 housing units at an average density of 501.6 per square mile (193.7/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 96.71% White, 0.91% African American, 0,17% Native American,0.98% Asian, 0.,01% Pacific Islander, 0, 43% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population. The median income for a household in theCity was $49,390, and $59,088 for a family. About 4.3% of families and 5.6% of people were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% ofThose age 65 or over. The city is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. It is located near the border with Mexico. There are no international boundaries between the city and Mexico. It has a population of about 28,000 people, and a population density of 1,210.9 inhabitants per squaremile (467.5/km 2) The city's population is expected to grow to about 30,000 by the end of the decade. It was the site of a World War II-era naval base, which is now closed.

Government

Agawam adopted a city form of government effective 1 January 1973. Since May 1989 a mayor is the elected leader of the city. The current city council consists of eleven members elected at large by the voters. The Agawam Police Department has about fifty full-time sworn law enforcement officers and about eight support personnel. The department is responsible for law enforcement at the Six Flags New England amusement park and the Feeding Hills district. In mid-January 2017, three police officers were fired for beating a prisoner. The attack was caught on video which was released to the public. The officers are appealing their termination. Two of the officers returned to work following two years on paid administrative leave. FBI crime statistics show the city enjoys a lower-than-average crime rate. The city is part of Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, represented by Richard Neal; it is represented in the U.S. Senate by Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren. On the state level, the city is represented by John Velis, and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Nicholas Boldyga. It is one of 13 Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of" in their official names. It has a population of about 3,000 people (as of 2011). The city's mayor is William Sapelli, who has been in office since 1989 and is the current mayor of the town since 1989. The town is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Historical commercial operations

Six Flags New England was founded in 1812 as a cotton mill. It became a racetrack in the 1930s. It was sold in the 1970s and is now a theme park. It is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. The river runs through the center of the park. The park was built on the site of a former cotton mill, which was built in the 1800s. The original cotton mill was destroyed in a fire in the early 1900s, but the site is still used as a tourist attraction. The current cotton mill opened in the 1950s and has been in the same place ever since. The site is also home to a number of other tourist attractions, such as the Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef, which were built around the same time as the cotton factory. It also has its own radio station, which is still in operation today. The town's history dates back to the early 1800s, when the area was part of the British Empire and was known as England. The name of the town is "Riverside", which means "river" in English, and means "land" in Spanish. The city's name is derived from the river that runs through it, and the word "Riviera" means "water" or "river". The town is named after the river, which runs through a section of the river. It has been the center for much of the history of the city, and was once known as "The River Road".

Library

The first libraries were rooms in the Agawam and Feeding Hills town halls and the Mittenague School. The libraries were consolidated in a new building adjacent to the High School on Cooper St. in 1978. In fiscal year 2008, the city spent 1.39% ($923,113) of its budget on its public library. Some $32 per person was spent on the library in that year. The library is free and open to the public. It is located in the center of the city and is open seven days a week. The public can visit the library for free by going to www.agawam.org or by calling the library at (413) 615-8255. The free library is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on the weekends from 9am to 5pm. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For support in the UK, call the Salvation Army at 08457 909090 or click here.

Points of interest

The 110 mile Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (a hiking trail) traverses the ridgeline of Provin Mountain in western Agawam. The Massachusetts Veteran's Memorial Cemetery is located off Main Street. Six Flags New England, the largest amusement park in New England is located in Agwam. A series of plaques with the names of AgawAM citizens who died in the Vietnam War is displayed at Benjamin J. Phelps Elementary School. A marker and statue dedicated to Helen Keller's tutor, born in Feeding Hills, is located on the corner of Springfield and South Westfield Streets. A museum at the historic Thomas Smith House is located at 251 North West Street in feeding Hills. A park entrance to Robinson State Park, a narrow, urban 852-acre (3.45 km²) park, has its entrance on North St. It is located near the intersection of Elm Street and North Westfield Street. The town is home to a number of historic buildings, including the Thomas Smith house and the Agawam Historical and Fire House Museum, which was built in the 19th century. It also contains the Anne Sullivan Memorial Memorial, dedicated to the Helen Keller's teacher, who was born in the town. The Agawem Historical Association operates the Agawom Historical and fire House Museum at 35 Elm Street, and the historic Thomas Smith House at 251North West Street, which is also located in Feeder Hills.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Agawam, Hampden County, Massachusetts = 17. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 68. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 50. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Agawam = 3.4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,778 individuals with a median age of 42.9 age the population grows by 0.49% in Agawam, Hampden County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,230.25 residents per square mile of area (475.01/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 11,536 households with an average household income of $60,410 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.30% of the available work force and has dropped -4.69% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.32%. The number of physicians in Agawam per 100,000 population = 221.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Agawam = 44.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 43.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 109. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 188. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 18.5 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Agawam, Hampden County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 70.99%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 41 years with median home cost = $188,300 and home appreciation of -4.86%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $15.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $7,316 per student. There are 12.8 students for each teacher in the school, 990 students for each Librarian and 446 students for each Counselor. 9.38% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.24% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.41% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).