Browse / United States / Massachusetts / Ayer
Ayer
MassachusettsCDP
Ayer
Total population
8,479
Founded
1668
Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871, and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War. Later, Fort Devens was established by the federal government to train New England soldiers for World War I. Fort Devens is a major influence on the area, although it is considerably smaller than when it was first closed in the mid-1990s. The town's population was 8,479 at the 2020 census. It contains the census-designated places of Ayer and Devens.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
Demographics & economy
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Current forecast
Forecast for Ayer, MA from NOAA NWS API.
Air quality
Industrial & pollution facilities
Natural hazard risk
Health (adults)
Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves33,501
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves32,479
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves29,652
- Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves29,510
- American RobinTurdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves28,026
- American GoldfinchSpinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves26,670
- Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves24,795
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves23,594
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Schools
Largest nearby schools
- Acton-Boxborough Regional HighHigh · Acton · 1,683 students · 13.7:1 ratio
- Westford AcademyHigh · Westford · 1,525 students · 13.5:1 ratio
- Raymond J Grey Junior HighMiddle · Acton · 825 students · 11.5:1 ratio
- North Middlesex RegionalHigh · Townsend · 779 students · 13.7:1 ratio
- Tyngsborough ElementaryElementary · Tyngsborough · 752 students · 12.7:1 ratio
- Nashoba Valley Technical High SchoolHigh · Westford · 750 students · 11.7:1 ratio
- Groton Dunstable Regional MiddleMiddle · Groton · 723 students · 12.1:1 ratio
- Groton Dunstable RegionalHigh · Groton · 680 students · 12.8:1 ratio
Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).
Earthquake history
Most recent
- M 3.8 — 2025-01-279 km SE of York Harbor, Maine
- M 2.7 — 2023-12-235 km SW of Chichester, New Hampshire
- M 2.7 — 2018-02-150 km SE of East Kingston, New Hampshire
- M 2.8 — 2016-03-214 km ESE of Warner, New Hampshire
- M 2.6 — 2015-01-132 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
- M 3.3 — 2015-01-120 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Ayer
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Nearest stream gauge
Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-05-22 16:00 UTC.
Events
Gallery
Geotagged photos within ~6 miles of Ayer, from Wikimedia Commons contributors.
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.2 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 mi
0.3 miPhotos via Wikimedia Commons — see each image page for license & attribution.
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • NOAA National Weather Service
- • Wikimedia Commons
- • Wikidata
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • USGS NWIS (water data)
- • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • CDC PLACES
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library
- • Wikidata SPARQL (CC0) — population, area, elevation, inception, head of government, Commons image