Cambridge, MA GIS Map
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with a population of about 118,403. The map below shows its location, boundary and surrounding roads, with federal GIS layers you can turn on for the area.
- County
- Middlesex County
- Population
- 118,403
- Elevation
- 22 ft
- Coordinates
- 42.3736, -71.1097
- ZIP codes (6)
- 02138, 02139, 02140, 02141, 02142, 02238
- Land area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Time zone
- America/New York
About Cambridge, MA
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the most populous city in the county, the fourth-largest in Massachusetts behind Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, and ninth-most populous in New England. The city was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, which was an important center of the Puritan theology that was embraced by the town's founders.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cities Near Cambridge
- Somerville, MA1 mi
- Boston, MA3 mi
- Brookline, MA3 mi
- Medford, MA3 mi
- Everett, MA4 mi
- Malden, MA4 mi
- Revere, MA6 mi
- Newton, MA6 mi
Other Cities in Middlesex County
GIS Data for Cambridge, MA
The Cambridge map loads live federal GIS layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries for any address in Cambridge without a separate GIS login. Everything below is drawn from public U.S. government data.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland, water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Cambridge Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
118,796
Households
49,444
Median household income
$130,748
Median age
30.4 years
Median home value
$1,092,100
Median gross rent
$2,787/mo
Owner-occupied homes
33.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
80.8%
Below poverty level
12.8%
Land area
6.4 sq mi
Population density
18,571 / sq mi
County
Cambridge Population Growth
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census and Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024: April 2020 estimates base and July 1, 2024 estimate).
2010 Census
105,162
April 2020 (estimates base)
118,379
July 2024 estimate
121,186
Change 2010-2020
+12.6%
Change 2020-2024
+2.4%
Photos of Cambridge
Hover over a photo to see it larger. Tap on mobile.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, taken in or near Cambridge. Credits and licenses are shown in the larger view.
Federal Buildings & Leases in Cambridge
GSA-managed federal properties in and around Cambridge.
| Property | Address | Status | Sq ft | Lease ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John A. Volpe Transportation Systems Center | 220 Binney Street, 02142 | Owned | 390,499 | — |
| 10 Fawcett Street | 10 Fawcett Street, 02138 | Leased | 14,664 | Jul 2035 |
Source: U.S. GSA Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties (data.gov), September 2026.
Soils of Cambridge
General soil map unit at the city center: Windsor-Urban land-Paxton-Newport
Soil Properties
- Available water storage (0–150 cm)
- 16.3 cm
- Typical slope
- 8%
- Flooding frequency
- None
Soil Components
- Urban land38%
- Windsor15%
Entisols · Typic Udipsamments
- Paxton12%
Inceptisols · Oxyaquic Dystrudepts
- Newport10%
Inceptisols · Typic Dystrudepts
- Canton5%
Inceptisols · Typic Dystrudepts
- Winooski5%
Entisols · Aquic Udifluvents
Source: USDA NRCS U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2). General soil map data (1:250,000 scale) is not suitable for site-specific decisions.
Climate of Cambridge
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the Jamaica Plain, Ma weather station, elevation 95 ft, 4.9 miles from the city center.
Warmest month
Jul · avg high 85°F
Coldest month
Jan · avg low 19°F
Annual precipitation
49.4 in
Average Monthly Temperatures (°F)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 37 | 40 | 47 | 59 | 69 | 79 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 53 | 42 |
| Avg low °F | 19 | 21 | 28 | 38 | 48 | 58 | 64 | 62 | 55 | 43 | 34 | 26 |
| Precip. in | 3.87 | 3.59 | 4.49 | 4.32 | 3.64 | 4.18 | 3.49 | 3.72 | 3.96 | 5.03 | 3.99 | 5.08 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Conditions at the station may differ from other parts of the city.
Natural Hazard Risk in Cambridge
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Middlesex County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 96.9 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- Ice StormVery High
- Inland FloodingRelatively High
- LightningRelatively High
- EarthquakeRelatively Moderate
- Heat WaveRelatively Moderate
- HurricaneRelatively High
- Strong WindRelatively High
- Cold WaveRelatively High
- TornadoRelatively Moderate
- DroughtRelatively Moderate
- WildfireRelatively Low
- Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate
- Coastal FloodingRelatively Low
- LandslideVery Low
- HailVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Cambridge FAQ
What county is Cambridge in?
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Cambridge, Massachusetts is located in Middlesex County.
What is the population of Cambridge?
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Cambridge has a population of about 118,403, making it the number 4 of the 50 Massachusetts cities listed on GIS Map.
What is the elevation of Cambridge?
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The elevation of Cambridge is approximately 22 feet (7 meters) above sea level at the city center.
What ZIP codes are in Cambridge?
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ZIP codes for Cambridge include 02138, 02139, 02140, 02141, 02142, 02238.
What time zone is Cambridge in?
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Cambridge is in the Eastern Time zone (America/New York).
How far is Cambridge from Boston?
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Cambridge is about 3 miles from Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, in a straight line.
What cities are near Cambridge?
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Cities near Cambridge include Somerville, MA (1 miles); Boston, MA (3 miles); Brookline, MA (3 miles); Medford, MA (3 miles); Everett, MA (4 miles).
Local notes for Cambridge, MA
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.