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County · code 25009

Essex CountyMassachusetts

Essex County is a county in Massachusetts with its seat in Salem, formed in 1643 as one of the four original counties in the state.

  • Founded1643
  • County seatSalem
  • Named forEssex, England
  • Land area493 sq mi + 336 sq mi water
  • Population809,829 2020 Census
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Updated

SuffolkRockingham, NHMiddlesexHillsborough, NH Salem Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Essex on the map of Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 14 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Barnstable CountyBerkshire CountyBristol CountyDukes CountyFranklin CountyHampden CountyHampshire CountyMiddlesex CountyNantucket CountyNorfolk CountyPlymouth CountySuffolk CountyWorcester CountyEssex County Essex
Counties of Massachusetts · Essex highlighted

History

Founded in 1643

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Essex County was created on May 10, 1643 as one of four original counties in Massachusetts. The county expanded through the 17th and 19th centuries as towns changed county borders, including gaining Amesbury, Haverhill, and Salisbury from Norfolk in 1679 when New Hampshire became a separate royal colony.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1643
    Essex County created Essex created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts. · Mass. Recs., 2:38
  2. 1658
    Gained territory Essex gained small area (15 acres) from Middlesex when town of Andover gained from town of Billerica.
    from Middlesex
    · Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 1:333
  3. 1679
    Gained territory Essex gained towns of Amesbury, Haverhill, and Salisbury from Norfolk (original) when King Charles Ii made New Hampshire a royal colony separate from Massachusetts; Norfolk (original) eliminated.
    from Norfolkfrom Ii
    · Swindler, 6:322; Van Zandt, 61
  4. 1841
    Gained territory Essex gained from Suffolk when town of Saugus gained from town of Chelsea.
    from Suffolk
    · Mass. Acts 1841, ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 350
  5. 1858
    Lost territory Essex lost to Middlesex when town of North Reading gained from town of Lynnfield.
    to Middlesex
    · Mass. Acts 1857, ch. 238, sec. 1/p. 572; Mass. Sec. Comm., 41
Show all 13 changes (8 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1643
    Essex County created Essex created as one of four original counties in Massachusetts. · Mass. Recs., 2:38
  2. 1658
    Gained territory Essex gained small area (15 acres) from Middlesex when town of Andover gained from town of Billerica.
    from Middlesex
    · Mass. Recs., vol. 4, pt. 1:333
  3. 1679
    Gained territory Essex gained towns of Amesbury, Haverhill, and Salisbury from Norfolk (original) when King Charles Ii made New Hampshire a royal colony separate from Massachusetts; Norfolk (original) eliminated.
    from Norfolkfrom Ii
    · Swindler, 6:322; Van Zandt, 61
  4. 1691
    Changed Essex continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William Iii and Queen Mary Ii (no change).
    IiiIi
    · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80
  5. 1841
    Gained territory Essex gained from Suffolk when town of Saugus gained from town of Chelsea.
    from Suffolk
    · Mass. Acts 1841, ch. 30, sec. 1/p. 350
  6. 1854
    Lost territory Essex lost small area to Middlesex when town of Reading gained from town of Lynnfield.
    to Middlesex
    · Mass. Acts 1854, ch. 246, sec. 1/p. 163
  7. 1858
    Lost territory Essex lost to Middlesex when town of North Reading gained from town of Lynnfield.
    to Middlesex
    · Mass. Acts 1857, ch. 238, sec. 1/p. 572; Mass. Sec. Comm., 41
  8. 1903
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Essex and Middlesex was redefined in part when line between towns of Tewkesbury and Andover was redefined (no change).
    with Middlesexno change
    · Mass. Acts 1903, ch. 373, sec. 1/p. 343
  9. 1904
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Essex and Middlesex was redefined in part when line between towns of North Andover and North Reading was redefined (no change).
    with Middlesexno change
    · Mass. Acts 1904, ch. 149, sec. 1/p. 98
  10. 1904
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Essex and Middlesex was redefined in part when line between towns of North Reading and Andover was redefined (no change).
    with Middlesexno change
    · Mass. Acts 1904, ch. 250, sec. 1/p. 213
  11. 1905
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Essex and Middlesex was redefined in part when line between towns of Lynnfield and Reading was redefined (no change).
    with Middlesexno change
    · Mass. Acts 1905, ch. 361, sec. 1/p. 286
  12. 1933
    Lost territory Essex lost small area to Middlesex when town of Wakefield gained from town of Saugus.
    to Middlesex
    · Mass. Acts 1933, ch. 298, sec. 1/p. 453; Mass. Sec. Comm., 59
  13. 1947
    Exchanged territory Essex exchanged small areas with Middlesex when town of Lynnfield exchanged with town of Reading.
    with Middlesex
    · Mass. Acts 1947, ch. 243, sec. 1/p. 222

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Essex

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Essex by the Census

Population
809,829 2020 Census count
Housing units
327,185 2020 Census count
Land area
493 square miles
Water area
336 square miles · 41% of the county, including large bodies of water
People per sq mi
1,644 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

See your own lot on these maps

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Questions

Common questions about Essex County

When was Essex County founded?
Essex County was founded in 1643, and named after Essex, England.
What is the county seat of Essex County?
The county seat of Essex County is Salem.
Is there an online parcel map for Essex County?
Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
Has Essex County's boundary or name changed?
Essex County was created in 1643. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Middlesex County, Ii County and Norfolk County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Essex County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door