At a Glance

Incorporated in 1630 and annexed by Boston in 1870, Dorchester is the City’s largest and most diverse neighborhood. Dorchester offers a variety of landscapes including 9.46 miles of waterfront, residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, and a university campus.

Dorchester's demographic diversity has been a well-sustained tradition of the neighborhood, and long-time residents blend with more recent arrivals from Ireland, Vietnam, and Cape Verde. A number of smaller communities compose the greater neighborhood, including Codman Square, Jones Hill, Meeting House Hill, Pope's Hill, Savin Hill, Harbor Point, Lower Mills, and Port Norfolk. Malibu and Tenean Beaches offer summertime recreation and numerous parks are scattered through the area.

Dorchester Avenue, the neighborhood's main artery, is activated by immigrant-owned businesses and connects a number of Dorchester's vibrant business districts. Fields and Upham's Corners, Ashmont Station, Neponset Circle, Adams Village, and Morrissey Boulevard, among others, are unique commercial anchors to Dorchester's many sub-neighborhoods. Organizataions such as the Adams Village Business Association, Lower Mills Merchants Association, Bowdoin-Geneva Main Streets, Fields Corner Main Street, Four Corners Main Street, Greater Grove Hall Main Streets, Greater Ashmont Main Street, and Upham's Corner Main Street support local business owners. University of Massachussets Boston is a major tenant of the area. 

Want to learn about and share your ideas on planning and development in your neighborhood? Email our Community Engagement team at PlanningEngagement@boston.gov to learn about upcoming engagement opportunities. For information about planning context, zoning, or Planning Department processes, please contact [email protected].