Waltham, Massachusetts

File:BMC Mill Waltham.jpg

Waltham was first settled by the English in 1634 as part of Watertown, and was officially incorporated as a separate town in 1738,{{cite web |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cisctlist/ctlistalph.htm |title=Massachusetts City and Town Incorporation and Settlement Dates |publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts |access-date=2009-05-06}} but the area was inhabited for thousands of years prior to English colonization. At the time of European arrival, Waltham was in a border zone between the territories of the Pawtucket confederation and the Massachusett, with nearby native settlements at Nonantum and Pequosset (Watertown).{{Cite web |last=Massachusetts Historical Commission |title=Historical and Archaeological Resources of the Boston Area: A Framework for Preservation Decisions |url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/mhc/preservation/survey/regional-reports/Bostonarea.pdf |publication-date=1982}} Early settlers recorded the presence of an "Indian Stockade" near today's Cambridge Reservoir, and an "Indian Hollow" in today's Calvary Cemetery.{{Cite web |last=Massachusetts Historical Commission |title=MHC Town Reconnaissance Survey Reports: Waltham |url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/mhc/preservation/survey/town-reports/wlt.pdf |access-date=October 24, 2024 |publication-date=1984}} A native trail through Waltham, the "Old Connecticut Path" saw continued use after colonization and became the basis for present day Route 20.

Waltham is most likely named for Waltham Abbey in the County of Essex, England.{{cite book |last1=Nelson |first1=Charles A. |title=Waltham, Past and Present; and Its Industries |date=1882 |publisher=Moses King |location=Cambridge, MA |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=keXaPClqSTYC |access-date=25 June 2023}} The first record of the name is from the articles of incorporation, dated January 15, 1738. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon words, weald or wald "forest" and ham "homestead" or "enclosure." Waltham had no recognizable town center until the 1830s, when the nearby Boston Manufacturing Company gave the town the land that now serves as its central square.{{cite web|url=https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=wlt.ae|title=NRHP nomination for Central Square Historic District|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2014-04-24}}

In the early 19th century, Francis Cabot Lowell and his friends and colleagues established in Waltham the Boston Manufacturing Company—the first integrated textile mill in the United States, with the goal of eliminating the problems of co-ordination, quality control, and shipping inherent in the subcontracting based textile industry. The Waltham–Lowell system of production derives its name from the city and the founder of the mill.{{cite web|url=http://www.walthammuseum.com/|title=Waltham – Truly a Unique and Historical City|publisher=Waltham Museum|access-date=July 28, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729165630/http://www.walthammuseum.com/|archive-date=July 29, 2012|df=mdy-all}}

The city is home to a number of large estates, including Gore Place, a mansion built in 1806 for former Massachusetts governor Christopher Gore, the Robert Treat Paine Estate, a residence designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted for philanthropist Robert Treat Paine, Jr. (1810–1905), and the Lyman Estate, a {{convert|400|acre|km2|adj=on}} estate built in 1793 by Boston merchant Theodore Lyman.

In 1857, the Waltham Model 1857 watch was produced by the American Watch Company in the city of Waltham, Massachusetts.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Waltham was home to the brass era automobile manufacturer Metz, where the first production motorcycle in the U.S. was built.

Another first in Waltham industrial history involves the method to mass-produce the magnetron tube, invented by Percy Spencer at Raytheon. During World War II, the magnetron tube technology was applied to radar. Later, magnetron tubes were used as components in microwave ovens.

Waltham was also the home of the Walter E. Fernald State School, the western hemisphere's oldest publicly funded institution serving people with developmental disabilities.{{Cite web |title=disability history museum--Letters and Journals of Samuel Gridley Howe |url=https://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/lib/detail.html?id=1683&page=36 |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=www.disabilitymuseum.org}}{{Cite news |last=Ansberry |first=Clare |title=At Nation's Oldest Institution for the Disabled, 13 Lives in Limbo |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324125504578511054249338218.html |access-date=2023-02-28 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=29 June 2013 |language=en-US}} The storied and controversial history of the institution has long been covered by local and, at times, national media.{{Cite web |title=America's Deep, Dark Secret |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/americas-deep-dark-secret/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=www.cbsnews.com |date=29 April 2004 |language=en-US}}

{{hidden begin

|title = Timeline of Waltham, Massachusetts

|titlestyle = background:#F8F8FF;width:90%

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• 1703 – Grove Hill Cemetery established.
• 1738 – Town of Waltham incorporated from Watertown, Massachusetts.
• 1755 – Part of Cambridge annexed to Waltham.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• 1793 – The Vale (residence) built.
• 1810 – Waltham Cotton and Wool Factory Company formed.{{sfn|Barry|1887}}
• 1813 – Boston Manufacturing Company in business.{{Cite book |publisher = Harvard University Press |isbn = 0674257650 |title = Enterprising elite: the Boston Associates and the world they made |author = Robert F. Dalzell Jr. |year = 1987 |ol = 2738875M |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/enterprisingelit00robe_0 }}
• 1820
• First Congregational Church founded.
• Manufacturers' Library active.
• Waltham Bleachery built.{{cite web |title=Gleason's Pictorial |year=1853 |url=https://archive.org/stream/gleasonspictoria0506glea#page/n405/mode/1up |publisher=Boston, Mass. : F. Gleason }}
• 1827 – Rumford Institute organized.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/stream/massachusettsreg1856bost |title=Massachusetts Register |year=1856 }}{{cite book |publisher=OCLC WorldCat |title= Rumford Institute Records, 1826-1887 |oclc=70970284 }}
• 1833 – The Hive newspaper begins publication.{{cite web |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=Massachusetts&county=&city=Waltham&rows=50&sort=date |title=US Newspaper Directory |location=Washington DC |work=Chronicling America |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307000350/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=Massachusetts&county=&city=Waltham&rows=50&sort=date |archive-date=March 7, 2014 }}
• 1835 – Waltham Bank established.{{sfn|Barry|1887}}
• 1837 – Methodist Episcopal Church organized.{{sfn|Greenough|1882}}
• 1849
• Part of Newton annexed to Waltham.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• Christ Episcopal Church built.
• 1851 – Tornado.{{Cite report |publisher = J. M. Usher |location = Boston |title = The tornado of 1851, in Medford, West Cambridge and Waltham, Middlesex County, Mass |url = https://archive.org/details/tornadoof1851inm00broorich |author = Charles Brooks |year = 1852 |oclc = 1835870 |ol = 6941638M }}
• 1852 – Baptist Church organized.{{sfn|Greenough|1882}}
• 1853 – Waltham Gas Light Company incorporated.
• 1854 – American Horologe Company relocates to Waltham.{{sfn|Eaton|1906}}
• 1856 – Waltham Sentinel newspaper begins publication.
• 1857
• Waltham and Watertown Railroad constructed.{{Cite report |publisher = J.H. Schultz |location = New York |title = History of the railroads and canals of the United States |url = https://archive.org/details/historyrailroad01poorgoog |author = Henry Varnum Poor |year = 1860 |oclc = 11435390 |ol = 13555505M |author-link = Henry Varnum Poor }}
• Mount Feake Cemetery established.
• Waltham Agricultural Library Association formed.{{sfn|Barry|1887}}
• 1859 – Town of Belmont separates from Waltham.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• 1863 – Waltham Free Press begins publication.
• 1865 – Public Library founded.{{cite web |url=http://www.princeton.edu/~davpro/databases/index.html |title=American Libraries before 1876 |author=Davies Project |publisher=Princeton University |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302215225/http://www.princeton.edu/~davpro/databases/index.html |archive-date=March 2, 2015 }}
• 1866 – Emmet Literary Association formed.{{sfn|Greenough|1882}}
• 1870
• Waltham Horological School established.{{cite journal |title= Waltham Horological School |journal=Jewelers Review |date=April 12, 1899 }}
• Waltham Foundry Co. established.{{sfn|International Pub. Co.|1887}}
• 1876
• Waltham Weekly Record begins publication.
• Davis & Farnum Manufacturing Company in business.{{sfn|Barry|1887}}
• 1879 – Leland Home for aged women established.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• 1880 – Music Hall built.{{sfn|Barry|1887}}
• 1881 – Emery Wheel Company in business.{{sfn|Illustrated Boston|1889}}
• 1882 – Parmenter Crayon Company chartered.{{cite journal |title=Obituary: Zenas Parmenter |journal=American Stationer |date=July 1891 }}
• 1884
• City of Waltham incorporated.
• Harrington Block built.
• 1885
• Board of Trade organized.{{sfn|Barry|1887}}
• Waltham Hospital founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• Waltham Training School for Nurses established.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• 1886 – Robert Treat Paine Estate built.
• 1888 – Sesquicentennial.{{sfn|Sesqui-centennial|1893}}
• 1890
• Population: 18,707.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded relocates to Waltham.{{cite web |url=http://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php?title=Fernald_State_School |title=asylumprojects.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905234632/http://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php?title=Fernald_State_School |archive-date=2013-09-05 |access-date=2017-09-02 }}
• 1891 – O'Hara Waltham Dial Company organized.{{sfn|Eaton|1906}}
• 1893
• Waltham Evening News begins publication.
• Waltham Manufacturing Company established.{{cite web |url=http://www.walthammuseum.com/MetzCollectionInventory.pdf |title=Charles H. Metz and the Waltham Manufacturing Collection: Finding Aid and Inventory |author=Waltham Museum Inc. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307043549/http://www.walthammuseum.com/MetzCollectionInventory.pdf |archive-date=2014-03-07 |access-date=2017-09-02 }}
• Beaver Brook Reservation and Charles River Reservation established.
• 1894
• Linden Street Bridge constructed.
• Waltham Bicycle Park opens.
• 1902 – Metz Company in business.
• 1908 – Company F State Armory built.
• 1910 – Population: 27,834.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
• 1915 – Waltham Historical Society incorporated.{{cite journal |title=List of Historical Societies in Massachusetts |journal=Old-Time New England |date=July 1921 }}
• 1924 – Waltham News Tribune newspaper in publication.
• 1928 – Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery relocates to Waltham.
• 1933 – First Parish Church rebuilt.
• 1935 – Gore Place Society founded.{{cite web |url=http://www.goreplace.org/history.htm |title=Gore Place |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717055412/http://www.goreplace.org/history.htm |archive-date=July 17, 2012 }}
• 1936 – Hovey Players (theatre group) founded.{{cite web |url=http://www.hoveyplayers.com/news/about/history/ |title=History |publisher=Hovey Players |location=Waltham |access-date=October 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029194619/http://www.hoveyplayers.com/news/about/history/ |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.emact.org/membership/member_directory.asp |title=Member Directory |publisher=Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres |access-date=October 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030022408/http://www.emact.org/membership/member_directory.asp |archive-date=October 30, 2013 }}
• 1938 – County Courthouse built.
• 1941 – Waltham Garden Club founded.{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamgardenclub.com/ |title=Waltham Garden Club |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120608060344/http://www.walthamgardenclub.com/ |archive-date=June 8, 2012 }}
• 1948 – Brandeis University established.
• 1961 – Rose Art Museum founded at Brandeis University.
• 1968
• Bentley University relocates to Waltham.
• WBRS on air.
• 1970 – Population: 61,582.
• 1971
• Waltham Museum established.{{cite web |url=http://www.walthammuseum.com/ |title=Waltham Museum Inc. |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002024054/http://www.walthammuseum.com/ |archive-date=October 2, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}
• Robert Drinan becomes Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district representative.
• 1975 – Aerosmith musical group rents Wherehouse.
• 1976 – Waltham Mills Artists Association open studios begins (approximate date)Boston Globe - Oct 30, 1996
• 1980 – Charles River Museum of Industry established.
• 1982 – Parexel International Corporation headquartered in Waltham.
• 1985 – Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra formed.{{cite web |url=http://wphil.org/?page_id=42 |title=Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217055420/http://wphil.org/?page_id=42 |archive-date=December 17, 2012 }}
• 1987 – Joseph P. Kennedy II becomes Massachusetts's 8th congressional district representative.
• 1988 – Global Petroleum Corporation headquartered in Waltham (approximate date).{{citation |quote=Global Petroleum Corp. |title= Waltham City Directory |year= 1987–1988 |page=130 }}
• 1995 – Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. headquartered in Waltham.
• 1996
• Lionbridge Technologies Inc. headquartered in Waltham.
• City website online.{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/19980112044632/http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/ |url= http://www.city.waltham.ma.us |archive-date= 1998-01-12 |title=City of Waltham |via= Internet Archive, Wayback Machine }}{{citation |work=Daily News Tribune |date= June 2, 2002 |title=Waltham Relaunches Official Web Site }}
• 1999 – Waltham Land Trust incorporated.{{cite web |url=http://walthamlandtrust.org/about/frequently-asked-questions |title=Waltham Land Trust |access-date=September 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105060820/http://walthamlandtrust.org/about/frequently-asked-questions |archive-date=January 5, 2012 }}
• 2003 – Raytheon Company and Roving Software Inc. headquartered in Waltham.
• 2004
• Jeannette A. McCarthy becomes mayor.{{cite web |title=Meet the Mayors |publisher=United States Conference of Mayors |location=Washington, DC |url=http://usmayors.org/meetmayors/mayorsatglance.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627104834/http://www.usmayors.org/meetmayors/mayorsatglance.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 27, 2008 |access-date=March 30, 2013 }}
• Brandeis University's Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism nonprofit established.{{cite web |url=https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide/online-news-websites/location/massachusetts-news.php |title=Massachusetts |work=CJR's Guide to Online News Startups |publisher=Columbia Journalism Review |location=New York |access-date=October 19, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029201459/https://www.cjr.org/news_startups_guide/online-news-websites/location/massachusetts-news.php |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}
• 2006 – Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. headquartered in Waltham.
• 2007
• PerkinElmer, Inc. headquartered in Waltham.
• Waltham Symphony Orchestra formed.
• 2010 – Population: 60,632.
• 2011
• A triple homicide occurs on September 11.{{cite news |url=http://forward.com/articles/175264/slain-boston-bomb-suspect-tamerlan-tsarnaev-eyed-i/ |title=Slain Boston Bomb Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev Eyed in Jewish Triple Murder |publisher=Forward |date=September 12, 2011 |access-date=April 23, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130422224741/http://forward.com/articles/175264/slain-boston-bomb-suspect-tamerlan-tsarnaev-eyed-i/ |archive-date=April 22, 2013 }}
• Watch City Steampunk Festival begins.{{cite web |url=http://internationalsteampunkcitywaltham.org/?page_id=20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428134833/http://internationalsteampunkcitywaltham.org/?page_id=20 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 28, 2011 |title=Watch City Festival |access-date=September 28, 2012 }}
• 2013 – Katherine Clark becomes Massachusetts's 5th congressional district representative.

{{hidden end}}

File:1793 Eden vale in Waltham J. Edes del S. Hill sculp Massachusetts Magazine LC.jpg

File:1877 map Waltham Massachusetts by Bailey BPL 10176.png

The name of the city is pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable and a full vowel in the second syllable, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɔː|l|θ|æ|m}} {{respell|WAWL|tham}}, though the name of the Waltham watch was pronounced with a reduced schwa in the second syllable: {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɔː|l|θ|əm}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.waltham-community.org/pronounce.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/19991113072953/http://www.waltham-community.org/pronounce.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 November 1999|title=Waltham, Massachusetts pronunciation guide|publisher=Waltham Community Guide|access-date=28 July 2012}} At one time, most people would have pronounced it in the British way, "Walthum", but when people came to work in the mills from Nova Scotia, the pronunciation evolved. The local version became a phonetic sounding to accommodate French speakers who could not pronounce it in the British way. In some areas, the city is referred to as "The Waltham".

Waltham is located at {{Coord|42|22|50|N|71|14|6|W|type:city}} (42.380596, −71.235005),{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}} about {{convert|11|mi|km}} north-west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, and approximately {{convert|3|mi|km}} northwest of Boston's Brighton neighborhood. The heart of the city is Waltham Common, which is home to Waltham City Hall and various memorial statues. The Common is on Main Street, which is home to several churches, the Waltham Public Library, and Post Office.

The city stretches along the Charles River and contains several dams. The dams were used to power textile mills and other endeavors in the early years of the industrial activity.

File:Charles River.JPG

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|13.6|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|12.7|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.9|sqmi|km2}} (6.69%) is water.

Waltham has several neighborhoods or villages, including:{{cite web |url=http://www.waltham-community.org/neighborhoods.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416051234/http://www.waltham-community.org/neighborhoods.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 16, 2013 |title=Guide to Waltham Neighborhoods |publisher=Waltham-community.org |date=September 1, 2010 |access-date=January 24, 2011 }}

{{Div col|colwidth=18em}}

• Angleside
• Banks Square
• The Bleachery (named after the former Waltham Bleachery and Dye Works)
• Cedarwood
• The Chemistry (named after the former Newton Chemical Company)
• Ellison Park
• Gardencrest
• Headyland
• The Highlands
• The Island (formerly Morse Meadow Island)
• Kendal Green (mostly in Weston)
• Kendall Park
• Lakeview
• The Lanes
• Northeast
• The North Side
• Piety Corner
• Prospectville (defunct in 1894, now under Cambridge Reservoir)
• Rangeley Acres
• Ravenswood
• Roberts
• Rock Alley
• The South Side
• Warrendale
• West End
• Wildwood Acres

{{Div col end}}

It is bordered to the west by Weston and Lincoln, to the south by Newton, to the east by Belmont and Watertown, and to the north by Lexington.

{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}

{{Historical populations

|type= USA

|1790|882

|1800|903

|1810|1014

|1820|1677

|1830|1857

|1840|2504

|1850|4464

|1860|6397

|1870|9065

|1880|11712

|1890|18707

|1900|23481

|1910|27834

|1920|30915

|1930|39247

|1940|40020

|1950|47187

|1960|55413

|1970|61582

|1980|58200

|1990|57878

|2000|59226

|2010|60632

|2020|65218

|2022*|64065

|source={{center|U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/walthamcitymassachusetts,US/PST045219|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=September 16, 2021}}}}

|footnote=* = population estimate. {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}{{cite report |title=1950 Census of Population|volume=1: Number of Inhabitants|at=Section 6, Pages 21-7 through 21-09, Massachusetts Table 4. Population of Urban Places of 10,000 or more from Earliest Census to 1920|publisher=Bureau of the Census|access-date=July 12, 2011|year=1952|url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721040747/http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf|archive-date=July 21, 2011}}{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022| publisher=United States Census Bureau | access-date=November 25, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}

}}

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}} in 2020, there were 65,218 people and 23,891 households in the city. The population density was 5,117.9/mile². According to 2021 census estimates, the racial makeup of the city was 60.5% White, 7.6% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American or Alaska Native, 11.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 5.3% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.3% of the population.{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Waltham city, Massachusetts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/walthamcitymassachusetts/PST045221 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=www.census.gov |language=en}}

There were 23,891 households, 19.8% of which included children under the age of 18 and 28.4% with people 65 and older. 39.7% of households were married couples living together, 9.9% cohabitating couples, 21.2% male householders with no partner present, and 29.2% female householders with no partner present. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.02.

32.7% of households spoke a language other than English at home.

The age distribution is as follows: 13.7% under 18, 20% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 9.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% 65 or older. The median age was 34. The population was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

File:Waltham age distribution.png

The median income for a household was $95,851, and per capita was $44,977. In 2020, 9.2% of the population and 5% of families lived below the poverty line. 11.7% of those under 18 and 8.45% of those 65 and older lived below the poverty line.{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=poverty%20in%20waltham,%20ma&tid=ACSST5Y2020.S1701 |access-date=2022-09-21 |website=data.census.gov}}

As of 2020, 26.6% of Waltham residents were born outside of the United States. Of foreign-born residents, 41.5% were born in Asia, 32.7% in Latin America, 11.9% in Europe, and 9.7% in Africa.

Waltham's combination of population (especially in central and south Waltham) parks, public transit, stores, and trails gives it 62 (out of 100) walkability ranking on walkscore.com.

Moody Street in downtown Waltham offers its own brand of entertainment with a colorful assortment of shops, restaurants, and bars. Moody Street's booming nightlife, convenience to the commuter rail and lower rents have attracted younger professionals to Waltham in growing numbers in recent years. Moody Street is also referred to as "Restaurant Row" and has become a destination because of the number, variety and quality of its locally owned restaurants.{{cite web |url=http://www.discoverwaltham.com/dining.php |title=Restaurants and Dining in Waltham Massachusetts |access-date=2016-01-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325133215/http://www.discoverwaltham.com/dining.php |archive-date=March 25, 2010 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.walthamlanding.com/2015/10/27/foodies-on-moody-landmark-bostons-guide-to-restaurant-row/|title=Foodies on Moody: Landmark Boston's Guide to Restaurant Row|date=2015-10-27|website=Waltham Landing|access-date=2017-08-22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822133923/http://www.walthamlanding.com/2015/10/27/foodies-on-moody-landmark-bostons-guide-to-restaurant-row/|archive-date=2017-08-22}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/article/2015/02/24/where-to-eat-in-waltham/|title=Time to Eat in Watch City: Where to Eat in Waltham|last=Jasnoff|first=Brittany|date=March 2015|work=Boston Magazine|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822141510/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/restaurants/article/2015/02/24/where-to-eat-in-waltham/|archive-date=2017-08-22}} The city of Waltham has a free "Tick Tock Trolley" on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm–11pm for visitors that provides easy access to local municipal parking lots.{{Cite web|url=http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/home/news/take-a-ride-on-walthams-free-tick-tock-trolley-downtown-parking-lot-loop|title=Take a ride on Waltham's FREE Tick Tock Trolley downtown parking lot loop! {{!}} Waltham|date=2017-07-03|website=City.waltham.ma.us|language=en|access-date=2017-08-22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822174438/http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/home/news/take-a-ride-on-walthams-free-tick-tock-trolley-downtown-parking-lot-loop|archive-date=2017-08-22}}

Starting in 2020, the City of Waltham in Massachusetts has shut down a large portion of the main road, Moody St., to vehicular traffic from May 1 until October 31 annually. Moody Street is lined with restaurants and other small businesses but typically has high volumes of automobile passage. In an effort to assist these businesses in a difficult time, the Waltham Traffic Commission closed off a segment of the road to allow businesses to have outdoor dining and storefronts amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Bus stops that would typically be on the blocked off part of Moody St. are temporarily relocated to nearby spots.{{cite web|url=https://boston.cbslocal.com/2021/04/09/walthams-moody-street-close-traffic-outdoor-dining/|title=Waltham's Moody Street to Close Once Again for Outdoor Dining |date=9 April 2021 }}

Restaurants are supportive of the closure, as they can offer outdoor seating and increase their capacity for business. However, Moody Street has a variety of other businesses like small grocery stores, clothing stores, and jewelers. Some of these non-restaurant business owners oppose repeating the plan in the future, arguing that closing off the road makes their businesses less accessible due to a lack of automobile access. While Waltham has included a variety of stakeholders in the process of the street closure, it is crucial that they continue to do so in order to continue using a democratic process for city-wide decision-making.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/moody-street-waltham-outdoor-dining-program-2021|title=Moody Street Waltham Outdoor Dining Program 2021 [05/01/21]|website=www.thebostoncalendar.com}}

For over 25 years, the Waltham Arts Council has sponsored "Concerts On Waltham Common", featuring a different musical act each week of the summer, free of charge to attendees. "Concerts On Waltham Common" was created and organized by Stephen Kilgore until his death in 2004.{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamarts.org/ |title=Home |publisher=Walthamarts.org |access-date=2015-11-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022043/http://www.walthamarts.org/ |archive-date=2015-11-17 }}

The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University is devoted to modern and contemporary art. The Rose holds a variety of exhibitions and programs, and collections are free and open to the public.{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.brandeis.edu/rose/about/index.html |website=Rose Art Museum |publisher=Brandeis University |access-date=6 November 2020}}

The city's history is also celebrated at a number of museums, monuments, and archives. The Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, the Waltham Watch Factory historic district, the Gore Estate, the Lyman Estate, and the Robert Treat Payne Estate are among the most well known of the 109 sites in the city on the National Register of Historical Sites. Many festivals are held at these sites each year, such as the annual sheep shearing festival at the Gore Estate. The National Archives and Records Administration Northeast regional branch is located in Waltham. The Waltham Public Library has extensive archives regarding the city's history. The Waltham Museum is devoted solely to the history of the city. Mark Gately is the only stakeholder left of the Waltham Museum.

Waltham is known for its embracing of literary arts. Local author Jessica Lucci has written a series of books about Waltham which can be found at the Waltham Museum, The Waltham Historical Society, and many other regional establishments devoted to promoting literary arts.

The Waltham Mills Artists Association is located in one of the former factories of the Boston Manufacturing Company. The WMAA Open Studios takes place each year on the first weekend of November. The 76 artists of the WMAA open their homes and studios to the public. Works of all media imaginable are demonstrated, displayed and discussed.

The Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, a civic symphony of the MetroWest area, began in 1985 under the direction of local musicians David J. Tierney and Harold W. McSwain, Jr. With almost 60 professional, semi-professional, and amateur musicians, the orchestra's mission is to provide the Waltham community with the opportunity to perform in and attend classical concerts of the highest quality. WPO musicians come from Waltham as well as from Boston and surrounding communities. The ensemble includes players of a wide range of ages and professions.

There are five to six concerts throughout the season, including one that features the winner of the annual Youth Concerto Competition, which provides opportunities for young musicians to perform solo works with the WPO. Annual concerts have included summer Concerts on the Common and the December Holiday Pops.[http://www.wphil.org/history.htm www.wphil.org] Retrieved 2010/04/06 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305112115/http://www.wphil.org/history.htm |date=March 5, 2012 }}

Waltham is home to the Waltham Symphony Orchestra, a high-level semi-professional civic orchestra. The 55 piece orchestra performs five concerts each season at the Kennedy Middle-school Auditorium. Its music director is French-born American conductor, Patrick Botti.[http://www.walthamsymphony.org/about.html walthamsymphony] Retrieved 2010/04/06 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219201151/http://www.walthamsymphony.org/about.html |date=December 19, 2013 }}

Open space in the city is protected by the Waltham Land Trust.{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamlandtrust.org/index.html |title=Welcome — Waltham Land Trust |publisher=Walthamlandtrust.org |access-date=2015-11-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117014809/http://www.walthamlandtrust.org/index.html |archive-date=2015-11-17 }}

Waltham embraces its ethnic diversity in a number of festivals. The annual Latinos en Acción Festival celebrates the many Puerto Rican, Mexican, Peruvian, and Guatemalan residents. It is held by Latinos in Action, a local nonprofit group that helps the Latino population register to vote, understand the laws and find scholarships. The festival includes a parade, music, food, and a beauty pageant.

Waltham has in recent decades become a center for Ugandan culture, with an estimated 1500 Ugandans living in the city, leading some to call Waltham "Little Kampala". The Ugandan North America Association is headquartered in Waltham, along with St. Peters Church of Uganda Boston, as well as Karibu, a well regarded Ugandan eatery. Wilberforce Kateregga, a Ugandan immigrant to Waltham has since established Waltham College Uganda in Seeta Nazigo, Uganda, a boarding school for over 300 orphans and children affected by AIDS. The school was named in honor of Kateregga's new home city.{{cite news | url=https://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/08/20/for_immigrant_ugandans_waltham_becomes_little_kampala/ | work=The Boston Globe | first=Kathleen | last=Burge | title=Little Kampala | date=2009-08-20 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120630233806/http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/08/20/for_immigrant_ugandans_waltham_becomes_little_kampala/ | archive-date=2012-06-30 }}

{{See also|List of Registered Historic Places in Waltham, Massachusetts}}

• Gore Place
• Lyman Estate
• Robert Treat Paine Estate
• Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation
• Prospect Hill – third-highest point in the region (after two of the Blue Hills)
• Charles River – Riverwalk on Moody St.
• A. Wherehouse
• Rose Art Museum
• Metropolitan State Hospital (Massachusetts)
• Norumbega Tower
• American Waltham Watch Company Historic District
• Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside

File:Waltham supermarket sign.jpg

Among the companies based in Waltham are medtech corporation PerkinElmer, biopharmaceutical services provider Paraxel, energy supply company Global Partners, data services provider Lionbridge, Steel Connect, broker-dealer Commonwealth Financial Network, technology companies Care.com and StudentUniverse, research and development organization Education Development Center (EDC), provisioner of scientific instrumentation Thermo Fisher Scientific, and the marketing firm Constant Contact. Footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide, Inc. moved their regional headquarters from Lexington to the CityPoint campus in July 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://sgbonline.com/wolverine-world-wide-opens-new-waltham-ma-headquarters/|title=Wolverine World Wide Opens New Waltham, MA Headquarters |date=July 21, 2016|website=sgbonline.com|language=en|access-date=2017-08-22|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822134246/https://sgbonline.com/wolverine-world-wide-opens-new-waltham-ma-headquarters/|archive-date=2017-08-22}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2014/08/wolverine-worldwide-inks-deal-with-boston.html|title=Bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2014/08/wolverine-worldwide-inks-deal-with-boston.html|last=Grillo|first=Thomas|date=Aug 5, 2014|website=Bizjournals.com|access-date=2017-08-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822174439/https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/real_estate/2014/08/wolverine-worldwide-inks-deal-with-boston.html|archive-date=2017-08-22}} C & J Clark America, Inc. moved their headquarters from Newton to the Polaroid site in October 2016.{{Cite news|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/fashion-style/blog/2016/10/26/clarks-america-headquarters-waltham/|title=Clarks America Headquarters Opens in Waltham|last=Peters|first=Samantha|date=October 26, 2016|work=Boston Magazine|access-date=2017-08-22|language=en-US|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822140151/http://www.bostonmagazine.com/fashion-style/blog/2016/10/26/clarks-america-headquarters-waltham/|archive-date=August 22, 2017}} Retail activity is concentrated on Main Street, Moody Street, Lexington Street, River Street, parts of Route 60, and the First Avenue area. New retail development has also been active at a former Polaroid site.{{cite news |author=Jaclyn Reiss |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2013/10/02/construction-resumes-former-polaroid-site-but-not-market-basket-supermarket/nvmSHaJz2DDjMwVgvUmpyO/story.html |title=Construction resumes at former Polaroid site but not on Market Basket supermarket |newspaper=The Boston Globe |date=2013-10-03 |access-date=2015-11-16 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117014256/http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2013/10/02/construction-resumes-former-polaroid-site-but-not-market-basket-supermarket/nvmSHaJz2DDjMwVgvUmpyO/story.html |archive-date=2015-11-17 }}

According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,{{cite web |url=https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/walthamma/files/uploads/cafr_-final_financial_statement-_city_of_waltham_2018.pdf |work=City of Waltham |title=Comprehensive Annual Financial Report |date=2018 |access-date=May 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510022908/https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/sites/walthamma/files/uploads/cafr_-final_financial_statement-_city_of_waltham_2018.pdf |archive-date=May 10, 2019 |url-status=dead }} the top ten non-city employers in the city are as follows.

{| class="wikitable"

|-

! Rank

! Employer

! Nature of Business

! Number of Employees

|-

| 1

|Bentley University

|Higher education

| align=right |1,000–4,999

|-

|2

|Brandeis University

|Higher education

| align=right |1,000–4,999

|-

|3

|Fresenius Medical Care

|Pharmaceuticals

| align=right |1,000–4,999

|-

|4

|National Grid

|Utility

| align=right |1,000–4,999

|-

|5

|Novell, Inc.

|Software

| align=right |1,000–4,999

|-

|6

|ADP (Waltham office)

|Payroll services

| align=right |500–999

|-

|7

|AM-FM Cleaning Corporation

|Janitorial cleaning

| align=right |500–999

|-

|8

|Boston Children's Hospital

|Medical

| align=right |500–999

|-

|9

|Constant Contact, Inc

|Software

| align=right |500–999

|-

|10

|Education Development Center

|Educational software

| align=right |500–999

|-

|11

|Jfc Home Health Agency

|Home health services

| align=right |500–999

|-

|12

|Multi Plan Inc

|Health insurance

| align=right |500–999

|}

File:Brandeis University sign.jpg]]

Waltham is home to:

• Bentley University
• Brandeis University

The Waltham Public Schools system includes seven elementary schools (Northeast, Fitzgerald, MacArthur, Plympton, Whittemore, Stanley, and the Waltham Dual Language Elementary School), two middle schools (McDevitt, Kennedy), and one senior high school (Waltham High School).{{cite web |url=http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/SCHOOL/WebPAge/tofc.htm |title=School Committee |publisher=City.waltham.ma.us |date=2011-06-15 |access-date=2015-11-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030060536/http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/SCHOOL/WebPAge/tofc.htm |archive-date=2011-10-30 }}

Waltham High School's sports teams had been referred to as the Watchmen and the Crimson, before they changed the name to the Hawks.

{{div col|colwidth=28em}}

• Chapel Hill – Chauncy Hall School
• Gann Academy – The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston
• Our Lady's Academy (formally Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted School) (Pre-K through 8){{Cite web|url=https://www.ourladysacademy.org/|title=Our Lady's Academy|website=www.ourladysacademy.org}}
• Saint Jude School (Pre-K through 8) closed in 2019{{Cite web|url=http://saintjudewaltham.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030120183319/http://www.saintjudewaltham.com/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 20, 2003|title=Saint Jude School, Waltham, MA|website=saintjudewaltham.com}}

{{div col end}}

Waltham is governed by a mayor and a city council. The current mayor is Jeanette A. McCarthy.{{cite web |url=http://waltham.ma.us/ |title=City of Waltham Official Web Site |access-date=2010-04-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111104241/http://waltham.ma.us/ |archive-date=2010-01-11 }} Retrieved 2010/04/06 There are 15 members of the city council,{{Cite web|url=https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/city-council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529205741/http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/city-council|url-status=dead|title=City Council | Waltham MA|archive-date=May 29, 2016|website=City.waltham.ma.us}} each elected to two-year terms in non-partisan elections. The current president of the city council is John J. McLaughlin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/city-council|title=City Council | walthamma|website=www.city.waltham.ma.us}}

The city is in Massachusetts's 5th congressional district and is currently represented in the United States House of Representatives by Katherine Clark.{{cite web |url=http://markey.house.gov/ |title=Congressman Edward Markey - Home |access-date=2010-04-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407145738/http://markey.house.gov/ |archive-date=2010-04-07 }} Retrieved 2010/04/06 Waltham is also represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by State Representative John J. Lawn and State Representative Thomas M. Stanley, and in the Massachusetts Senate by Senator Michael Barrett.

{| class=wikitable

! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of August 24, 2024{{cite web | title = Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of August 24, 2024 | publisher = Massachusetts Elections Division | access-date = October 10, 2024 | url = http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/enrollment_count_20190201.pdf | archive-date = April 20, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190420165005/https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/enrollment_count_20190201.pdf | url-status = dead }}

|-

! colspan = 2 | Party

! Number of voters

! Percentage

|-

| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}

| Democratic

| style="text-align:center;"| 10,557

| style="text-align:center;"| 34.45%

|-

| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}

| Republican

| style="text-align:center;"| 2,256

| style="text-align:center;"| 7.96%

|-

| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}

| Unaffiliated

| style="text-align:center;"| 23,873

| style="text-align:center;"| 56.98%

|-

| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}

| Libertarian

| style="text-align:center;"| 108

| style="text-align:center;"| 0.27%

|-

! colspan = 2 | Total

! style="text-align:center;"| 36,950

! style="text-align:center;"| 100%

|}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

• Jeannette A. McCarthy, 2004– {{Cite web|url=https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/mayors-office/pages/biography-of-mayor-jeannette-a-mccarthy|title=Biography of Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy |work= City of Waltham |access-date=February 11, 2019 }}
• David F. Gately, 1999–2003
• William F. Stanley, 1985–1999{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/waltham/william-f-stanley-former-waltham-mayor-dies-at-76|title=William F. Stanley, Former Waltham Mayor, Dies at 76|date=April 10, 2014 |website=Waltham, MA Patch|language=en|access-date= February 11, 2019 }}
• Arthur Clark, 1968–1984.{{cite book|author=Stuart E. Weisberg|title=Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman|url=https://archive.org/details/barneyfrankstory00weis|url-access=registration|year=2009|publisher=Univ of Massachusetts Press|isbn=978-1-55849-721-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/barneyfrankstory00weis/page/202 202]–}}
• Austin D. Rhodes 1959
• Paul V. Shaughnessy 1956–1958
• Henry A. Turner, 1953–1955{{Cite web|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/turner4.html#360.52.96|title=The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Turner, G to I|website=politicalgraveyard.com|access-date= February 11, 2019 }}
• Chauncey Cousens, 1949–1952 {{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/walthammassachus1950unse|title=Waltham, Massachusetts city directory|date=April 10, 1950|publisher=R.L. Polk|via=Internet Archive}}
• John Devane, 1942–1948 {{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/walthammassachus1943unse|title=Waltham, Massachusetts city directory|date=April 10, 1943|publisher=R.L. Polk|via=Internet Archive}}
• Arthur A. Hansen 1938–1942 {{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/walthammassachus1941unse|title=Waltham, Massachusetts city directory|date=April 10, 1941|publisher=R.L. Polk|via=Internet Archive}}
• Frederick L. MacDonald 1937
• Henry W. Beal, 1922–1927 {{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ojU5AQAAIAAJ|title=Yearbook|date=April 10, 1927|publisher=The Association|via=Google Books}}
• George Raynolds Beal 1917–1922 {{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c-oixmtRd7YC&pg=RA3-PA192-IA|title=Inaugural Address of ... Mayor ... with the Annual Reports of the Several Departments ... and Roster of the City Government ...|date=April 10, 1919|via=Google Books}}
• Eben J. Williams, 1915–1917 {{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hrVEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA283|title=Inaugural Address of ... Mayor ... with the Annual Reports of the Several Departments ... and Roster of the City Government ...|date=April 10, 1917|via=Google Books}}

{{col-break}}

• Thomas K. Keans, 1913–1915 {{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DrdEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA289|title=Inaugural Address of ... Mayor ... with the Annual Reports of the Several Departments ... and Roster of the City Government ...|date=April 10, 1915|via=Google Books}}
• Patrick J. Duane 1911–1913; 1930–1933{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/walthamhistoric/status/577188529509396480|title=1st Irish-born Mayor of #Waltham, Patrick J. Duane.(1862-1949)pic.twitter.com/HcTKky5QSV|date=March 15, 2015}}
• Edward A. Walker, 1908–1911 {{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7amXzLqEB8EC|title=Charter and Revised Ordinances of the City of Waltham, 1894 ...|date=April 10, 1909|publisher=El. Barry|via=Google Books}}
• John L. Harvey, 1904–1908
• Murray D. Clement, 1902–1904
• Mahlon Leonard, 1901–1902
• George L. Mayberry 1898–1901
• Charles Bond 1897–1898
• Arthur Lyman 1896–1897
• Henry Milton 1895–1896
• Erskine Warden 1892–1895
• George L. Mayberry 1890–1891
• Henry N. Fisher 1887–1889
• Charles F. Stone 1886
• Byron B. Johnson (first mayor) 1884 {{Cite web|url=https://waltham-community.com/history.html|title=History of Waltham|website=waltham-community.com}}

{{col-end}}

Waltham is close to several U.S. interstate highways. Interstate 95, multiplexed with Route 128, runs through the western part of the city. Interstate 90, which is also the Massachusetts Turnpike, is just to the south in Newton. Due to its proximity to the center of the Greater Boston metropolitan area, a number of state highways are within a few miles.

The MBTA commuter rail has two stops in Waltham as part of the Fitchburg-Boston Line: one in Central Square Waltham across from the City Hall and one near Brandeis University.

MBTA bus service also covers the city, including routes 61, 70, 170, 505, 553, 554, 556 and 558.

The Charles River runs through Waltham, and bike and walking paths cover most of the south bank, as well as part of the north bank from Prospect Street to Moody Street. Some commuters ride the path to offices in Cambridge and Boston.

The city of Waltham is protected by the 166 full-time, paid firefighters of the city of Waltham Fire Department (WFD).{{cite web |url=http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/fire-department |title=Fire Department | Waltham |publisher=City.waltham.ma.us |date=2012-01-13 |access-date=2015-11-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215113540/http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/fire-department |archive-date=2015-12-15 }} Established in 1816, the Waltham Fire Department is currently organized into three divisions of operations: fire suppression, fire prevention, and training.

Armstrong Ambulance Service currently provides 24/7 Advanced Life Support emergency medical services to the City of Waltham.{{cite web | title=Emergency Medical Service (E.M.S.) | website=Waltham | url=https://www.city.waltham.ma.us/fire-department/pages/emergency-medical-service-ems | access-date=October 22, 2021}}

Waltham is home to the Waltham News Tribune (formerly The Daily News Tribune), a weekly paper which is published each Thursday, year-round owned by Gatehouse Media. The Waltham Patch covers the local, daily news and invites locals to post their own blogs, events and opinion online only.{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/waltham|title=Waltham, MA Patch - Breaking News, Local News, Events, Schools, Weather, Sports and Shopping|website=Waltham, MA Patch|access-date=2 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404102631/https://patch.com/massachusetts/waltham|archive-date=4 April 2018}} In 2018, Waltham writer Jessica Lucci was chosen as the "Mayor" of Waltham Patch. WCAC-TV is the cable access and provides opportunities for community members to learn how to create their own local-interest television programming. Waltham news sometimes appears in The Boston Globe's GlobeWest section, as well.

Waltham was formerly the home of classical radio station WCRB (99.5 FM), which relocated to the WGBH studios in Brighton in 2006. Brandeis University runs a low-power station, WBRS (100.1 FM).

• Luther Atwood, chemist in the oil industry
• Keith Aucoin, hockey forward for New York Islanders{{citation | title=Legends of Hockey: Keith Aucoin | work=Hockey Hall of Fame | url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=21210 | access-date=2012-01-24 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015081621/http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=21210 | archive-date=2011-10-15 }}
• F. Lee Bailey, lawyer{{citation | title=F. Lee Bailey Biography | url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ba-Be/Bailey-F-Lee.html | access-date=2012-01-24 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210044829/http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ba-Be/Bailey-F-Lee.html | archive-date=2012-02-10 }}
• Nathaniel Prentice Banks, Union General in the Civil War, 24th Governor of Massachusetts, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives{{citation | title=Vital Records of Waltham, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 | publisher=New England Historic Genealogical Society | year=1904 | place=Boston | page=12 | url=https://archive.org/stream/vitalrecordsofwa00walt#page/12/mode/1up | access-date=2012-01-24}}
• Anya Battaglino, professional hockey player in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL)
• Mackenzy Bernadeau, guard for NFL's Dallas Cowboys{{citation | title=Mackenzy Bernadeau, Carolina Panthers, NFL Football | url=http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/1615551/mackenzy-bernadeau | work=CBSSports.com | access-date=2012-01-24 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209222258/http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/1615551/mackenzy-bernadeau | archive-date=2012-02-09 }}
• Suzanne Brockmann, author{{cite news |date=November 12, 2007 |title=Author donates book profits to MassEquality |url=http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=52156 |first=Laura |last=Kiritsy |work=EDGE Boston |access-date=July 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328113459/http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=52156 |archive-date=March 28, 2012 }}
• Nellie Marie Burns ({{circa|1850}}–1897), actor and poet
• Annie Payson Call, author{{citation | title=Waltham Words: a Ladies Home Journal columnist from Watch City | last=Green | first=Alex | newspaper=The Boston Globe | date=2009-07-22 | url=https://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/waltham/2009/07/waltham_words_a_ladies_home_jo.html | access-date=2012-01-24 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140630205523/http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/waltham/2009/07/waltham_words_a_ladies_home_jo.html | archive-date=2014-06-30 }}
• Rob Chiarelli, multiple Grammy Award winner
• JP Dellacamera, play-by-play commentator of Major League Soccer for ABC and ESPN{{citation | newspaper=The Boston Globe | date=2011-03-15 | title=Coverage has local flavor | last=Dell'Apa | first=Frank | url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-03-15/sports/29349952_1_soccer-coverage-espn-deportes-revolution | access-date=2012-01-24 }}{{dead link|date=November 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
• Ryan Gallant, professional skateboarder{{citation | title=Ryan Gallant | work=ProSkaterBase.com | url=http://proskaterbase.com/skaters/ryan_gallant.html | access-date=2012-01-24 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629160403/http://proskaterbase.com/skaters/ryan_gallant.html | archive-date=2014-06-29 }}
• Alan Griffin, professional basketball player for the Newfoundland Growlers of the Canadian Elite Basketball League
• James N. Hallock, scientist, known for his work on the Columbia Accident Investigation Board{{citation | title=Principal Technical Advisor Dr. James N. Hallock | work=Volpe National Transportation Systems Center | url=http://www.volpe.dot.gov/ourwork/experts/hallock.html | access-date=2012-01-24 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916082613/http://www.volpe.dot.gov/ourwork/experts/hallock.html | archive-date=2008-09-16 }}
• John Peabody Harrington, ethnologist and linguist{{citation | title=Book Review: John Peabody Harrington: The Man and his California Indian Fieldnotes | first=Catherine A. | last=Callaghan | journal=Journal of San Diego History | year=1977 | volume=23 | issue=2 | url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/77spring/harrington.htm | access-date=2012-01-25 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629171606/http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/77spring/harrington.htm | archive-date=2014-06-29 }}
• Sophie Chantal Hart, professor at Wellesley College
• Lorenza Haynes (1820–1899), librarian, minister, school founder, suffragist, writer
• Clarence Hobart, six-time national doubles champion in tennis; born in Waltham
• Abbie Hoffman, born in Worcester, MA; author, radical political activist, founder of the Youth International Party{{citation | first=Jonah | last=Raskin | title=For the Hell of It: The Life and Times of Abbie Hoffman | publisher=University of California Press | year=1998 | isbn=978-0-520-21379-1 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/first/r/raskin-hell.html | access-date=2012-01-26 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518115611/http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/r/raskin-hell.html | archive-date=2013-05-18 }}
• C. D. Howe, WWII and postwar Canadian politician; Waltham native{{citation | title=C.D. Howe | work=Juno Beach Centre | url=http://www.junobeach.org/e/3/can-pep-can-howe-e.htm | access-date=2012-01-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119061908/http://www.junobeach.org/e/3/can-pep-can-howe-e.htm | archive-date=2012-01-19 }}
• Gail Huff, television reporter for WCVB-TV, wife of Scott Brown, former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts{{citation | title=Gail Huff | work=thebostonchannel.com | publisher=WCVB-TV | url=http://www.thebostonchannel.com/station/282828/detail.html | access-date=January 21, 2010 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100127083251/http://www.thebostonchannel.com/station/282828/detail.html | archive-date=January 27, 2010 }}

File:Deena Kastor at the 2007 Boston Marathon.jpg]]

• Deena (Drossin) Kastor, Olympic bronze medal-winning marathon runner{{citation | title=Deena Kastor | work=usatf.org | publisher=USA Track & Field | url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Kastor_Deena.asp | access-date=2012-01-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211092504/http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Kastor_Deena.asp | archive-date=2012-02-11 }}
• Pauline R. Kezer, Secretary of the State of Connecticut (1991–1995); born and raised in Waltham{{Cite web|last=Keating|first=Christopher|date=1994-09-06|title=Pauline Kezer determined to beat the odds|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1994-09-06-9409060074-story.html|access-date=2022-01-05|website=Hartford Courant|language=en}}
• John Leary, Major League Baseball first baseman and catcher for the St. Louis Browns{{citation | title=John Leary | publisher=John Leary Statistics and History | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/learyjo01.shtml | access-date=2012-09-24 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110120248/http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/learyjo01.shtml | archive-date=2012-11-10 }}
• Jeff Lazaro, former Boston Bruins forward{{citation | title=Former Bruin Jeff Lazaro cheers on Stanley Cup champions | first=Scott | last=Souza | newspaper=Waltham News Tribune / Wicked Local Waltham | date=2011-06-17 | publisher=GateHouse Media | url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/waltham/news/x898069797/Former-Bruin-Jeff-Lazaro-cheers-on-Stanley-Cup-champions | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120919104100/http://www.wickedlocal.com/waltham/news/x898069797/Former-Bruin-Jeff-Lazaro-cheers-on-Stanley-Cup-champions | url-status=dead | archive-date=2012-09-19 | access-date=2012-01-26 }}
• Samuel Livermore, United States Senator from New Hampshire
• Mel Lyman, musician, filmmaker, writer and founder of the Fort Hill Community{{citation | title=The Lyman Family's Holy Siege | url=http://www.dinkypage.com/lymanfamily | access-date=2012-05-05 | archive-date=2012-05-04 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504045348/http://www.dinkypage.com/lymanfamily | url-status=dead }}
• John Lynch, Governor of New Hampshire{{cite web |url=http://www.governor.nh.gov/biography/index.htm |title=About Governor Lynch |publisher=Governor.nh.gov |access-date=2012-01-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119055129/http://www.governor.nh.gov/biography/index.htm |archive-date=2012-11-19 }}
• Shawn McEachern, Boston Bruins forward{{citation | title=Shawn McEachern Los Angeles Kings - 2011-2012 Stats | work=NHL.com | url=http://kings.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8457297 | access-date=2012-01-26 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140908092411/http://kings.nhl.com/club/player.htm?id=8457297 | archive-date=2014-09-08 }}
• Paul Moody, Inventor, developer of cotton loom; namesake of Moody St. in downtown Waltham{{citation | title=Biographical sketches of the Moody family | first=Charles C.P. | last=Moody | publisher=S. G. Drake | place=Boston | year=1847 | page=145 | isbn=9780608317281 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z-AUAAAAYAAJ&q=Paul%20Moody%20waltham&pg=PA145 | access-date=2012-01-26}}
• Angelo Mosca, former Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler{{citation | title=Alias King Kong – The Twilight Years of Angelo Mosca | first=Earl | last=McRae | newspaper=Toronto Star | date=1978-01-07 | url=http://mapleleafwrestling.4t.com/featuresmlwp/kingkongmosca.html | access-date=2012-01-26 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510232635/http://mapleleafwrestling.4t.com/featuresmlwp/kingkongmosca.html | archive-date=2012-05-10 }}
• Richard Thomas Nolan, Episcopal Church Canon, writer, philosophy and religion professor, LGBT advocate{{cite news|date=April 27, 2009 |title=Waltham native, former priest, to marry his life partner of 50 years|url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/waltham/archive/x50632808/Waltham-native-former-priest-to-marry-his-life-partner-of-50-years |first=Jeff |last=Gilbride |work=The Daily News Tribune

|access-date=November 8, 2010}}{{cite news |date=August 5, 2003 |title=Retired priest calls move historic: Waltham native says the church never challenged him about his homosexuality |url=http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/news/x1783046596 |first=Joshua |last=Myerov |work=The Dedham Transcript |access-date=November 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721190728/http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/news/x1783046596 |archive-date=July 21, 2011 }}

• Dave Pino, member of the band Powerman 5000{{citation | title=Dave Pino: back on the road | last=Carioli | first=Carly | newspaper=Boston Phoenix | date=2006-12-10 | url=http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/onthedownload/archive/2006/12/10/Dave-Pino-back-on-the-road.aspx | access-date=2012-01-26 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013210149/http://blog.thephoenix.com/blogs/onthedownload/archive/2006/12/10/Dave-Pino-back-on-the-road.aspx | archive-date=2012-10-13 }}
• Tom Rooney, racing driver
• Ida Annah Ryan, first woman to earn a master's degree in architecture (from M.I.T.){{citation | title=Waltham | first=Melissa | last=Mannon | publisher=Arcadia Publishing | year=1998 | page=55 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_w-n5msDe1gC&q=ida+annah+ryan&pg=PA55 | access-date=2012-01-26| isbn=9780738564821 }}
• Evelyn Sears, U.S. Open tennis champion{{citation | title=Wimbledon winner, Petra Kvitova's left handed shots overpower Sharpova | date=July 2, 2011 | work=BudCollinsTennis.com | url=http://www.budcollinstennis.com/?p=1967 | access-date=2012-01-29 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805043618/http://www.budcollinstennis.com/?p=1967 | archive-date=August 5, 2011 }}
• Fred Smerlas, NFL defensive lineman with Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots{{citation | title=A Wild And Crazy Guy | date=November 14, 1988 | magazine=Sports Illustrated | first=Paul | last=Zimmerman | url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067984/index.htm | access-date=2012-01-29 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221065518/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067984/index.htm | archive-date=February 21, 2012 }}
• Caroll Spinney, puppeteer; performed the roles of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street{{citation | title=How to get to Sesame Street: Meet Big Bird, Waltham's Caroll Spinney, at event honoring television's fine-feathered friend | newspaper=Dedham Transcript | first=Jennifer | last=Lord | date=November 3, 2004 | url=http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/arts/x1726971087 | access-date=2012-01-29 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516042615/http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/arts/x1726971087 | archive-date=May 16, 2013 }}
• Edward Royal Warren, naturalist and engineer{{cite web|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_305127|title=Biography|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|accessdate=June 19, 2013}}
• Mary Watson Whitney, astronomer, Vassar professor of astronomy, Vassar observatory director
• Bob Weston, American bass guitarist and music producer, known for his work in the minimalist rock band Shellac{{Cite web |title=Bob Weston Biography, Songs, & Albums |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-weston-mn0000063352/biography |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}
• Chris Wilson, guitarist for the Flaming Groovies and The Barracudas
• Gordon S. Wood, recipient of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History{{cite web|url=http://www.bostonmeditationgroup.org/footsteps/Footsteps_2nd_ed.pdf|title=In the Footsteps of Paramahansa Yogananda|website=bostonmeditationgroup.org|access-date=2 May 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914173236/http://www.bostonmeditationgroup.org/footsteps/Footsteps_2nd_ed.pdf|archive-date=2017-09-14}}
• Franz Wright, Pulitzer Prize–winning poet{{citation | title=Waltham Pulitzer winner Wright pens new book of poetry | first=Chris | last=Bergeron | date=July 29, 2011 | newspaper=The MetroWest Daily News | url=http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/arts/x1158627658/Waltham-Pulitzer-winner-Wright-pens-new-book-of-poetry | access-date=2012-01-29}}
• Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi built his first ashram in America here{{Cite web|url=http://www.bostonmeditationgroup.org/footsteps/Footsteps_2nd_ed.pdf|title=In the Footsteps of Paramahansa Yogananda|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914173236/http://www.bostonmeditationgroup.org/footsteps/Footsteps_2nd_ed.pdf|archive-date=2017-09-14}}

• New Covenant Church of Cambridge
• Norumbega
• List of mill towns in Massachusetts

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |last=Barry |first=Ephraim L. |url=https://archive.org/details/cityofwalthammas00barr |title=City of Waltham, Massachusetts |date=1887}}
• {{cite magazine |last=Eaton |first=Percival R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6blYI7ySb5IC&pg=PA360 |title=Works of the Watch City |magazine=New England Magazine |date=May 1906}}
• {{cite book | title = Illustrated Boston: The Metropolis of New England | publisher = American Publishing and Engraving Co. | location = New York | edition = Second | year = 1889 | url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_wNFAAAAAIAAJ | ref={{harvid|Illustrated Boston|1889}}}}
• {{cite book |title=Proceedings at the Celebration of the Sesqui-centennial in the Town of Waltham, held in Music Hall, on Monday, January 16th, 1888 |location=Waltham |publisher=Ephraim L. Barry |date=1893 |url=https://archive.org/details/proceedingsatcel00walt/ |ref={{sfnref|Sesqui-centennial|1893}} }}
• {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Waltham |date=1910 |ref= {{harvid|Britannica|1910}} |short= 1}}

• Federal Writers' Project, [https://archive.org/stream/massachusettsgui00federich#page/170/mode/2up "Waltham,"] in Massachusetts: a Guide to its Places and People. Federal Writers' Project, 1937.
• Gitelman, Howard M., Workingmen of Waltham: Mobility in American Urban Development, 1850–1890. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1974).
• Hurd, D. Hamilton, [https://archive.org/stream/historyofmiddles03hurd/#page/700 "Waltham,"] in History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. W. Lewis and Co., 1890.
• Starbuck, Alexander. "Waltham," in Samuel Adams Drake (ed.), History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. vol. 2, pp. 407–433.1879–80.
• Toomey, Daniel P., [https://archive.org/stream/massachusettsoft00toom#page/446/mode/2up "Waltham,"] in Massachusetts of Today. Boston: Columbia Publishing Co., 1892.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=VPQCAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA91 "Waltham,"] in Anthony's Standard Business Directory and Reference Book of Woburn, Winchester, Arlington, Lexington, Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, Newton, Massachusetts. Anthony Publishing Co., 1898.
• [https://books.google.com/books?id=JPUCAAAAYAAJ Directory of...Waltham and Watertown.] W.A. Greenough & Co., 1887.

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikivoyage|Waltham}}

{{Wikisource}}

• {{Official website|http://www.city.waltham.ma.us}}
• [https://www.walthamhistoricalsociety.org/ Waltham Historical Society]
• {{Osmrelation-inline|1865772}}

{{Middlesex County, Massachusetts}}

{{Massachusetts}}

{{Greater_Boston}}

{{Northeast Megalopolis}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Cities in Massachusetts

Category:Populated places established in 1634

Category:Cities in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Category:1634 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony