Melrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It is a suburb located approximately seven miles north of Boston, situated in the center of the triangle created by Interstates 93, 95 and US Route 1. The land that comprises Melrose was first explored in 1628 and was once part of Charlestown and then Malden. It became the Town of Melrose in 1850 and then the City of Melrose in 1900.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.8 square miles (12 km2), of which 4.7 square miles (12 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) is water. The city’s largest body of water is Ell Pond, situated near the center of the city, while other major bodies are Swains Pond and Towners Pond, located on the east side near Mount Hood Golf Club.
Melrose is approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of Boston, Massachusetts. It borders five cities and towns: Malden, Revere, Saugus, Stoneham and Wakefield. Major geographic features include Ell Pond, Swains Pond, Sewall Woods, Mount Hood, Boston Rock, Pine Banks Park and the eastern reaches of the Middlesex Fells Reservation. Neighborhoods include: Cedar Park, Downtown Melrose, East Side, Franklin Square, Horace Mann, Melrose Highlands, Mount Hood, Oak Grove/Pine Banks and Wyoming.