Middleton, Massachusetts

Middleton is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts. First settled in 1659, Middleton was officially incorporated in 1728. The name Middleton is derived from its location mid way between the important early settlements of Salem and Andover.

Middleton is considered one of the fastest growing towns in the Commonwealth, the fastest on the North Shore. When locally grouped, it is grouped with Salem, Danvers and Beverly, as these three towns form a tri-town. These three towns share Masconomet Regional High School (named after Chief Masconomet, sagamore of the Agawam tribe, which lived in Essex County at the time of English colonization), which serves grades 9-12, while its Middle School serves grades 7 and 8.

Middleton lies just west of Interstate 95, with two very short parts of the highway passing through corners of the town before and after passing through Topsfield. There are exits off the highway in Boxford and in Danvers which both provide access to the town. Route 114, which follows the path of the old “Salem Turnpike,” passes through the center of town and is crossed there by Route 62, which merges with Route 114 for a short, 0.2 mile stretch there. Though there is no rail service within town, there are two lines (the Haverhill/Reading Line and the Newburyport/Rockport Line) of the MBTA Commuter Rail to the west and south of town, both of which provide access to Boston’s North Station.