Southbridge, Massachusetts

Southbridge, Massachusetts
Town
Town of Southbridge
Southbridge Town Hall
Flag Seal
Nickname:  The Eye of the Commonwealth
Location in Worcester County and the state of Massachusetts
Southbridge, Massachusetts Location in the United States
Coordinates: 42°04′30″N 72°02′02″W
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1730
Incorporated	1816
Government
• Type	Council-manager
Area
• Total	20.86 sq mi (54.03 km2)
• Land	20.24 sq mi (52.42 km2)
• Water	0.62 sq mi (1.61 km2)
Elevation	489 ft (149 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,740
• Density	876.57/sq mi (338.44/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	01550
Area code	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-63270
GNIS feature ID	0618383
Website	ci.southbridge.ma.us

Southbridge is a city in the American state of Massachusetts. The city's nickname is "The Eye of the Commonwealth". It has a population of about 18,000.

Southbridge has a lot of history and tradition. The city was once home to the largest optical manufacturer in the world: American Optical. American Optical moved somewhere in Mexico where workers would be paid smaller wages. It is now called the Mexican Optical. Southbridge has a great economy. It is often called a mixing pot of cultures. There are many different ethnic groups in Southbridge.

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1850	2,824	—
1860	3,575	+26.6%
1870	5,208	+45.7%
1880	6,464	+24.1%
1890	7,655	+18.4%
1900	10,025	+31.0%
1910	12,592	+25.6%
1920	14,245	+13.1%
1930	14,264	+0.1%
1940	16,825	+18.0%
1950	17,519	+4.1%
1960	16,523	−5.7%
1970	17,057	+3.2%
1980	16,665	−2.3%
1990	17,816	+6.9%
2000	17,214	−3.4%
2010	16,719	−2.9%
2020	17,740	+6.1%
Source: U.S. Decennial Census