
Map of Massachusetts Bay.
The
Massachusetts Bay, also called
Mass Bay, is one of the large
bays of the
Atlantic Ocean that form the distinctive shape of the coastline of the
U.S. state of
Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles (105 km) into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the
Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,
Quincy Bay (both part of the Outer Boston Harbor), and Hingham Bay. Massachusetts Bay is itself part of the
Gulf of Maine, which reaches from Cape Cod up to
Nova Scotia.
The bay is enclosed on the north by
Cape Ann. Just south is
Cape Cod Bay. Cape Cod Bay is sometimes construed as part of Massachusetts Bay; under this interpretation, the name "Massachusetts Bay" denotes the entire rectangular area of ocean between Cape Ann and
Cape Cod. The bay's westernmost point is situated at
Boston.
The bay gave its name to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the two predecessor colonies of the current state of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Bay, along with Quincy Bay,
Narragansett Bay,
Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay, is also one of the bays adjacent to Massachusetts that give the commonwealth the nickname "the Bay State".
Category:Bays of MassachusettsCategory:Articles lacking sources (Erik9bot)bn:ম্যাসাচুসেটস উপসাগরda:Massachusetts Bayde:Massachusetts Bayeo:Golfo de Masaĉusecofr:Baie du Massachusettsja:マサチューセッツ湾pl:Zatoka Massachusettspt:Baía de Massachusettsru:Массачусетс (залив)