Hampden

Formed January 1, 1812 (14^th county)

Hampden County (465,834), Springfield (155,931)                

A Modern masonry building was built in 1973 for the courthouse.  Earlier courthouses in Springfield, the only county seat, date from 1723, 1821, and 1872.  It was built on State Street between Main Street and Columbus Avenue.  Eduardo Catalano provided the building designs.  Interstate Highway 91 passes two blocks to the southwest.  There are Chicopee, Holyoke, Palmer, and Westfield courthouses augmenting the county courthouse.  The county was split from Hampshire County on January 1, 1812 as the 14^th and final county.  The county is named for John Hampden, member of the English parliament.  The county seat is named for Springfield, England.  Hampden County was the birthplace of 1 Massachusetts Governor, Joseph B. Ely. 

Hampden County doesn’t have a unified government as each township governs.  Ten District Court Judges and Nine Probate/Juvenile Court Judges serve Hampden County.  The county is in the southwest part of the state.  Boston, Massachusetts is east and Hartford, Connecticut is south of the county.  The county center is in Springfield 2.5 miles Northeast of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hampshire and Worcester counties and Connecticut and Berkshire County. 

The area of the county is 618 square miles.  It is 6 out of 14 in the state.  It ranks 8 out of 14 in population in the state.  It has a density of 753.8 persons per square mile making it 7 out of 14 in the state.  Hampden County has 77.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 90 goes east to west in the county from Worcester County to Berkshire County.  Interstate Highway 91 passes north to south from Hampshire County to Connecticut.  United States Highway 5 parallels Interstate Highway 91 from Hampshire County to Connecticut.  United States Highway 20 parallels Interstate Highway 90 from Worcester to Berkshire counties.  United States Highway 202 enters from Hampshire County, north, and exits to Connecticut, south.  A man’s head lying down best describes the county’s shape.  Springfield is located near the center of the county.  Springfield is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 33.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area.