Newburyport

City in Essex County, northeastern Massachusetts, at the mouth of the Merrimack River, 56 km/35 mi northeast of Boston; population (2000 est) 7,800. Settled in 1635 and incorporated as a city in 1851, it is a suburb of Boston and resort area for sailing and fishing.

The city was separated from the town of Newbury, which lies just south, in 1764. Its prosperity came from fishing, shipbuilding, whaling, and a thriving merchant fleet. It was noted for privateering in the Revolutionary War, and peace brought about a slump in the town's economy. The US Coast Guard started here in 1790. Steam mills were developed from 1836, and its shipyards launched many famous clipper ships during the 1840s and 1850s, often used in trade with China.

The Federal-style brick houses, built after a fire in 1811, and the nearby seaside resorts attract many visitors. Many of the mill buildings have been re-used, particularly in extensive restoration schemes that helped to transform Newburyport from a declining industrial city into a tourist attraction. There are 14 entries on the national register of historic places.

Abolitionist leader William Lloyd Garrison was born in Newburyport in 1805.