North Reading is a town of 15,000 (2020) in the southern part of the Merrimack Valley region of Eastern Massachusetts.

Middleton is a town with a population of 10,000 (2020).

Understand

The area was first settled by European immigrants in 1651 when the town of Reading received a special land grant north of the Ipswich River. It was incorporated as the separate town of North Reading in 1853.

Nearby Middleton was first settled by European immigrants in 1659 and was incorporated in 1728. The town grew as a farming community, mostly due to its location on the Ipswich River, with homesteads of hundreds of acres. However, during the 18th century, Middleton also contained a vital ironworks industry. In the late 18th and to the mid-19th centuries Middleton was a vacation town to those who lived in areas such as Lawrence and Lowell.

Get in

By car, North Reading is easily accessed from Interstate 93 by Exit #39 at Concord Street or Exit #40 at Route 62 or from Interstate 95/Route 128 by Exit #40.

The MBTA Haverhill Line stops at Reading or Andover stations, to the south or north of town respectively.

Middleton lies just west of Interstate 95. There are exits off the highway in Boxford and in Danvers which provide access to the town.

See

The North Reading Historical Society maintains a number of buildings in town that are publicly accessible at various times.

Do

• Ipswich River Park. The town's central facility for recreation and youth athletics. Features a playground, tennis courts, skate park, running path, basketball court, picnic areas, horseshoe pits, etc. 
• Harold Parker State Forest. A 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) protected forest with hiking trails, swimming areas, etc. 

Buy

• Ryer's Store, 162 Park St, ☏ +1 978 664-2183. Small store at the town center carries deli, ice cream, sundries, beer, etc. Lunch counter. 
• Alantra Spa, 21 Main St, Suite 1A, ☏ +1 978-276-3400. New Age, state of the art wellness center/spa 

Eat

• China Cuisine, 235 Main Street, ☏ +1 978-276-1888. Quality Chinese and Japanese cuisine. 
• Horseshoe Grille, 226 Main Street, ☏ +1 978-664-3591. Dining room and bar/lounge offer a variety of entrées and feature on-site smoked barbecue. Outdoor patio open in the summer. 
• Kitty's Restaurant, 123 Main Street, ☏ +1 978-664-4541. Value priced Italian food, lounge, entertainment. 
• Mario's Ristorante, 20G Main Street, ☏ +1 978-664-8533. Authentic Italian mains and pizza. 

Sleep

• Lorraine Park Campground. Located within the Harold Parker State Forest, this seasonal campground offers sites for tenst and recreational vehicles. 

Connect

• Reading-North Reading Chamber of Commerce. Information about area businesses. 

Go next

Routes through North Reading

Lawrence ← Andover ←	N  S	→ Reading → Boston
Concord ← Wilmington ←	W  E	→ Middleton → Danvers