town in Massachusetts, United States
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).
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.
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.
The North Reading Historical Society maintains a number of buildings in town that are publicly accessible at various times.
| Routes through North Reading |
| Lawrence ← Andover ← | N  S |
→ Reading → Boston |
| Concord ← Wilmington ← | W  E |
→ Middleton → Danvers |