Editing Leicester, Massachusetts (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|24.7|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|23.4|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|1.3|sqmi|km2}}, or 5.35%, is water.

Leicester includes four distinct villages—Leicester Center, Cherry Valley (the eastern side of town, near [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]]), Rochdale (a crossroads in the southeastern corner, near the [[Oxford, Massachusetts|Oxford]] line), and Greenville (now considered to be part of Rochdale). Cherry Valley and Rochdale have separate [[ZIP code]]s from the rest of the town (01611 and 01542, respectively), but otherwise the village boundaries have no official significance, although some Cherry Valley, Rochdale, and Leicester have three separate and distinct water districts and four sewer districts. The village of Greenville is now considered part of Rochdale, as it falls within the 01542 ZIP code; the former villages of Mannville and Lakeside were destroyed to construct the Kettle Brook reservoir system, in northeastern Leicester, to supply water to Worcester.

The town is cut into quarters by two state highways, east–west [[Massachusetts Route 9|Route 9]] and north–south [[Massachusetts Route 56|Route 56]]. Route 9 is called Main Street through Cherry Valley and most of the rest of town; it follows a bypass alignment called South Main Street around the Washburn Square area. The town is actively trying to encourage business development along the western end of Route 9. Route 56 north of the Leicester Center crossroads is Paxton Street; south, it is Pleasant Street until it detours along a bypass road, Huntoon Memorial Highway, that skirts the edge of Rochdale.

[[Spencer, Massachusetts|Spencer]], now a separate town to the west, was once part of Leicester. Other municipalities bordering Leicester include [[Paxton, Massachusetts|Paxton]] along Route 56 to the north, Worcester and [[Auburn, Massachusetts|Auburn]] on the east, and Oxford and [[Charlton, Massachusetts|Charlton]] on the south. Large parts of both Paxton and Auburn were also once part of Leicester.

The end of [[Worcester Regional Airport]]'s longest runway, along with much of the airport's property, is in Leicester. Additionally, most of Worcester's Kettle Brook water reservoir system is in Leicester.

=== Climate ===
In a typical year, Leicester, Massachusetts temperatures fall below {{convert|50|F}} for 195 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 47.4 inches per year and snow covers the ground 60 days per year or 16.4% of the year (high in the US). The humidity is below 60% for approximately 25.4 days, or 7% of the year.<ref name="Climate in Leicester, Massachusetts">{{cite web | title=Climate in Leicester, Massachusetts| url=https://dwellics.com/massachusetts/climate-in-leicester | access-date=September 10, 2022 }}</ref>