Editing Westfield, Massachusetts (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Beneath the Mass Pike.JPG|thumb|left|Replete with interesting graffiti, the M&M Trail passes beneath the Mass Pike along with the railroad]]

Westfield is located at {{Coord|42|7|46|N|72|44|46|W|type:city}} (42.129492, −72.745986).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=February 12, 2011|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> It is bordered on the north by [[Southampton, Massachusetts|Southampton]], on the northeast by [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]], on the east by [[West Springfield, Massachusetts|West Springfield]], on the southeast by [[Agawam, Massachusetts|Agawam]], on the south by [[Southwick, Massachusetts|Southwick]], on the southwest by [[Granville, Massachusetts|Granville]], on the west by [[Russell, Massachusetts|Russell]], and on the northwest by [[Montgomery, Massachusetts|Montgomery]]. Westfield is split into the "South Side" and the "North Side" by the [[Westfield River]], and the northwestern section of town is known as Wyben.

[[File:Eastmountain snakepond.jpg|thumb|right|View of Snake Pond and the distant Westfield countryside from East Mountain in [[Holyoke, Massachusetts|Holyoke]] ]]

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|122.7|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|120.0|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|2.8|km2|order=flip}}, or 2.24%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US2576030| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Westfield city, Massachusetts| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| work=American Factfinder| access-date=August 2, 2017| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213112042/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US2576030| archive-date=February 13, 2020| url-status=dead}}</ref>

Westfield is situated at the western edge of the downfaulted [[Connecticut River Valley]] where the [[Westfield River]] emerges from the [[Berkshire Hills]] and flows through the center of the city on its way to the [[Connecticut River]] some {{convert|10|mi|0}} downstream. Because of its large, steep and rocky upstream watershed, the river has a history of severe flood episodes, inundating adjacent parts of Westfield several times. In spite of a complicated system of pumps, dikes, waterways, and upstream dams, Westfield lies in a [[floodplain]] zone and is still considered flood-prone.

Westfield is bordered on the east by linear cliffs of volcanic [[trap rock]] known as [[East Mountain (Massachusetts)|East Mountain]] and [[Provin Mountain]]. They are part of the [[Metacomet Ridge]], a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from [[Long Island Sound]] to nearly the [[Vermont]] border. Both mountains are traversed by the {{convert|114|mi|adj=on}} [[Metacomet-Monadnock Trail]], that also crosses the Westfield River with an ill-advised fording or a safer road-walk across the bridge at the junction of Routes 187 and 20. The next road obstacle for hikers in Westfield is the Massachusetts Turnpike, beneath which hikers can safely walk.

Westfield is on the fringe of the greater [[Northeast megalopolis]]—the most densely populated region of the United States—and has experienced substantial land development for suburban residential and commercial uses for the past six decades. Yet it borders [[Western Massachusetts#The Hilltowns|hilltowns]] to the west that were depopulated of [[subsistence agriculture|subsistence farmers]] in the 19th century as land became readily available on the [[Homestead Act|western frontier]]. With population dipping below ten per square kilometer in some upland townships, forests are [[reforestation|reverting]] almost to pre-settlement conditions with wild turkey, bears, coyotes and even moose returning after absences perhaps measured in centuries. This transition over a few miles from the 21st century urbanization to population densities nearly as low as early colonial times is notable if not unique.

Westfield is located {{convert|10|mi|0}} west of [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], {{convert|39|mi}} southeast of [[Pittsfield, Massachusetts|Pittsfield]], {{convert|95|mi}} west of [[Boston]], {{convert|30|mi}} north of [[Hartford, Connecticut]], {{convert|76|mi}} southeast of [[Albany, New York]], and {{convert|145|mi}} northeast of [[New York City]].

=== Climate ===
{{Weather box
|location = [[Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport]], Massachusetts (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1926–present{{efn|Records maintained at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport since August 1998, and at the Westfield [[Cooperative Observer Program|COOP]] before December 1995.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://threadex.rcc-acis.org/|title=Threaded Extremes|website=threadex.rcc-acis.org}}</ref>}})
|collapsed =
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F =  71
|Feb record high F =  79
|Mar record high F =  83
|Apr record high F =  95
|May record high F =  98
|Jun record high F = 102
|Jul record high F = 103
|Aug record high F = 101
|Sep record high F =  97
|Oct record high F =  87
|Nov record high F =  76
|Dec record high F =  73

|Jan high F = 32.9
|Feb high F = 37.0
|Mar high F = 45.9
|Apr high F = 59.1
|May high F = 70.5
|Jun high F = 78.0
|Jul high F = 82.8
|Aug high F = 81.5
|Sep high F = 74.0
|Oct high F = 61.6
|Nov high F = 49.4
|Dec high F = 38.2
|year high F= 59.3
|Jan low F = 12.9
|Feb low F = 17.4
|Mar low F = 25.1
|Apr low F = 35.4
|May low F = 45.5
|Jun low F = 54.7
|Jul low F = 59.0
|Aug low F = 58.5
|Sep low F = 49.8
|Oct low F = 38.2
|Nov low F = 30.0
|Dec low F = 21.0
|year low F= 37.4
|Jan record low F = −14
|Feb record low F = −20
|Mar record low F = −14
|Apr record low F =  17
|May record low F =  25
|Jun record low F =  34
|Jul record low F =  40
|Aug record low F =  41
|Sep record low F =  28
|Oct record low F =  18
|Nov record low F =   2
|Dec record low F = −14
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.26
|Feb precipitation inch = 2.83
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.10
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.37
|May precipitation inch = 4.44
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.35
|Jul precipitation inch = 4.09
|Aug precipitation inch = 4.16
|Sep precipitation inch = 4.49
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.75
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.12
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.43
|year precipitation inch=48.39
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name="NOWData BOX">{{cite web|url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=box |title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date = 2020-09-17
}}</ref><ref name="NCDC txt KBAF">{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00014775.normals.txt |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |title=Station Name: MA WESTFIELD BARNES MUNI AP |access-date=2018-05-15}}</ref>
}}
;Notes: 
{{notelist}}