Westford

The small country town of Westford punches way above its weight. This rural enclave on Massachusetts’s main technology corridor manages to have easy highway access for commuters and major in-town technology companies, while still emitting plenty of rustic New England charm. This is where you’ll find some of the best schools in the state, pieces of craftsmanship from Paul Revere himself, great restaurants and an economy of apple orchards taken very seriously by the community. “It’s a rural atmosphere, but it still has a town center,” Deb Burke, Realtor with Compass, said. “Its location off of I-495 makes it very handy, because you can pop on and get anywhere.”

This rustic suburb is the perfect mixture of work and play. Located right off I-495, Westford’s Cornerstone Square is where neighbors can go shopping for groceries, pet supplies, clothing and appliances before sitting down for a nice meal. Check out Evviva Trattoria, a contemporary Italian eatery with an open-air feel, and feast on short rib risotto or gnocchi Florentine. Another popular and trendy spot, Karma, serves Asian fusion fare. If you need something quicker, you can always grab a greasy burger from Five Guys.

Westford’s country neighborhoods are peaceful and quiet. You’ll find colonials built in the 1970s with partial brick exteriors for $975,000, 2,400-square-foot Cape Cods on half an acre for $530,000 and wooden colonials hidden behind trees for $760,000. There’s also a lot of new construction, including colonials that are priced at $1 million or more and stone-exterior 1,800-square-foot condominiums for $850,000.

One of the big reasons Westford is so attractive is because of the schools. The public school system here has a high four-year graduation rate of 97%, and most of the district’s high school graduates in 2022 planned to move on to either a public or private college. Elementary schools are split into two campuses for kindergarten through second grade – Col. John Robinson School and Nabnasset School – then three campuses for Grades 3-5 – John A. Crisafulli Elementary, Day Elementary and Abbot Elementary School. All are graded A-minus or above on Niche. Sixth through eighth grades are covered by Blanchard Middle and Stony Brook School, rated A-plus and A, respectively. Its public high school, Westford Academy, is one of the oldest in the country, and it was attended by Paul Revere’s son, John. The famous revolutionary cast a bell that sits inside of the school to this day.

In the summers, Westford residents let loose at Kimball Farm. This massive outdoor area has a driving range, a zip line, bumper boats, an arcade, pony rides and so much more. Make sure to grab a cone of Kimball Farm’s famous ice cream while you’re there, and you can also check out its Grill & Seafood Shack for some fried clams or the Outback Tap Shack for an ice-cold beer.

When the leaves start changing, New Englanders know it’s time to go apple picking. At Drew Farm, juicy apples grow on the vine and mouth-watering cider doughnuts are baked near a retail area. The farm also has a pumpkin patch, and it illuminates carved jack-o-lanterns every Halloween during its Pumpkin Light. Just up the road in Tyngsborough, you can pick your own blueberries, strawberries, cherries, peaches and more at Parlee Farms.

One of Westford’s most special and heartwarming attractions is the Butterfly Place, an indoor garden where several different species of butterfly freely flap their wings. Stroll through the warm indoor space, watch as the butterflies drink from flowers and float around in harmony and observe caterpillars as they inch along on the first stages of their life journeys. Every year, in a nod to its economy of orchards, Westford celebrates the Apple Blossom Festival. The event lasts several days and includes a carnival, parade and fireworks display during the month of May. Westford might seem small, but it’s a force of a community. From cozy neighborhoods to great schools, and from high-tech businesses to pumpkin and apple picking, what’s not to love?

Written By

Laura Finaldi

Photography Contributed By

Sam Adams

Video By

Chris Norton