The major airport in Massachusetts is Boston-Logan International Airport. The airport served 33.5 million passengers in 2015 and is used by around 40 airlines with a total of 103 gates. In addition to extensive domestic services, Logan International Airport also features international service to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Other regional airports also operate within Massachusetts.
There are a total of 31,300 miles of interstates and other highways in Massachusetts. Interstate 90 is the longest interstate in Massachusetts.
Other major interstates include I-91, which travels generally north and south along the Connecticut River; I-93, which travels north and south through central Boston, and I-95, which connects Providence, Rhode Island with Greater Boston. There are eight other loop or short segment Interstate Highway system routes in Massachusetts as well.
The Flag:
The flag of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts displays, on both sides, the state coat of arms centered on a white field. The shield depicts an Algonquian Native American with bow and arrow; the arrow is pointed downward, signifying peace. A white star with five points appears next to the figure’s head, signifying Massachusetts’ admission as the sixth U.S. state. A blue ribbon surrounds the shield, bearing the state motto Ense Petit Placidam, Sub Libertate Quietem (“By the Sword We Seek Peace, But Peace Only Under Liberty”). Above the shield is the state military crest: a bent arm holding a broadsword aloft. The arm itself is of Myles Standish and signifies the philosophy that one would rather lose their right arm than live under tyranny. The sword has its blade up, to remind that it was through the American Revolution that liberty was won.
The state flag was officially adopted in 1901, but had been used unofficially since the American Revolutionary War.
Up Next:
For our next installment we move south, back to the mid-Atlantic region, for the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution, and thereby joining the United States, the state of Maryland.