Ayer, Massachusetts

Ayer, Massachusetts
Town
Main Street
Seal
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°33′40″N 71°35′25″W / 42.56111°N 71.59028°W / 42.56111; -71.59028
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Middlesex
Settled	1668
Incorporated	February 14, 1871[1]
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	9.6 sq mi (24.8 km2)
• Land	9.0 sq mi (23.4 km2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (1.4 km2)
Elevation	226 ft (69 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	8,479
• Density	880/sq mi (340/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	01432
Area codes	351 / 978
FIPS code	25-03005
GNIS feature ID	0618215
Website	www.ayer.ma.us

Ayer (/ɛər/ AIR) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871,^[1] and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War. Later, Fort Devens was established by the federal government to train New England soldiers for World War I. Fort Devens is a major influence on the area, although it is considerably smaller than when it was first closed in the mid-1990s. The town's population was 8,479 at the 2020 census.^[2]