Native Americans inhabited the area that would become Cambridge for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas. At the time of European contact and exploration, the area was inhabited by

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According to the United States Census Bureau, Cambridge has a total area of 7.1 square miles (18 km ), of which 6.4 square miles (17 km ) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km ) (9.82%) is water.

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As of the census of 2010, there were 105,162 people, 44,032 households, and 17,420 families residing in the city. The population density was 16,354.9 people per square mile (6,314.6/km ). There were 47,291 housing units at an average density of 7,354.7 per square mile

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Museums
• Harvard Art Museum, including the Busch-Reisinger Museum, a collection of Germanic art, the Fogg Art Museum, a comprehensive collection

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Federal and state representation
Cambridge is split between Massachusetts's 5th and 7th U.S. congressional districts. The 5th district seat is held by Democrat Katherine Clark, who replaced now-Senator Ed Markey in a 2013 special election;

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Higher education
Cambridge is perhaps best known as an academic and intellectual center. Its colleges and universities

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Manufacturing was an important part of Cambridge's economy in the late 19th and early 20th century, but educational institutions are its biggest

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