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Welcome to Waltham!

Located in Middlesex County just 10 miles west of Boston, Waltham (the evolved & local pronunciation is "wall-tham") is home to just over 62,000 residents. It was incorporated a town in 1738 and further incorporated a city in 1884. Administration is via a mayoral system and City Council. Waltham is also home to Brandeis University and Bentley University.

The City of Waltham has been frequently called "watch city" because of its association with the watch industry. Waltham Watch Company, a revolutionary cotton textile mill situated along the Charles River, opened its factory in Waltham in 1854 and was the first company to make watches on an assembly line. The company produced over 35 million watches, clocks and instruments before it closed in 1957, and would prove to be a milestone in the American Industrial Revolution. Explore below and see everything you need to know and all that this wonderful city has to offer! New to the City or have a question? Start here!

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Ways to Stay Informed in Waltham

Citywide Alerts:

  • Make sure you sign up for CodeRED, our citywide urgent alert notification system! CodeRED will send out urgent alerts via phone, text, or email. The system is used to notify residents in specific geographic locations of snow emergencies, parking bans, and missing persons, just to name a few. You can also text the word Waltham to 99411 to enroll. Translation to Spanish, Portuguese, and French is now available. If you're unsure if you're in the system or not, sign up anyways (it will automatically eliminate any duplicates)
  • During the Winters in Waltham, a "Snow Emergency / Parking Ban" may be declared when significant snowfall is expected. When a Snow Emergency / Parking Ban is in effect, there is NO on street parking. All vehicles must be removed from all roadways or they are subject to tow. Residents may park in School & municipal parking lots (excluding the Public Library lot), however when the ban is lifted, vehicles must be removed from School lots within 2 hours and Municipal lots withing 24 hours. All Winter related alerts & information will be posted to our Winter Weather Alert Center. Snow Emergencies / Parking Bans will also be communicated through our CodeRED system.

City News / Announcements:

Understanding City Workings 

Trash & Recycling Collection

  • EZ Disposal & Recycling is our dedicated pick-up vendor. The city provides recycling carts to each household, however, you must provide your own trash barrels. Barrels cannot exceed 32 gallons or 50lbs and all trash must fit in the barrel with a lid. All recycling needs to fit in your recycling cart with the lid closed. NO plastic bags are alllowed in recycling carts, as they get caught in recycling machinery. Trash and recycling is collected weekly in Waltham. Pick-ups are delayed a day for major holidays or snowstorms. See our Recycling & Trash Brochure for a full outline and pick-up calendar, and find your trash & recycling schedule here. You can report missed pick-ups to Public Works at 781-314-3855.
  • See our Disposal Index for an overview of how to dispose of common items
  • EZ Disposal and Recycling collects Yard Waste every other week. Collection alternates according to your address. Find your Yard Waste pick up schedule here
  • EZ Disposal & Recycling will collect TV & Computer monitors, and major appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, washers, dryers, and metal cabinets by appointment only. Call them at 781-233-2211 to schedule a pick-up.
  • Residents can take their household hazardous waste products to the Minuteman Household Hazardous Waste facility in Lexington MA, one weekend day per month. See here for more & how to register

Parking & Transportation

City Business

  • Waltham's current Mayor is Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy. The Mayor is elected for a 4-year term, on odd-numbered years (2023, 2027, 2031, etc)
  • The Waltham City Council is made up of 9 ward councilors and 6 at-large (city-wide) councilors who are elected for 2-year terms on odd numbered years (2023, 2025, 2027 etc). You can see their Council & Committee meeting schedule here & see a Ward/Precinct Map here to find out who your city Councillor is. Councillor emails can be found here. Council & Committee of the Whole Meeting agendas will be posted here (by the Thursday before the meeting), Council and Committee of the Whole meeting Minutes will be posted here. See here for individual Committee appointments, agendas, and minutes
  • The Waltham School Committee has 6 members: Half are elected to a 4-year term, every two years, in odd-numbered years. 3 seats will be up for election in 2025, 2029, 2034, etc (for a 4 year term). The other 3 seats will be be up for election in 2023, 2027, 2031, etc (for a 4-year term)
  • As a way to promote transparancy in all areas of city government, Waltham has acquired a financial transparency software called OpenGov. The software allows users to visually understand and examine the elements of the City’s budget and related finances. See here for more info and how to use it
  • The City of Waltham launched a new Community Electricity Program, offering 4 different supply options so Waltham residents can find a product that matches their climate goals & their budget!
  • You can view and pay your taxes & bills online here
  • See Waltham City Ordinances
  • Voting: Waltham is split into various Wards with Precincts. Wards are electoral districts used for local elections and polling, and are balanced to be approximately equal in resident population based on each US Census. There are 9 Wards in Waltham, each of which is represented by their own city Councillor. Each of the 9 wards are split into 2 different Precincts, which are smaller subdivisions of wards used to facilitate voting. Citizens at addresses in the same precinct all vote at the same polling station. Waltham municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years, and the entire 15-person City Council is elected at that time for a two-year term. In addition to electing their individual ward Councillor, all voters in the city also cast ballots for 6 At-Large (city-wide) Councillors who represent the city as a whole, and 3 of the 6 School Committee members. The mayor is elected every four years. To find your ward & precinct, see: Waltham Ward & Precinct Map, or you can also use the MA Secretary of State's election site's "Where do I vote?" section. See more on Elections in Waltham here.


Home & Family Resources

Waltham Schools
Voting: Wards & Precincts
  • Waltham is split into various Wards with Precincts. Wards are electoral districts used for local elections and polling, and are balanced to be approximately equal in resident population based on each US Census. There are 9 Wards in Waltham, each of which is represented by their own city Councillor. Each of the 9 wards are split into 2 different Precincts, which are smaller subdivisions of wards used to facilitate voting. Citizens at addresses in the same precinct all vote at the same polling station. 
  • Waltham municipal elections are held in odd-numbered years, and the entire 15-person City Council is elected at that time for a two-year term. In addition to electing their individual ward Councillor, all voters in the city also cast ballots for 6 At-Large (city-wide) Councillors who represent the city as a whole, and 3 of the 6 School Committee members. The mayor is elected every four years. 
  • To find out who your City Councillor is, first find your address on our Ward & Precinct Map. From here you will be able to identify which Ward you are located in and can refer to the list of Ward Councillors here. You can also use the State's tool to locate all of your election & voting information here (including what Ward you are located in). See more on Elections in Waltham here.
Waltham Neighborhoods
Family Programs & Offerings
Health & Services 

Around Waltham

Opening a Business in Waltham

Thank you for considering Waltham for your business!