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The Middle Pond of the Congamond Lakes in Southwick, Massachusetts.

Living in Southwick, Massachusetts

Southwick is a town in Hampden County, part of the Springfield metropolitan area, and the southernmost town in western Massachusetts because of a panhandle-shaped border known as the 'Southwick Jog.' The town is built around the Congamond Lakes, a chain of three connected ponds straddling the Connecticut line, and Provin Mountain, a trap-rock ridge that forms its eastern border.

Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0

Southwick at a glance

Southwick's villages and zip codes

Southwick uses a single ZIP code, 01077, for the entire town, including the Congamond Lakes area.

Southwick villages and zip codes
AreaZip codeWhere it is
Southwick center01077Along College Highway (US 202/MA 10) at the town center, where Town Hall, the library and municipal offices are located.
Congamond01077The lakeside area around the Congamond Lakes near the Connecticut border, with the town's public boat ramps and the Southwick Rail Trail.

Things to do in Southwick, MA

Start with Congamond Lakes boat ramps and Southwick Rail Trail, then 2 more below.

  1. Congamond Lakes boat ramps

    The town manages two public boat ramps on the middle basin of the Congamond Lakes: a double concrete ramp with a fishing pier and picnic area off Point Grove Road, and a single ramp off Berkshire Road. Launching requires a fee.

    FeeSeasonal

    Point Grove Road and Berkshire Road, Southwick, MA

    Plan a visit
  2. Southwick Rail Trail

    A paved multi-use trail built on the former New Haven and Northampton Company rail bed, which itself followed the route of the 19th-century Farmington and Hampshire and Hampden canals. The trail runs from Southwick toward Granby, Connecticut.

    FreeYear-round

    Trailheads off College Highway, Southwick, MA

  3. Metacomet-Monadnock Trail over Provin Mountain

    This 114-mile hiking trail skirts the wetlands of Harts Pond before climbing Provin Mountain, a trap-rock ridge and cliff line that forms Southwick's eastern border and is part of the larger Metacomet Ridge.

    FreeYear-round

    Trail access near Feeding Hills Road, Southwick, MA

  4. Whalley Park

    A town park and recreation site with a splash pad added in recent years, funded through the town's Community Preservation Committee. The splash pad has no reservation system and may close for weather or maintenance.

    FreeSeasonal

    Whalley Park, Southwick, MA

    Plan a visit

More worth a visit

  • Laflin-Phelps HomesteadThe oldest standing structure in Southwick, built soon after the town was first settled.

A little history

Southwick was incorporated as a separate district of Westfield on November 7, 1770 and became a fully independent town the same year; a border dispute with Connecticut over the resulting 'Southwick Jog' was not settled until 1804, leaving Southwick as the southernmost town in western Massachusetts.

The Farmington Canal and the Hampshire and Hampden Canal ran through Southwick in the early 1800s, and when a railroad replaced the canal in the late 1840s it brought an ice-harvesting industry and lakeside resorts to the Congamond Lakes.

Tobacco farming and ice harvested from the Congamond Lakes, once shipped by rail as far as New York City and Boston for food storage, were significant local industries before electric refrigeration became widespread.

Parks, trails and outdoors in Southwick

The Congamond Lakes and Provin Mountain give Southwick its outdoor recreation, from boating and fishing on three connected ponds to a hiking trail along a trap-rock ridge on the town's eastern border.

  • Congamond LakesThree connected basins (North, Middle and South Pond) on the Connecticut border, with town-run public boat ramps on the middle basin.More information
  • Southwick Rail TrailA paved trail on a former rail bed, part of the historic Farmington Canal corridor, running toward Granby, Connecticut.
  • Metacomet-Monadnock Trail / Provin MountainA hiking trail that passes Harts Pond's wetlands before climbing the trap-rock ridge of Provin Mountain.
  • Whalley ParkA town park with a splash pad and open space for recreation.More information

Where to eat in Southwick: restaurants and coffee

3 places in Southwick to try, including bar and restaurant and donut shop. No one paid to be listed.

Walkability and getting around Southwick

Southwick is built for driving. College Highway (Route 202/10) through the town center has sidewalks near Town Hall and the library, but most neighborhoods, the lakes and the rail trail require a car to reach.

Southwick center

454 College Highway, Southwick, MA 01077

Congamond

Check any Southwick address

Drive times

  • Springfield, about 12 miles20-25 min
  • Bradley International Airport, about 18 miles25-30 min

Approximate, without traffic.

By bus or train

Southwick has no train station; the nearest Amtrak and Valley Flyer/Hartford Line service runs through Springfield. Check pvta.com for current PVTA bus routes serving the Southwick area.

Southwick property taxes

Southwick's FY2026 residential tax rate is $14.42 per $1,000 of assessed value. Massachusetts assesses homes at full value, so each $100,000 of assessed value costs about $1,442 a year. The average single-family tax bill was $6,187, on an average assessed value of $429,058.

Southwick's FY2026 tax rates

$14.42per $1,000, residential

  • Residential$14.42 per $1,000
  • Average single-family assessed value$429,058
  • Average single-family tax bill$6,187
  • Motor vehicle excise (statewide)$25 per $1,000 of value

Source: Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Tax Rates by Class and Average Single Family Tax Bill.

Southwick property tax calculator

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Assessed value (100%)
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Taxes a year
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About this much a month
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Estimate at the FY2026 residential rate; the assessor's value sets the bill.

How the residential rate has changed

Fiscal yearResidential rate
FY2022$16.98
FY2023$16.11
FY2024$15.47
FY2025$15.57
FY2026$14.42

Look up a Southwick property

Buying a home in Southwick

What we check on a Southwick purchase: MassHousing limits, the flood map, the smoke certificate, foundations, wells & septic, smoke/co certificate.

MassHousing

First-time buyer programs

MassHousing sets its own income and price limits for Hampden County. We check them with you before you shop.

MassHousing home loans
Flood maps

Check the flood zone first

Low-lying parcels near the Congamond Lakes and Great Brook, where the historic Farmington and Hampshire and Hampden canals once ran, may fall within FEMA-mapped flood zones. We check FEMA's map before you offer.

FEMA's flood map for Southwick
Before closing

Smoke and CO certificate

Massachusetts requires the seller to get a smoke and carbon monoxide certificate from the Southwick Fire Department before the sale closes.

Foundations

Ask about foundation testing

The Massachusetts Geological Survey at UMass Amherst lists Southwick among the towns at moderate risk from pyrrhotite, a mineral linked to crumbling concrete foundations, based on distance from the Connecticut quarry that supplied the concrete. On a home with a poured concrete foundation, ask whether it has been tested.

UMass pyrrhotite guide
Wells & septic

Board of Health oversees wells and septic systems

The Board of Health oversees private wells and individual septic systems used by many properties in Southwick. Buyers should confirm well and septic status for a specific property, and sellers on septic typically need a Title 5 inspection before closing.

Board of Health
Smoke/CO certificate

Massachusetts requires a fire department certificate before closing

Massachusetts law requires a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector compliance certificate from the local fire department before a home sale closes. Contact the Southwick Fire Department to schedule the inspection.

Southwick Fire Department

All loans are subject to credit approval, underwriting, and property and program requirements. MassHousing limits and eligibility are set by MassHousing and change from time to time.

James Allen

Thinking about buying in Southwick?

We're licensed in Massachusetts. Send us a Southwick address and we'll run the numbers, taxes included.

Compare loan optionsOur process

Moving to Southwick: utilities, trash and town hall

Who to call in Southwick: Eversource delivers electricity in Southwick; the town has also run a municipal aggregation ('community choice') program that competitively bids the electricity supplier while Eversource continues to deliver power, read meters and respond to outages. for power.

Southwick Transfer Station

22 Industrial Road, Southwick, MA 01077

Transfer station details

Town Hall offices and contacts

Southwick Town Hall is at 454 College Highway, Southwick, MA 01077. Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM. Main line: 413-569-3137.

Southwick, MA FAQ: taxes and town services

What is the property tax rate in Southwick, MA?

Southwick's FY2026 residential tax rate is $14.42 per $1,000 of assessed value. Massachusetts fiscal years run July 1 to June 30.

How much are property taxes on a $400,000 home in Southwick?

Massachusetts taxes homes on their full assessed value. If a home is assessed at $400,000, that's about $5,768 a year at $14.42 per $1,000. The bill uses the assessor's value, not the sale price.

Does Southwick have a split tax rate?

No. Southwick uses a single rate of $14.42 per $1,000 for all property classes.

What is the average single-family tax bill in Southwick?

The average single-family tax bill in Southwick was $6,187 for FY2026, on an average assessed value of $429,058.

Does Southwick have curbside trash pickup?

The town does not run a municipal curbside program. Residents either contract with a private hauler or use the town transfer station on Industrial Road with a permit.

Who supplies electricity in Southwick?

Eversource delivers electricity in Southwick. The town has also run a municipal aggregation program that competitively bids the electricity supply while Eversource continues to deliver power.

What ZIP code does Southwick use?

Southwick uses a single ZIP code, 01077, for the whole town, including the Congamond Lakes area.

What is the 'Southwick Jog'?

The Southwick Jog is the panhandle-shaped stretch of Southwick's border into Connecticut, set by an 1804 boundary compromise between Massachusetts and Connecticut. It makes Southwick the southernmost town in western Massachusetts.

Towns near Southwick

Neighbors of Southwick, including across the Connecticut line where it applies. All Massachusetts town guides.

Sources