[2] It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, Yorkshire, but this has never been confirmed.

[n 1] It was first settled in 1641, and was officially incorporated on February 28, 1799; several of the early homesteads are still standing, such as the Francis Wyman House, dating from 1666.

In colonial times up through the late 19th century, there was an industry in the mills along Vine Brook, which runs from Lexington to Bedford and then empties into the Shawsheen River.

Burlington is now a suburban industrial town at the junction of the Boston-Merrimack corridor, but for most of its history, it was almost entirely agricultural, selling hops and rye to Boston and supplementing that income with small shoe-making shops.

Early railroad expansion passed the town by (although the town was serviced by the Middlesex Turnpike), limiting its early development, and Burlington continued to cure hams for the Boston market and produce milk, fruit, and vegetables.

In one five-year period, its population tripled as residential and commercial retail development exploded creating the town's present character.

Located in the Greater Boston Area of eastern Massachusetts, Burlington is bordered by Bedford on the west, Billerica on the north, Wilmington on the northeast, Woburn on the southeast, and Lexington on the south.

BCAT operates three: public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels.

[30] There are several Divisions within the BPD, including Patrol, Detectives, Domestic Violence, Traffic, Community Service, School Resource, Crime Analysis, Records, K-9, and the Bike Unit.

The Burlington Fire Department has a force of 44 firefighters and 16 officers who are commanded by Chief Andrew Connerty.

[34] Two engines, one tower, and one BLS and one ALS rescue/ambulance respond from two fire stations and average over 3,200 runs annually.

The closest MBTA 'T' subway stations are Alewife, Cambridge, on the Red Line, 9 miles (14 km) to the south-east (which has a large parking garage) and Wellington Station, Medford, on the Orange Line, roughly 10 miles (16 km) to the east (which also has a large parking garage).

MBTA Commuter Rail and Logan Express services are available at the Anderson Regional Transportation Center in neighboring Woburn, about 3 miles (4.8 km) to the east.