The final outline of the East Boston, including Logan International Airport, was created in the 1940s by connecting five of the inner harbor islands using land fill.

[2][3] East Boston has long provided homes for immigrants with Irish, Russian Jews and later, Italians.

[5] A once Italian dominated community, East Boston has demographically changed to reflect a diverse population of immigrants.

After the 1990s, the neighborhood witnessed growing numbers of Latin American immigrants, who have come to make up over fifty percent of the population according to the 2020 Census data.

The town of East Boston was first developed on the largest of these, Noddle's, a noted source of timber and grazing land, used for farming by English colonists throughout the eighteenth century.

By 1833, Sumner, with partners Steven White and Francis J. Oliver, had bought up half of Noddle's acreage.

As a temporary solution, they set up a paddle steamer to carry 15 people at a time from Boston Proper to the neighborhood.

Henry Sargent, the inventor, stated "that his invention would make the Island a center of attraction to many people."

[9] Since the mid-19th century, the community served as a foothold for immigrants to the United States: Irish and Canadians came first, followed by Russian Jews and Italians, then Southeast Asians, and, more recently, an influx from Central and South American countries.

The Madonna Shrine, which is the national headquarters of the Don Orione order, sits on top of the Heights and is a replica of the original religious structure in Rome.

[14] During World War I, areas of East Boston served as an internment camp for Germans taken off of ships.

Period images show small unfenced buildings and tiny gardens built by the internees, leading right up to the water's edge.

[16] Opposite the station, steps leading to East Boston were called the 'Golden Stairs' "because they represented the final climb to golden opportunity in America for countless Europeans.

P. J. Kennedy's success enabled him to purchase a home for his son, Joseph, and another for his two daughters at Jeffries Point.

In 1954, John F. Kennedy famously paraded through East Boston with his wife, Jackie, in anticipation for his campaign to run for United States Senate, to secure votes from the neighborhood.

In a famous photograph, Kennedy is shown walking down Chelsea Street heading towards Maverick Square, waving to the crowd in front of Santarpio's Pizza.

[33] The United States Postal Service operates a branch in East Boston at 50 Meridian Street.

[37] Hispanic/Latino people speaking Spanish or Portuguese are the largest language groupings (can be of any race and from more than 20 countries), making up 54.4% of the population, followed by non-Hispanic white (35.5%).

[6] In September 2022, Mayor Michelle Wu questioned the 2020 Census data for the whole city, sharing concerns over uncounted individuals, citing the pandemic as a factor for low census turnout, and expressing her belief that Boston's total numbers needed to be adjusted higher.

District elementary schools include Samuel Adams, Manassah E. Bradley, Curtis Guild, Patrick J. Kennedy, Hugh R. O'Donnell, and James Otis.

East Boston has various non-profits that work to address issues the community face like immigration, tenant's rights, youth engagement, environmental justice, housing, and more.

[53] The city's creation of the East Boston Greenway, which stretches from the wharfs at Maverick Square to the Bayswater Urban Wild, has also been a major addition to the neighborhood's green space.

The low tree coverage has been cited as an additional environmental burden by many activists that deprives the community of benefits like lower air and noise pollution.

[62] Eastie Pride Day is a long-standing celebration founded by former City Councilor Sal LaMattina that takes place at Piers Park.

The celebration is open and free to the public and offers food, music, kids games, and community resources.

The eastern terminus of Interstate 90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike) has been at Route 1A next to Logan Airport since 2003, and the newer Ted Williams Tunnel (1995) links I-90 from East Boston to the rest of the city.

There has been continual controversy surrounding Logan, as constant conflict with the Massachusetts Port Authority has been a source of bitterness among some local residents since its inception.

[66] One expansion of the Airport resulted in the loss of Wood Island Park, a green space designed by the noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

The expansion of Logan Airport in the late 1960s and early 1970s displaced families along Neptune Road, which is now used for warehouses and rental car property.

The East Boston Greenway, a shared use path and park along a former rail line, connects to the Airport station.