Methuen is a community of 40,000 people in the Lower Merrimack Valley. Its unofficial nickname, "the City known as the Town" reflects the growth and the diversity within the community. Voters in 1993 again amended the town charter to enact a mayor and 9 city councilors form of government and Methuen's first mayor since 1921 took office in January of 1994. Methuen played a significant role in this country's industrial revolution, which began in the Merrimack Valley.

In the mid-to late-19th century, mills along the Spicket River and Spicket Falls produced hats, shoes and textiles. Legacies of industrial wealth are seen today not only in the mill buildings, but also in the estate and civic architecture of Methuen's millionaires, the Searles, Tenney and Nevins families. The granite walls and turrets extending through central Methuen are prominent community features and monuments to the millionaire benefactors as well as to the immigrant laborers who built them 100 years ago.

Methuen combines farm settings with suburban sub-divisions and urban neighborhoods. Methuen Mall is a regional shopping center and Methuen's industrial parks are home to companies that include Colombo, McKesson, MicroTouch and Nabisco among others. Methuen's attractions include the Memorial Music Hall, which features the first concert organ in the United States. The Organ Hall hosts a Wednesday evening recital series during the summer months and sponsors special event concerts throughout the year.