New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, about 56 miles (90 kilometers) south of Boston and 31 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 93,768. New Bedford is nicknamed "The Whaling City" due to the fact that it was one of the most important ports for the whaling industry. The city is considered one of the two major cities along the area of Massachusetts known as the South Coast (along with Fall River). The mayor of New Bedford is Scott W. Lang.

Prior to the 1600s, the Wampanoags, who had settlements throughout south-eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, were the only inhabitants of the lands along the Acushnet River. Their population is believed to have been about 12,000. While exploring New England, Bartholomew Gosnold landed on Cuttyhunk island on May 15, 1602.