Carlisle is a small, rural, affluent town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town has a quaint New England feel, with winding roads, a classic town center, and much woodland and farmland. It has become known for its large homes and densely wooded lots. The town continues to maintain a 2-acre zoning law to limit new development. For this reason, Carlisle is sometimes accused of fostering isolation. Residents say that they like the privacy, but they find it difficult to connect with their neighbors, whom they might not see for months at a time. The town is also continuing to make progress with environmental issues associated...

Carlisle is a small, rural, affluent town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town has a quaint New England feel, with winding roads, a classic town center, and much woodland and farmland. It has become known for its large homes and densely wooded lots. The town continues to maintain a 2-acre zoning law to limit new development. For this reason, Carlisle is sometimes accused of fostering isolation. Residents say that they like the privacy, but they find it difficult to connect with their neighbors, whom they might not see for months at a time. The town is also continuing to make progress with environmental issues associated with septic systems and drinking water quality.

History
Carlisle was first settled in 1650, became a district of Concord in 1780 and was officially incorporated in 1805. When first settled, Carlisle belonged to Acton, Billerica, Chelmsford and Concord.

Geography
Carlisle is located about south-southwest of Lowell, and northwest of Boston. It borders the following towns: Concord, Massachusetts, Acton, Massachusetts, Westford, Massachusetts, Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Billerica, Massachusetts, and Bedford, Massachusetts.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.5 square miles (40.2 km²), of which, 15.4 square miles (39.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (1.09%) is water. Conservation land makes up about a quarter of the town's area.

Environmental Issues
The water at the Carlisle Public School has been a source of concern since January 2001, when it was determined that floor drains within the school did not comply with Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations. The school drains made it possible to discharge photographic, art, and science waste materials directly into the septic system, putting groundwater at a high level of risk. The town was also notified of a violation by the Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) in January 2009 because of its failure to sample the water at Carlisle Public School in a timely manner.