Founded in 1812, Hampden County of Massachusetts has a population of about 465,000 and sits on the state’s southernmost border. This area encompasses Springfield, which is the county seat, and stretches across 634 square miles. Hampden County is known for Brimfield State Forest, which offers more than 20 miles of hiking trails and a fishing pond.

Chester is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, situated in the western part of the state. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The town includes the Chester Factory Village Historic District. On August 2, 1975, the temperature in Chester rose to 107 °F (42 °C). This remains the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state of Massachusetts, along with a similar reading in New Bedford on the same day. However, on January 12, 1981, the temperature at Chester fell to −35 °F (−37 °C), the coldest temperature ever recorded in Massachusetts. Thus, it is only one of three cities in the United States which has recorded both its state’s extreme temperatures, the others being Millsboro, Delaware and Warsaw, Missouri.