Fast Facts

Climate
Prepare for hot days and cool nights. Boston's summer average temperature ranges from 65° to 82° Fahrenheit.

Languages
Although the United States does not hold an official language, English is the primary language spoken. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.6 percent of Americans speak a language other than English, Spanish being the majority.

Currency
The unit of currency is the United States dollar, indicated as USD. Foreign currencies can be converted at banks and automated teller machines (ATMs).

Time
Boston’s time zone is five hours behind GMT – and is on Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Money Exchange
Travelers are advised to bring a combination of traveler's checks, cash, and credit cards. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks and at airports. Banking hours typically vary between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST on weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to noon EST on Saturdays. ATMs are conveniently located at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center as well as the 2012 International Conference’s official hotels. They can be used to make cash withdrawals, receive credit card cash advances, and check bank account balances, as well as to purchase prepaid cell phone credit. If the currency being withdrawn from the ATM is different from that which the bank account is denominated in (e.g.: withdrawing Japanese Yen from a bank account containing US dollars), the money will be converted at a wholesale exchange rate.

Weights and Measures
The United States uses the U.S. Customary System.

Telecommunications
Boston is linked nationally and internationally by telephone, facsimile, telegraph, and via the Internet. Most hotels provide International Direct Dial (IDD) telephone services.

Electricity
The voltage used throughout the United States is 120 volts A/C, at 60 cycles per second.

Working Days
Government offices in the United States operate on a five-day week, from Monday to Friday.

Post Offices
The United States Postal Service (USPS) offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, except on Sundays and public holidays. USPS offers convenient options to send mail with courier pick-up on site.