Town of North Andover   The Town of North Andover is located in Essex County, approximately 24 miles north of Boston. The Town lies along the banks of the Merrimack River and is surrounded by the Towns of Methuen, Haverhill, Boxford, Andover, Middleton, North Reading, and the City of Lawrence. The settlement of the Town began in 1640 and was incorporated as Andover in 1646. The community was split into the North Parish (now North Andover) and South Parish (now Andover) in 1709 and North Andover was incorporated as a separate entity in 1855. Although North Andover contains several industrial parks, the Town has retained a rural character and contains over 3,000 acres of preserved open space.  Narrative supplied by community.