To avoid confusion, Vault-Tec has divided the land of the Commonwealth into various areas, from large to small. Let us begin with zones:
Zones
These are large-scale areas where approximately 20 primary locations can be found. Boundaries are drawn based on the topography of the area. These aren’t shown on your Pip-Boy and are only so we can focus on chunks of areas at a time in this guide. There are six exterior (Wasteland) zones.
Zones: Neighborhoods
If you venture into the Greater Boston area, you’ll enter one of the neighborhoods. These neighborhoods follow the old prewar boundaries and are built-up areas. When using an exterior door after visiting a primary location interior, you’ll be informed which neighborhood you’re in. Expect fewer primary locations here but a larger concentration of exploration opportunities.
Townships
Outside Greater Boston are older settlements with prewar names such as Quincy and Salem. These are clusters of primary locations in close proximity to each other, and they often share the same boundary.