Native Americans inhabited northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas.

Farming was the primary occupation of the early settlers, although townspeople also counted craftsmen among their ranks.

As the population of West Boxford expanded, the legislature designated this section of town as precinct 2 in 1735.

The town's largest industry—a match factory located on Lawrence Road—opened its doors just after the end of the American Civil War, and operated from 1866 to 1905.

This second transatlantic exchange, which began in late July 1976, generated media attention from both Evening Standard and the BBC's Nationwide program Sally's Dumptruck.

It is heavily forested and criss-crossed by various streams and brooks, many of which empty into the Ipswich River on Boxford's southern border.

It sits in a corner of the Boxford State Forest, near Interstate 95 and the town's border with Middleton.

On the state level, Boxford is under the jurisdiction of the Central District Court of Essex County, located in Haverhill.

On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 6th congressional district, and has been represented by Seth Moulton (D) since 2014.

One of the few communities in Massachusetts to have more registered Republicans than Democrats (as of 2012),[16] Boxford is more conservative than the rest of the state.

Students may also elect to attend Essex-North Shore Technical and Agricultural High School in Danvers.

The Harry Lee Cole School, which serves Preschool through Grade 2, is located near East Boxford center.

The Spofford Pond School, serving Grades 3 through 6, is located on the western side of the town's geographic center.

The house gets its name from a hollow that was on the Tyler property in the 1690s where Rebecca Eames claimed, in her trial, that she was bewitched by the Devil.

The adjacent ballpark and play area were recently designated by unanimous vote at Town Meeting as "Keith Koster Memorial Baseball Park" in memory of one of Boxford's beloved young people, a former Boxford beach lifeguard, baseball and football player who fell victim to a senseless act of crime in 2006.

Baldpate Pond, and the adjacent state recreation area, is another popular swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking location.

Danvers YMCA holds another popular summer day camp on Stiles Pond, next to the town beach.

Boxford Commons is an outdoor sports recreation area that includes a football/soccer/field hockey fields.

The Commons is located on Captain Cashin way, off of Middleton Rd near Harry Lee Cole School and the Boxford Fire Department.

The fictional main character captain Ed Mercer of the American science-fiction television series The Orville was from Boxford in the late 24th century.