The area to become Mansfield was first scouted in 1640 by Captain Miles Standish,[2] settled in 1658 and was officially incorporated in 1775.

It was named for William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, a pro-colonial member of the House of Lords.

Stove and furnace manufacturer and innovator Gordon Chilson (1804–1877) worked here.

Of all households, 21.1% were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The Mansfield Public Library is located at Memorial Park, and the post office is near the intersection of Routes 106 & 140.

In addition to Memorial Park, the town also has the Magna-Vista Recreation Area.

On the state level, the town is represented in the State Senate as a portion of the Bristol and Norfolk district (represented by Paul Feeney), including Dover, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Norton, Rehoboth, Seekonk and Walpole, as well as parts of Attleboro and Sharon.

The Fourteenth Bristol and Eighth Norfolk districts are represented by Democrats Adam Scanlon and Ted Philips, respectively.

The town is also patrolled by Troop H (Metro Boston region) of the Massachusetts State Police, 3rd District (Foxborough barracks).

On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Jake Auchincloss.

[23] The first school record in Mansfield is from 1719, when Thomas Skinner was chosen to be the first schoolmaster.

Football, soccer, baseball, boys' and girls' basketball, lacrosse, track and field (Men), and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field teams have won multiple league, division, and all-state titles.

In 2013 and 2019, the Mansfield Hornets football team won the Division 2 state title,[26][27] and in 2018, the boys' basketball team won the state Division 1 championship, defeating Hockomock League rival Franklin at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield.

The school’s percussion ensemble has won many regional championships in the NESBA (New England Scholastic Band Association) circuit and the international championship held by WGI (Winter Guard International) in 2015.

The town also has a stop along the MBTA's commuter line between Providence and Boston, and is serviced by Mansfield Municipal Airport, which serves smaller aircraft.

Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, each of which is approximately 30 to 35 miles from the town.