About the Mansfield, Connecticut Area 

Settle down in the charming Town of Mansfield and experience all the best qualities of small town living combined with the premiere educational and cultural opportunities of a big city. Home to the main campus of the University of Connecticut, one of the nation's finest state colleges, and nestled in an environment of peaceful lakes and lush parks, Mansfield is the intellectual, recreational and entertainment hub of northeastern Connecticut’s enchanting Tolland County. While the presence of UCONN draws plenty of excitement to Mansfield with championship men’s and women’s basketball teams and a calendar of cultural events that are beyond compare, for residents, life is defined by safe streets lined with well kept homes, excellent schools, friendly shops, farmer’s markets and healthy living. Yet campus amenities like the Benton Museum, Jorgenson Performing Arts Center and Von der Mehden Recital Hall truly do add a world-class ambiance to Mansfield’s quaint allure. Renowned for its many parks and preserves as well as its extensive network of 35 walking trails, Mansfield is place where you can really get out and enjoy life. Take a hike in the forest along the Fenton River or on the Nipmuck Trail, which runs by the Gurleyville Gristmill, the only stone mill of its kind in all of New England. One of the community’s most popular trails is the part of the Nipmuck Trail that runs through the Wolf Rock Nature Preserve. Mansfield is also bordered by the Willimantic River where there are several launch sites for canoes and kayaks. Be sure to go to the top of Horsebarn Hill to appreciate the panoramic view of practically all of the town’s 45 square miles and summer wouldn’t be summer without a visit to Mansfield Hollow State Park featuring a 500-acre reservoir where fun activities include swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, field sports and picnicking. Mansfield Hollow is also a wonderful spot for cross-country skiing in the winter.   At the Mansfield Community Center you can enjoy a six-lane, 25-yard competition pool, gymnasium with elevated walking track, fitness center, dance and aerobics studio. The complex includes a teen center and rooms for community events plus the Parks and Recreation Department sponsors a diverse schedule of fitness classes, sports leagues, even art and music programs for residents of all ages. Add all that to a location providing plenty of economic opportunity with easy access to Hartford, Boston, New Haven, even Manhattan and you’ve got the perfect place for settling down to generations of happiness. With prices still remarkably affordable, families of all ages and sizes are certain to find their dream house.

Useful Links Mansfield, CT Official Town Site Windham Region Chamber of Commerce

LOCATION 

Mansfield has a lovely location that’s off the beaten track yet still easily accessible. Surrounded by the Fenton and Willimantic Rivers at an elevation of approximately 500 feet above sea level, Mansfield’s 45 square miles remain remarkably rural despite the presence of UCONN on approximately 3000 acres of town land. Mansfield is located on Route 195 about 7 miles south of the I-84, one of Connecticut’s main arteries. Hartford is 25 miles west, Boston is 80 miles north and New York City is 135 miles south. 

TRANSPORTATION/AIRPORTS 

Mansfield has an ideal location along Route 195 just south of I-84 that’s off the beaten track yet still remarkably accessible. Given Connecticut’ small geographic size Mansfield can be reached from any point in the State in a 90 minute drive. Most of Connecticut’s major routes are just minutes away including the I-84, I-395, I-95 and I-91. Hartford is 25 miles west, Boston is 80 miles north and New York City is 135 miles south. 

The closest airport to Mansfield is Bradley International, located off Route 91 in Windsor Locks, about a forty-five minute drive. Also referred to as the Hartford-Springfield Airport, it is one of New England’s most hassle-free and easy to use airports with twenty airlines offering direct flights to primary pleasure and business destinations both domestic and international. Additional flights and travel flexibility are provided by Boston’s Logan Airport, less than a two-hour drive away.  

You can leave your car at home and ride the Storrs-Willimantic bus which runs between the Holiday Mall in Storrs and Gateway Commons in Willimantic. This route runs along Route 195 then uses Main Street inbound and Valley Street outbound. Bonanza Bus Lines also provides intra-city service to Mansfield from many East Coast cities and airports including Hartford, Boston and New York. 

A BRIEF HISTORY 

Incorporated in 1702, the Town of Mansfield was part of a tract of land acquired from the Mohegan Indian Tribe by a group of settlers from Norwich. Most of the first settlers were farmers and Mansfield’s economy was initially rooted in agriculture. Yet because it was set between two rivers, the rushing waters powered saw and grist mills from the town’s earliest days.  

As the nineteenth century dawned and the industrial revolution unfolded many textile mills took the place of the saw and grist mills. The first silk mill in the United States was built at Hanks Hill in 1810 and for many years, Mansfield led the country in silk production. As the century passed, a variety of wares came to be manufactured in Mansfield whose industrial output included steel products, bits, bells, bronze cannons, gunpowder and organ pipes. 

Mansfield’s next fabled event came in 1881 when the Storrs Agricultural School was established, which went on to become the University of Connecticut. During the twentieth century, as the university grew and expanded, coming to eventually occupy 3,000 acres of town land, Mansfield traded its industrial capital for intellectual capital.  

Today, the university is Connecticut’s flagship learning institution and one of the largest employers in the in the eastern part of the state. US News and World Report has named the University of Connecticut as
the number one public research university in New England as well as one of the top twenty-five in the nation. 

The banks of the Fenton and Willimantic Rivers which once supported factories, today have been returned to their natural state as part of a series of parks and preserves that compliment Mansfield’s tree lined streets with well-cared for homes. Boasting an abundance of theater, music and museum programs, Mansfield has grown to become the cultural, intellectual and entertainment center of the entire Tolland County region.  

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