Foxborough, Massachusetts Foxboro |
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Town | ||
Gillette Stadium, Memorial Hall, Patriot Place, sign in Foxborough, Congregational Church and the Orpheum Theatre
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Nickname(s): The Gem of Norfolk County | ||
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts |
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Coordinates: 42°03′55″N 71°14′54″W / 42.06528°N 71.24833°W | ||
Country | United States | |
State | Massachusetts | |
County | Norfolk | |
Settled | 1704 | |
Incorporated | June 10, 1778 | |
Government | ||
• Type | Open town meeting | |
Area | ||
• Total | 20.9 sq mi (54.1 km2) | |
• Land | 20.1 sq mi (52.0 km2) | |
• Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2) | |
Elevation | 289 ft (88 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 16,693 | |
• Density | 800/sq mi (310/km2) | |
Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | |
• Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
ZIP code | 02035 | |
Area code(s) | 508 / 774 | |
FIPS code | 25-24820 | |
GNIS feature ID | 0618320 | |
Website | www.foxboroughma.gov |
Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, about 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston and 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 16,865 at the 2010 census.
"Foxborough" is the official spelling of the town name, although the alternative spelling "Foxboro" is also frequently used. This alternative spelling is used by the United States Postal Service as the correct form by which to address mail to recipients in the town although both can be processed by their system. The sign on the post office reads "Foxboro."
The town is best known as the site of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots of the National Football League and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.
Settled in 1704 and incorporated in 1778, the town of Foxborough was named for Charles James Fox, a Whig member of Parliament and a staunch supporter of the Colonies in the years leading up to the American Revolution.
The town was once home to the world's largest straw hat factory. Founded by local businessman E.P. Carpenter, the Union Straw Works burned to the ground in the early 20th century. The town post office now stands on the site.
Foxborough was composed of small neighborhood communities until the early 1900s. These included Foxvale/Paineburgh, which remained semi-independent until the mid-twentieth century; Quaker Hill in South Foxborough; and Lakeview/Donkeyville in West Foxborough.