Living in Mansfield, TX

Mansfield sits in southeast Tarrant County, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Fort Worth and about 30 miles from Dallas, right next to Arlington. It has grown into a city of more than 70,000, with a historic downtown, lots of parks and a wide range of neighborhoods. Most of the city is in Tarrant County, with small parts in Johnson and Ellis counties.

Getting around

US 287 runs through Mansfield, connecting northwest to Fort Worth and southeast toward Midlothian and Waxahachie. SH 360 starts at US 287 in Mansfield and heads north through Arlington and Grand Prairie toward DFW Airport, which is about 30 miles away. I-20 is a short drive north.

Things to do

Historic downtown Mansfield, with local shops and restaurants, the Farr Best Theater (built in 1917) and the Mansfield Historical Museum
Downtown events like the Hometown Holiday Parade and the St. Patrick's Day Pickle Parade
Elmer W. Oliver Nature Park, an 80-acre park on Walnut Creek with trails, a treehouse and a prairie boardwalk
Hawaiian Falls, a 10-acre waterpark that's open in summer
Mansfield National Golf Course and Walnut Creek Country Club

Schools

The parts of Mansfield in Tarrant and Johnson counties are served by Mansfield ISD, and the small Ellis County portion is zoned to Midlothian ISD. Because the lines can be close, I always confirm the school assignment for a specific address.

Homes and neighborhoods

Most homes in Mansfield were built from the 1990s on, so you'll find a lot of established neighborhoods with mature trees alongside newer master-planned communities and new construction on the south and east sides. There are also older homes near downtown and some larger-lot and estate properties on the edges of the city. Since Mansfield crosses three counties, I always check the county and tax rate for each home.

A little history

Mansfield grew up around a steam-powered grist mill that Ralph S. Man and Julian Feild built in the late 1850s. The town's name combines theirs, and Mansfield incorporated in 1890.