Attleboro, city in Bristol County, southeastern Massachusetts, east of the Rhode Island state border. It is a manufacturing city, noted chiefly for its jewelry industry, which was started in 1780 and includes silverware, plated ware, and costume jewelry. Other manufactures include electronic and optical equipment, timepieces, metal products, textiles, and paper. The community is named for Attleborough, England. The city was settled in 1643 and incorporated in 1914. Population 34,196 (1980); 38,383 (1990); 42,068 (2000).
