Welcome To The
Southern Missouri Ozark Region

Mansfield, in Wright County, is known as the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the "Little House on the Prairie" books. It's about 50 miles east of Springfield. It's also only an hour to Branson and the Bull Shoals and Norfolk lakes.

We are served by State Highway 38 and US Highway 60.

Wilder, along with her husband and their daughter moved from South Dakota to Mansfield in 1894. The family remained in the area for the next 60 years operating a successful poultry, dairy and fruit farm just outside of town.

The average high temperature in the area is 89 degrees Fahrenheit in July and August, and average low of 19 degrees in January. Precipitation is an average of 3.59 inches a month. The annual snowfall average is 1.63 inches.

Mansfield public schools include Wilder Elementary, Mansfield Junior High and Mansfield High schools. There are seven institutions of higher learning within two hours of town.

While things may not look exactly as they did 120 years ago, the town still carries the flavor of a nostalgic small town. Just outside of Mansfield is the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum and Rocky Ridge Farm where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her famous "Little House" books. Each year the whole town and visitors from around the world celebrate our favorite daughter with a festival, handmade crafts, a big parade and folk music played from the gazebo in the park.

Attractions in and around town include a bronze bust of Laura in the park, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Public Library and the Memorial Cemetery where you can visit the family gravesites. There's also the Ozark Mountain Players' production of "Little House Memories," a local theatre group's original musical production. It follows the Ingalls family from the northwoods of Wisconsin and their stops along the way, till Laura, Almanzo, and little Rose end up in Mansfield. The pageant is held the two preceding weekends to the festival and then again during the festival. There's also the recently opened Mansfield Area Historical Society Museum filled with area memorabilia.

Bull Shoals Lake offers 1,050 miles of wooded shoreline and 44,500 acres of water. Enjoy boating, water skiing, scuba diving, swimming and fishing. Float down the White River, hike the breathtaking Ozarks, explore scenic river caves, shop for mountain crafts or antiques and enjoy lively country music. Other local attractions include the Bull Shoals State Park and Dam, Mountain Village 1890 Bull Shoals Caverns, Top O' The Ozarks Tower, Blanchard Springs Caverns and the Ozark Folk Center. The newest area attraction, The Zone, has go-carts, mini-golf, an arcade and batting cages.

All in all, we humbly believe that you'll fall in love with Mansfield and Wright County. When you do, you'll want to visit our United Country office to find out how you can stay and become part of our community.