The Worcester and Norfolk District consists of the towns of Bellingham, in Norfolk County; and Blackstone, Douglas, Dudley, Hopedale, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Northbridge, Oxford, Southbridge, Sutton, Uxbridge, and Webster in Worcester County. The total population of the district, as of the 2005 Census Estimate, is approximately 169,000 people.

Historically, the region was the “Birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution” as the early colonial era farms gave way to textile mills along the rivers of the area – especially, the Blackstone River – a Presidentially-designated American Heritage River, the French River and the Quinebaug River. Mill villages, hilltop farms, and forests form the landscape of the region.

This history has led the federal government to establish two national heritage corridors to help local communities and the Commonwealth preserve nationally significant historic resources and protect the scenic environment while managing rapid modern growth. The John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor and the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor offer resources and support to local communities.

Politically, the district has in recent years seen its senators rise to positions of leadership and influence on Beacon Hill. Senator Joseph F. Gibney (D-Webster) served as Senate Majority Leader until 1968; Senator James A. Kelly, Jr. 1968-78 (D-Oxford) was Senate Ways and Means Chair; and Senator Louis P. Bertonazzi 1978-1995 (D-Milford) was Senate Majority Leader in 1995. Milford was also the home of another state leader, John F. X. Davoren, who was Speaker of the House (1964-67) and Secretary of the Commonwealth (1968-74). Two Massachusetts Governors, both Republicans, were natives of the region – William Claflin of Milford in 1868, and Eben S. Draper of Hopedale in 1910-11.