Littleton was first settled by white settlers in 1686 and was officially incorporated by act of the Massachusetts General Court on November 2, 1714. The Littleton Historical Society is working on a new book project to honor the town’s 300th anniversary. In 2015 the town was awarded the Green Community designation by the Massachusetts Department of Energy and in 2017 was awarded a Green Communities Grant of $250,000. This money will go toward the town’s LED streetlight conversion, an exterior lighting upgrade for Littleton High School, and more.

Littleton is known for its active community spirit as evidenced by the work of the Littleton Historical Society, the Littleton Conservation Trust, the Littleton Lyceum, a Habitat for Humanity chapter, and a number of local food pantries. The town also encourages wide use of its fields, forests, and lakes with a summer sailing school, lots of hiking opportunities, and two public parks.

The school district includes two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school with new building completed in 2001, the nearby Nashoba Valley Technical High School, and a local charter school.

At the time of the 2020 census the town population was over 10,000 people. Littleton is located about 26 miles northwest of Boston, and is easily accessible from Interstate 495, Route 2, and the MBTA Commuter Rail’s Fitchburg Line