Warrington

This article is about the town in England. For other uses, see Warrington (disambiguation).

Warrington
Town
The town hall, Transporter Bridge, parish church, Skittles on Market Gate square, Crown Street and Bridge Street
Warrington is located in Cheshire
Warrington
Warrington
Location within Cheshire
Area44.89 km2 (17.33 sq mi)
Population174,970 [1]
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townWarrington
Postcode districtWA1–WA5
Dialling code01925
Websitewarrington.gov.uk
List of places
UK
England
Cheshire
53°23′N 2°35′W / 53.39°N 2.59°W / 53.39; -2.59

Warrington (/ˈwɒrɪŋtən/) is an industrial town in the borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was historically part of Lancashire. It is 19 miles (31 km) east of Liverpool and 18 miles (29 km) west of Manchester.

The population in 2021 was recorded as 174,970 for the built-up area and 210,900 for the wider borough,[1][2] the latter being more than double that of 1968 when it became a new town. The population of Warrington stood at 211,200 [3] people as of 22 April 2024. Warrington is the largest town in the ceremonial county of Cheshire.

Warrington was founded by Romans at an important crossing place on the River Mersey. A new settlement was established by the Saxon Wærings.[4] By the Middle Ages, Warrington had emerged as a market town at the lowest bridging point of the river. A local tradition of textile and tool production dates from this time.[5]

The expansion and urbanisation of Warrington coincided with the Industrial Revolution, particularly after the Mersey was made navigable in the 18th century. The West Coast Main Line runs north to south through the town, and the Liverpool to Manchester railway (the Cheshire Lines route) west to east. The Manchester Ship Canal cuts through the south of the borough (west to east). The M6, M56 and M62 motorways form a partial box around the town and are all accessible through Warrington.

The modern Borough of Warrington was formed in 1974 with the amalgamation of the former County Borough of Warrington, part of the Golborne Urban District, the Lymm Urban District, part of the Runcorn Rural District, the Warrington Rural District and part of the Whiston Rural District.

  1. ^ a b "Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021". Census 2021. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Population and household estimates, England and Wales: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Warrington Population (2024) - Total Population".
  4. ^ Allen, Grant (1910). Anglo-Saxon Britain. The Library of Congress. New York, E. S. Gorham.
  5. ^ "Your guide to Warrington bus services and attractions from Arriva". Arrivabus.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2018.