Dartford

Dartford
Dartford is located in Kent
Dartford
Dartford
Location within Kent
Population51,240 [1]
OS grid referenceTQ538739
• London18.8 mi (30.3 km)
District
Shire county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDARTFORD
Postcode districtDA1, DA2
Dialling code01322
PoliceKent
FireKent
AmbulanceSouth East Coast
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Kent
51°26′40″N 00°13′02″E / 51.44444°N 0.21722°E / 51.44444; 0.21722

Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England.[2] It is located 18 mi (29 km) south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in Essex, which can be reached via the Dartford Crossing. To its east lies the Borough of Gravesham and to the south the district of Sevenoaks. It had a population of 51,240.

The town centre lies in a valley through which the River Darent flows[2] and where the old road from London to Dover crossed: hence the name, which derives from Darent + ford. Dartford became a market town in medieval times and, although today it is principally a commuter town for Greater London, it has a long history of religious, industrial and cultural importance. It is an important rail hub; the main through-road now by-passes the town itself.

  1. ^ "Area profile". Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dartford" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 837.