Harlow

Harlow
Town and borough
Harlow Water Gardens
Shown within Essex
Coordinates: 51°46′44″N 0°07′41″E / 51.779°N 0.128°E / 51.779; 0.128
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East of England
Ceremonial County	Essex
Government
• Type	Non-metropolitan district
• Governing body	Harlow District Council
• Control	Labour and Co-operative
• MP	Chris Vince
Area
• Town and borough	11.79 sq mi (30.54 km2)
Population
• Town and borough	93,300
• Density	8,010/sq mi (3,092/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [1]
• Ethnic groups	List 82.7% White 6.2% Black 6% Asian 3.3% Mixed 1.8% other
Religion (2021) [1]
• Religion	List 44.7% Christianity 43.4% no religion 7.9% other 4% Islam
Postal code	CM17–CM20
ONS code	22UJ
Website	www.harlow.gov.uk

Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a new town, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the upper Stort Valley, which has been made navigable through other towns and features a canal section near its watermill.

Old Harlow is a historic village founded by the early medieval age and most of its high street buildings are early Victorian and residential, mostly protected by one of the Conservation Areas in the district. In Old Harlow is a field named Harlowbury, a de-settled monastic area which has the remains of a chapel, a scheduled ancient monument. The M11 motorway passes through to the east of the town. Harlow has its own commercial and leisure economy. It is also an outer part of the London commuter belt and employment centre of the M11 corridor which includes Cambridge and London Stansted Airport to the north.

At the time of the 2011 Census, Harlow's population was recorded at 81,944 and its district had the third-highest proportion of social housing in England, 26.9%,^{[citation needed]} a legacy of the 1947 commitment to re-house blitzed London families after World War II and provide a percentage of homes for other needy families who cannot afford market rents.