Stafford

Stafford
Clockwise from top: Shire Hall, Stafford Castle, St Mary's Church, County Buildings, and Ancient High House
Stafford Location within Staffordshire
Population	71,673 (2021 Census)
OS grid reference	SJ922232
District	Stafford
Shire county	Staffordshire
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Suburbs of the town	List Baswich Beaconside Coppenhall Doxey Holmcroft Hyde Lea Littleworth Moss Pit Tillington, Staffordshire Walton on the Hill
Post town	STAFFORD
Postcode district	ST16-ST21
Dialling code	01785
Police	Staffordshire
Fire	Staffordshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Stafford
Website	staffordbc.gov.uk
List of places UK England Staffordshire 52°48′25″N 2°07′01″W / 52.807°N 2.117°W / 52.807; -2.117

Stafford (/ˈstæfərd/) is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about 15 miles (24 km) south of Stoke-on-Trent, 15 miles (24 km) north of Wolverhampton, and 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 in 2021,^[1] and is the main settlement within the larger Borough of Stafford, which had a population of 136,837 in 2021.^[2]

Stafford has Anglo-Saxon roots, being founded in 913, when Æthelflæd, Lady of Mercia founded a defensive burh, it became the county town of Staffordshire soon after. Stafford became an important market town in the Middle Ages, and later grew into an important industrial town due to the proliferation of shoemaking, engineering and electrical industries.