Upminster

Upminster
Church of St Laurence
Upminster Location within Greater London
Population	25,361 (Cranham and Upminster wards 2011)[1]
OS grid reference	TQ560865
• Charing Cross	16.5 mi (26.6 km) WSW
London borough	Havering
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	UPMINSTER
Postcode district	RM14
Dialling code	01708
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Hornchurch and Upminster
London Assembly	Havering and Redbridge
List of places UK England London 51°33′21″N 0°15′04″E / 51.555743°N 0.251239°E / 51.555743; 0.251239

Upminster is a suburban town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Havering. Located 16.5 miles (26.6 km) east-northeast of Charing Cross, it is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan.

Historically a rural village, it formed an ancient parish in the Chafford hundred of the county of Essex. The economic history of Upminster is characterised by a shift from farming to brick making to garden suburb. It is currently mainly commercial shopping, small businesses and residential.

It was first connected to central London by rail in 1885 and has a terminal station on the London Underground network. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Upminster significantly expanded and increased in population, becoming part of Hornchurch Urban District in 1934, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.