Chelmsford is a city and the county town of Essex, in the East of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately 30 miles northeast of the notional centre of London at Charing Cross and approximately 22 miles from Colchester. The urban area of the city has a population of approximately 112,000, while the wider City of Chelmsford district has a population of 168,310.
The main conurbation of Chelmsford incorporates all or part of the former parishes of Broomfield, Newland Spring, Great Leighs, The Walthams, Great Baddow, Little Baddow, Galleywood, Howe Green, Margaretting, Pleshey, Stock, Roxwell, Danbury, Bicknacre, Writtle, Moulsham, Rettendon, The Hanningfields, The Chignals, Widford and Springfield, including Springfield Barnes, now known as Chelmer Village.
The communities of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Chelmsford, Ontario and Chelmsford, New Brunswick are named after the city. Chelmsford's population consists of a large number of City and Docklands commuters, attracted by the 30–35-minute journey into Central London via the Great Eastern Main Line railway. The same journey takes at least 60 minutes by road, via the A12.