Irlam is a suburb in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, it had a population of 19,933. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, 6.7 miles southwest of Salford, 7.6 miles southwest of Manchester and 8.3 miles northeast of Warrington. Irlam forms a continuous urban area with Cadishead to the southwest, and is divided from Flixton and the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford to the southeast by the Manchester Ship Canal. The main road through Irlam, linking it to Cadishead and Eccles, is the A57. Irlam railway station also serves the district.
Irlam was anciently known as Irwellham, an outlying area of Chat Moss, a large peat bog which straddled the River Irwell. Work was carried out in the 19th century to reclaim large areas to enable the completion of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in 1829. In 1894, the Irwell was adjusted so that its waters were united with the Manchester Ship Canal, stimulating the growth of Irlam as an inland port.