Dagenham is a town in East London, England, within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It is adjacent to Barking to the west, Romford and Hornchurch to the north-east, and Rainham to the south-east, and Dagenham Dock, on the River Thames, is to the south. Dagenham is centred 11.5 miles east of Charing Cross.
Formerly a rural area in the Becontree hundred within the historic county of Essex, Dagenham remained mostly undeveloped until 1921, when the London County Council began construction of the large Becontree estate. Dagenham Urban District was created in 1926, and became a municipal borough in 1938. In 1965, most of the area covered by the municipal borough became part of what is now the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, a local government district of Greater London.
Dagenham is a predominantly residential area, also known for its now-declining industrial activity, including the Ford Dagenham plant. The southern part of Dagenham, known locally for planning purposes as Dagenham Riverside, forms part of the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment area. At the 2011 Census, the total population of Dagenham, including the Becontree estate, was 106,247.