Hertfordshire is a ceremonial county in the East of England, immediately north of Greater London. It covers 634 square miles (1,643 km2) and had an estimated 1,200,899 residents in 2021, up from 1,119,824 at the 2011 census.
Hertford is the county town and the seat of Hertfordshire County Council. Watford is the largest town. The county name comes from a hart (a stag) and a ford, both of which still appear on the county arms.
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Region | East of England |
| Area | 634 sq mi (1,643 km2) |
| Population (2021) | 1,200,899 (ONS estimate) |
| Population (2011 census) | 1,119,824 |
| Density | 731 people per km2 |
| County town | Hertford |
| Largest town | Watford |
| Districts | 10 |
| Postcode areas | AL, EN, HP, SG, WD |
Ten district councils sit below the county council: Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Hertfordshire, Hertsmere, North Hertfordshire, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield.
Towns and Villages in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire has 401 named towns, villages and hamlets in the GeoNames gazetteer. The full list runs alphabetically below, from Abbots Langley to Youngsbury.
- Abbots Langley
- Albury
- Aldbury
- Aldenham
- Allen's Green
- Amwell
- Ansells End
- Anstey
- Appspond
- Apsley
- Ardeley
- Ashbrook
- Ashwell
- Aspenden
- Aston
- Aston End
- Astrope
- Ayot Green
- Ayot Saint Lawrence
- Ayot Saint Peter
- Ayres End
- Babbs Green
- Baker's End
- Baldock
- Barkway
- Barley
- Barleycroft End
- Barwick Ford
- Bassus Green
- Batchworth
- Batchworth Heath
- Bayford
- Bedmond
- Bendish
- Benington
- Bennetts End
- Bentley Heath
- Berkhamsted
- Birch Green
- Bishops Stortford
- Blackmore End
- Borehamwood
- Bourne End
- Bovingdon
- Bramfield
- Braughing
- Braughing Friars
- Breachwood Green
- Brent Pelham
- Brickendon
- Bricket Wood
- Broad Colney
- Broadoak End
- Bromley
- Brook End
- Brookmans Park
- Broxbourne
- Buckland
- Bucks Hill
- Bulbourne
- Bull's Green
- Bulstrode
- Buntingford
- Burge End
- Burn's Green
- Burnham Green
- Bury End
- Bury Green
- Bushey
- Bushey Heath
- Bygrave
- Caldecote
- Carpenders Park
- Chandler's Cross
- Chapmore End
- Charlton
- Cheapside
- Cherry Green
- Cheshunt
- Chipperfield
- Chipping
- Chiswell Green
- Chorleywood
- Churchgate
- Clapgate
- Clay End
- Clothall
- Cockernhoe
- Codicote
- Cold Christmas
- Cole Green
- Coleman Green
- Colliers End
- Colney Heath
- Colney Street
- Commonwood
- Cooper's Green
- Cottered
- Cow Roast
- Cradle End
- Cromer
- Cromer Hyde
- Croxley Green
- Cuffley
- Cumberlow Green
- Dancers Hill
- Dane End
- Darley Hall
- Dassels
- Datchworth
- Daw's End
- Digswell
- Driver's End
- Dudswell
- East End
- East End Green
- Eastbury
- Eastwick
- Elstree
- Epping Green
- Essendon
- Felden
- Fields End
- Flamstead
- Flamstead End
- Flaunden
- Friar's Wash
- Frithsden
- Frogmore
- Furneux Pelham
- Garston
- Gilston Park
- Goffs Oak
- Goose Green
- Gosmore
- Gosmore Hill
- Graveley
- Gravesend
- Great Amwell
- Great Gaddesden
- Great Hormead
- Great Munden
- Great Offley
- Great Wymondley
- Green End
- Green Street
- Green Tye
- Gubblecote
- Gustard Wood
- Hadham Cross
- Hailey
- Hall's Green
- Hammond Street
- Hare Street
- Harmer Green
- Harpenden
- Hastoe
- Hatfield
- Hatfield Hyde
- Haultwick
- Hay Green
- Hay Street
- Hebing End
- Hemel Hempstead
- Heronsgate
- Hertford
- Hertford Heath
- Hertingfordbury
- Hexton
- Hickman's Hill
- High Cross
- High Leigh
- High Welwyn
- High Wych
- Hinxworth
- Hitchin
- Hoddesdon
- Hogpits Bottom
- Holtsmere End
- Holwell
- Holywell
- Hook's Cross
- Hormead
- How Wood
- Howe Green
- Hudnall
- Hunsdon
- Hunsdonbury
- Hunton Bridge
- Ickleford
- Ippollitts
- Jersey Farm
- Jockey End
- Kelshall
- Kemprow
- Kettle Green
- Kimpton
- Kings Langley
- Kings Walden
- Kinsbourne Green
- Kitts End
- Knebworth
- Labby Green
- Langley
- Langley Bottom
- Langley End
- Latchford
- Lea Valley
- Leavesden Green
- Lemsford
- Letchmore Heath
- Letchworth Garden City
- Letty Green
- Levens Green
- Leverstock Green
- Ley Green
- Lilley
- Lincoln Hill
- Little Almshoe
- Little Amwell
- Little Berkhamstead
- Little Gaddesden
- Little Hadham
- Little Hormead
- Little Munden
- Little Wymondley
- London Colney
- Long Marston
- Luffenhall
- Mackerye End
- Mangrove Green
- Maple Cross
- Markyate
- Marshalswick
- Meesden
- Meriden
- Micklefield Green
- Mill End
- Monks Green
- Moor Green
- Moor Park
- Much Hadham
- Munden
- Napsbury
- Nash Mills
- Nasty
- Nether Street
- Nettleden
- Newgate Street
- Newhall Green
- Newnham
- Newsells
- Nobland Green
- Nomansland
- Norcott Hill
- North Mymms
- North Watford
- Northaw
- Northchurch
- Norton
- Nup End Green
- Nuthampstead
- Oaklands
- Old Hall Green
- Old Knebworth
- Panshanger
- Park Street
- Patchetts Green
- Patient End
- Patmore Heath
- Paynes End
- Perry Green
- Peters Green
- Piccotts End
- Pimlico
- Piper's End
- Pirton
- Porter's End
- Potten End
- Potters Bar
- Potters Crouch
- Pottersheath
- Pouchen End
- Poynders End
- Preston
- Puckeridge
- Puttenham
- Puttock's End
- Rableyheath
- Radlett
- Radwell
- Redbourn
- Redcoats Green
- Redhill
- Reed
- Rickmansworth
- Ridge
- Ringshall
- Roe End
- Roe Green
- Rooks Nest
- Rossway Park
- Round Bush
- Royston
- Rucklers Lane
- Rush Green
- Rushden
- Rustling End
- Sacombe
- Saint Pauls Walden
- Sandon
- Sandridge
- Sarratt
- Sawbridgeworth
- Sergehill
- Shaftenhoe End
- Shaw Green
- Shenley
- Shenleybury
- Shephall
- Shilley Green
- Sleapshyde
- Slip End
- Smallford
- Smith's End
- Snow End
- South Mimms
- South-end
- Southern Green
- Spellbrook
- Sperberry Hill
- St Albans
- St Ibbs
- St Margarets
- Staines Green
- Stanborough
- Standon
- Standon Green End
- Stanstead Abbotts
- Stapleford
- Stevenage
- Stocking Pelham
- Tea Green
- Temple Dinsley
- Temple End
- Tewin
- Tewin Wood
- The Flints
- The Folly
- The Heath
- The Willows
- Therfield
- Thorley
- Throcking
- Thundridge
- Titmore Green
- Todd's Green
- Tonwell
- Tower Hill
- Tring
- Tringford
- Trowley Bottom
- Tyttenhanger
- Upwick Green
- Wadesmill
- Walkern
- Wallington
- Waltham Cross
- Wandon End
- Ware
- Wareside
- Warren's Green
- Water End
- Waterdale
- Waterford
- Watford
- Watton at Stone
- Welham Green
- Wellpond Green
- Welwyn
- Welwyn Garden City
- West End
- West Hyde
- West Leith
- Westland Green
- Westmill
- Weston
- Wheathampstead
- Whempstead
- Whippendell Bottom
- Whitwell
- Widford
- Wigginton
- Wildhill
- Wilstone
- Wood End
- Woodcock Hill
- Woodside
- Woolmer Green
- Wormley
- Wyddial
Geography
Hertfordshire is a chalk county. The Chiltern Hills cross the west around Tring, Berkhamsted and Aldbury, reaching about 800 feet near Hastoe. East of the Chilterns the land flattens into arable plateau, cut by shallow river valleys.
The Lea is the main river, running from Luton through Hertford and Ware into the Thames. The Colne, Gade, Ver, Bulbourne, Mimram, Rib and Stort feed the same system. The Grand Union Canal follows the Bulbourne and Gade valleys.
Neighbours are Bedfordshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south and Buckinghamshire to the west.
Demographics
The 2011 census counted 1,119,824 residents. ONS put the figure at about 1,200,899 by mid-2021, a rise of roughly 7% in a decade. Density is around 731 people per square kilometre, well above the English average.
Population is concentrated in the south and centre. Watford’s built-up area held 131,326 people at the 2021 census, Hemel Hempstead 95,961, Stevenage 94,456 and St Albans 75,537. Welwyn Garden City, Cheshunt, Hatfield, Bishop’s Stortford and Hitchin each pass 35,000.
The north and east of the county are far thinner on the ground. Parishes around Buntingford, Ashwell and the Pelhams are villages of a few hundred people.
Economy and Local Life
Hertfordshire runs on commuting, research and film. A large share of working residents travel into London, which is why house prices track the capital’s.
Stevenage is the county’s science and engineering town. Airbus Defence and Space builds satellites there, and GSK’s research campus anchors the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst cluster.
Film work is concentrated in Hertsmere and Three Rivers. Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden near Watford, Elstree Studios and Sky Studios Elstree between them employ thousands. Rothamsted Research at Harpenden, founded in 1843, is the oldest agricultural research station still working.
Market towns still hold weekly markets, including Hertford, Hitchin, St Albans, Berkhamsted and Bishop’s Stortford. St Albans market has run on Wednesdays and Saturdays since the ninth century.
History
Verulamium, on the edge of modern St Albans, was one of the largest Roman towns in Britain. Its theatre and stretches of wall survive. Alban, executed there in the third century, is named as the first British Christian martyr, and the abbey stands on the site.
The shire was in place by the tenth century, taking its name from Hertford, then a fording point on the Lea. The Great North Road and later the railways pulled growth along a north-south axis.
Two waves of planned settlement shaped the modern county. Letchworth, laid out from 1903, was the world’s first garden city, followed by Welwyn Garden City in 1920. Stevenage was designated in 1946 as the first of the post-war new towns; Hemel Hempstead and Hatfield followed.
Getting There
The M1 runs north through Watford, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans. The M25 crosses the south, the A1(M) serves Hatfield, Welwyn and Stevenage, and the M11 clips the eastern edge near Bishop’s Stortford. The A10, A41 and A414 carry local traffic.
Four main lines cross the county. The West Coast Main Line stops at Watford Junction, Berkhamsted and Tring; the Midland Main Line at St Albans and Harpenden; the East Coast Main Line at Stevenage and Hitchin; and the West Anglia line at Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth. London Underground reaches Watford, Rickmansworth, Chorleywood and Amersham’s edge.
London Luton Airport sits just over the Bedfordshire boundary from Harpenden. Stansted is about 20 minutes by rail from Bishop’s Stortford, and Heathrow is reached by the M25.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest town in Hertfordshire?
Watford. Its built-up area held 131,326 people at the 2021 census, ahead of Hemel Hempstead (95,961) and Stevenage (94,456).
What is the county town of Hertfordshire?
Hertford. It is smaller than several other towns but holds the county council and the historic assizes.
How many towns and villages are there in Hertfordshire?
The GeoNames gazetteer records 401 named settlements, from market towns such as Hitchin and Berkhamsted down to hamlets like Nasty and Cold Christmas.
Which postcode areas cover Hertfordshire?
Mainly AL (St Albans), EN (Enfield), HP (Hemel Hempstead), SG (Stevenage) and WD (Watford).
Is Hertfordshire in London?
No. It borders Greater London on the south but is a separate county in the East of England region.
Which counties border Hertfordshire?
Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Greater London and Buckinghamshire.