Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester in north-west England, located in the foothills of the West Pennine Moors. Positioned between Manchester, Blackburn, Wigan, Bury, and Salford, it serves as the administrative centre for the wider borough of Bolton. The town lies within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire and is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages that form part of its local authority area.
As part of the Greater Manchester metropolitan area, Bolton has historically been an important centre in the region. The town's location in the foothills of the West Pennine Moors gives it geographical significance within North West England's landscape of interconnected urban and semi-rural communities.