Guildford is a town located in west Surrey, England, approximately 27 miles (43 kilometers) southwest of central London. As the administrative seat of the Borough of Guildford, it serves as a significant population center in the region, with the town itself having around 77,000 residents according to the 2011 census, while the wider borough had approximately 151,359 inhabitants as of 2024.
The town's name is thought to derive from a crossing of the River Wey, a tributary of the River Thames that flows through the town centre. This river has historically been central to Guildford's geography and development.