Stafford

Stafford is the county town of the ceremonial county of Staffordshire in England. It is situated around 16 miles (26 km) north of Wolverhampton, 18 miles (29 km) south of Stoke-on-Trent and 24 miles (39 km) north-west of Birmingham.

Stafford
Stafford town centre
Stafford town centre
Population 68,472 (2011 census)
OS grid reference SJ922232
Unitary authority Borough of Stafford
Ceremonial county Staffordshire
Region West Midlands
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town STAFFORD
Postcode district ST16 - ST21
Dialling code 01785
Police Staffordshire
Fire Staffordshire
Ambulance West Midlands
EU Parliament West Midlands
UK Parliament Stafford
List of places
UK
England
Staffordshire

The town's 2011 population of 68,472 makes it the fifth largest town in Staffordshire by population, behind Stoke-on-Trent, Tamworth, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Burton-upon-Trent.

The name Stafford means "ford" by a "staithe" (a landing place).

Stafford knot

The town is famous for the Stafford knot, sometimes called the Staffordshire knot. It is a distinctive three-looped knot that is the traditional symbol of Staffordshire and Stafford itself. It is used by many local organisations on logos and buildings and also gives its name to a pub.

Transportation

The town has a busy railway station on the West Coast Main Line. The station provides direct local trains to Crewe, Liverpool, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Manchester, longer-distance trains to London, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and cross-country trains to Manchester and Bristol.

Sports

The town has a semi-professional football club, Stafford Rangers, who currently compete in the Northern Premier League. They play their home games at Marston Road.