Chelmsford (/ˈɛlmzfəd/)[2] is a city and the county town of Essex, in the East of England. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately 30 miles (50 kilometres) northeast of the centre of London at Charing Cross and approximately 22 miles (35 kilometres) from Colchester. The urban area of the city has a population of approximately 112,000,[1] whilst the district has a population of 168,310