Slough
Slough (/slaʊ/) is a town in Berkshire, England, in the Thames Valley 20 miles (32 km) west of central London and 19 miles (31 km) north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4, M40 and M25 motorways. It is part of the historic county of Buckinghamshire. In 2021 Census, the population of the town was 143,184. In 2021, the wider Borough of Slough had a population of 158,500. Slough borders the counties of Greater London and Buckinghamshire.
| Slough | |
|---|---|
Clockwise from top: Slough skyline, St Mary's Church, Old Town Hall, Gas Works and surrounding area, Queensmere Shopping Centre, High Street, St Ethelbert's Church and Slough Trading Estate. | |
Slough Location within Berkshire | |
| Area | 11.71 sq mi (30.3 km2) |
| Population | 143,184 (2021 Census) |
| • Density | 12,227/sq mi (4,721/km2) |
| Unitary authority | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SLOUGH |
| Postcode district | SL1–SL3 |
| Dialling code | 01753 |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | www |
Slough's population is one of the most ethnically diverse in the United Kingdom, attracting people from across the country and the world for labour since the 1920s, which has helped shape it into a major trading centre. In 2017, unemployment stood at 1.4%, one-third the UK average of 4.5%.
Slough has the highest concentration of UK HQs of global companies outside London. Slough Trading Estate is the largest industrial estate in single private ownership in Europe, with over 17,000 jobs in 400 businesses. Blackberry, McAfee, Burger King, DHL, Telefonica and Lego have head offices in the town.