Gravesend

Gravesend
Gravesend
Town
	New Road, Gravesend in 2009
	Kent coat of arms
	Gravesend Location within Kent
Population	58,102
OS grid reference	TQ647740
District	Gravesham;
Shire county	Kent;
Region	South East;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	GRAVESEND
Postcode district	DA11, DA12
Dialling code	01474
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Gravesham;
	List of places UK England Kent 51°26′29″N 0°22′07″E / 51.4415°N 0.3685°E

Gravesend /ˌɡreɪvzˈɛnd/ is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is the administrative centre of the borough of Gravesham. Gravesend marks the eastern limit of the Greater London Built-up Area, as defined by the UK Office for National Statistics. In 2021 it had a population of 58,102.

Its geographical situation has given Gravesend strategic importance throughout the maritime and communications history of South East England. A Thames Gateway commuter town, it retains strong links with the River Thames, not least through the Port of London Authority Pilot Station and has witnessed rejuvenation since the advent of High Speed 1 rail services via Gravesend railway station. The station was recently refurbished^[when?] and now has a new bridge.