Stratford-upon-Avon is the township and civic parish in South Warwickshire, England.
It is located on the Avon River, 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Warwick.
Stratford is the largest and most populous town in Stratford-on-Avon, and it also has a much larger area of the city itself.
Four electoral wards form the urban town of Stratford: Alveston, Avenue and New Town, Mount Pleasant, Syndicate, and Hathaway.
The estimated total population of these wards in 2007 was 25,505.
The city is distinguished as a tourist destination due to its position as the birthplace of playwright and poet William Shakespeare, it receives about 3 million visitors annually from all over the world.
The Royal Shakespeare Company is located at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, and is one of the most important cultural places in Britain.
