The Borough of Chelmsford is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after its main settlement, Chelmsford, which is also the county town of Essex. In March 2012 it was announced that Chelmsford is to receive city status to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

The current district was formed on 1 April 1974 from the borough of Chelmsford, and most of the Chelmsford Rural District.

The mayor of the borough is Councillor Bob Shepherd M.B.E and is the first citizen of the borough and an ambassador for Chelmsford. A cabinet of ten councillors, from the 57 that constitute the council, are led by Cllr Roy Whitehead.Local elections are held every four years in the borough.

The borough contains 26 parishes--one town council and 25 parish councils. They are:

To the north-west it borders the district of Uttlesford and to the north-east the boundary is with the district of Braintree. It shares its eastern border with Maldon. To the south-east its borders the district of Rochford, to the south the district of Basildon and to the south-west it the borough of Brentwood. To the west the borough has a boundary with the district of Epping Forest.

Coordinates: 51°44′10″N 0°28′47″E / 51.7361°N 0.4798°E / 51.7361; 0.4798

Chelmsford ( /ˈtʃɛlmzfərd/) is the only city in Essex, England, UK, and the principal settlement of the Borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately 32 miles (51 km) northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester. The city currently has a population of approximately 169,500 however this is thought to be rapidly increasing on a year by year basis with many people from Essex and the London borders re-locating to the town.

The main conurbation incorporates all or part of the former parishes of Broomfield, Great Baddow, Moulsham, Widford and Springfield, including Springfield Barnes, now known as Chelmer Village. American tourists often visit the suburb of Springfield, the origin of "Springfield" as a popular place name, first giving its name to the important City of Springfield, Massachusetts, and subsequently Springfield, Illinois, the state capital of Illinois, and Springfield, Missouri, among numerous others.^{[citation needed]}