The Borough of Swindon is a local government authority in South West England. It is centred on the town of Swindon and forms part of the ceremonial county of Wiltshire. It was formed in 1974 as the Thamesdown district of Wiltshire, from former areas of the municipal borough of Swindon and Highworth Rural District.

On 1 April 1997 it was made administratively independent of Wiltshire County Council, with its council becoming a new unitary authority. It adopted the name Swindon on 24 April 1997. The former Thamesdown name and logo are still used by the main local bus company of Swindon, called Thamesdown Transport Limited.

Swindon Borough Council is now a 2 star Council according to the Audit Commission.

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Swindon at current basic prices published (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

^ includes hunting and forestry

^ includes energy and construction

^ includes Financial Intermediation Services Indirectly Measured

Coordinates: 51°34′N 1°47′W / 51.56°N 1.78°W / 51.56; -1.78

Swindon ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a large town within the Borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is situated midway between Bristol, 40 miles (64 km) west and Reading, 40 miles (64 km) east. London is 81 miles (130 km) to the east. In the 2001 census, the population of the Swindon urban area was 155,432, while the wider borough of Swindon had a population of 184,000.

Swindon was named an Expanded Town under the Town Development Act 1952 and this led to a major increase in its population.Swindon railway station is on the line from London Paddington to Bristol. Swindon Borough Council, is a unitary authority independent of Wiltshire Council since 1997. Residents of Swindon are known as Swindonians. Swindon is home to the Bodleian Library's book depository, which contains 153 miles (246 km) of bookshelves.

The original Saxon settlement of Swindon sat in a defensible position atop a limestone hill. It is referred to in the Domesday Book as Suindune, believed to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "swine" and "dun" meaning pig hill or possibly, Sweyn's hill, where Sweyn would be the local landlord.