Sister cities of Swindon

Swindon ( pronunciation ) is a large town within the Borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, 40 miles (64 km) to the west and Reading, 40 miles (64 km) to the east. London is 81 miles (130 km) to the east. In the 2011 census, the population of the built-up area of Swindon was 185,609. The larger borough had a population of 209,000, including the small town of Highworth and village of Wroughton, an increase of 16.2% since 2001.

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.