Editing Hertfordshire

{{short description|County of England}}
{{distinguish|Herefordshire}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{infobox English county
| official_name           = Hertfordshire
| arms_link               = Coat of arms of Hertfordshire
|image_main={{multiple images|border=infobox|perrow=1 2 |total_width=270px
  | image1 = Knebworth W front.JPG
  | image2 = Berkhamsted Canal.jpg
  | image3 = The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban.jpg
   }}
|image_caption={{ubl|[[Knebworth House]] |[[Grand Union Canal]] in [[Berkhamsted]], [[St Albans Cathedral]]}}
| locator_map             = [[File:Hertfordshire UK locator map 2010.svg|200px|Hertfordshire within England]]
| coordinates             = {{coord|51|49|N|0|13|W|region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| region                  = [[East of England|East]]
| largest_town            = [[Watford]]
| established_date        = [[Historic counties of England|Likely 10th century]]
| lord_lieutenant_office  = Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire
| lord_lieutenant_name    = Robert Voss
| high_sheriff_office     = High Sheriff of Hertfordshire
| high_sheriff_name       = Anne Patricia Brewster<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64345|page=5286|date=10 March 2023}}</ref> (2024-25)
| area_total_km2          = 1643
| area_total_rank         = 36th
| county_council          = [[Hertfordshire County Council]]
| admin_hq                = [[Hertford]]
| area_council_km2        = 1643
| area_council_rank       = 26th
| iso_code                = GB-HRT
| ons_code                = 26
| gss_code                = E10000015
| nuts_code               = UKH23
| districts_map           = [[File:Hertfordshire numbered districts.svg|200px]]
| districts_list          =
# [[North Hertfordshire]]
# [[Stevenage]]
# [[East Hertfordshire]]
# [[Dacorum]]
# [[St Albans City and District|City of St Albans]]
# [[Welwyn Hatfield]]
# [[Borough of Broxbourne|Broxbourne]]
# [[Three Rivers District|Three Rivers]]
# [[Watford]]
# [[Hertsmere]]
| ethnicity = {{ubl|71.8% White British|10% Other White|8.6% Asian|3.7% Black|3.8% Mixed|2.1% Other|(2021)<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/herts-insight/topics/population.aspx|title= Summary of Kent facts and figures |publisher=Hertfordshire County Council |access-date=29 May 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
| MPs                     = [[List of Parliamentary constituencies in Hertfordshire|List of MPs]]
| police                  = [[Hertfordshire Constabulary]]
| website                 = {{URL|hertfordshire.gov.uk}}
|ambulance=East of England Ambulance Service}}

'''Hertfordshire''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=UK-Herts.ogg|ˈ|h|ɑːr|t|f|ər|d|ʃ|ɪər}} {{respell|HART|fərd|sheer}} or {{IPAc-en|-|ʃ|ər}} {{respell|-|shər}}; often abbreviated '''Herts''') is a [[Ceremonial counties of England|ceremonial county]] in the [[East of England]] and one of the [[home counties]]. It borders [[Bedfordshire]] to the north-west, [[Cambridgeshire]] to the north-east, [[Essex]] to the east, [[Greater London]] to the south and [[Buckinghamshire]] to the west. The largest settlement is [[Watford]], and the county town is [[Hertford]].

The county has an area of {{convert|634|sqmi|km2|abbr=out}} and had a population of 1,198,800 at the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2021 Profile for Hertfordshire |url=https://www.reports.esriuk.com/view-report/79b7917a1c72415ea39bca5ed45c6094/E10000015?clear=true |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Herts Insight}}</ref> After Watford (131,325), the largest settlements are [[Hemel Hempstead]] (95,985), [[Stevenage]] (94,470) and the city of [[St Albans]] (75,540).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> For [[Local government in England|local government]] purposes Hertfordshire is a [[non-metropolitan county]] with ten districts beneath [[Hertfordshire County Council]].

Elevations are higher in the north and west, reaching more than {{convert|800|ft}} in the [[Chilterns]] near [[Tring]]. The county centres on the headwaters and upper valleys of the rivers [[River Lea|Lea]] and the [[River Colne, Hertfordshire|Colne]]; both flow south and each is accompanied by a canal. Hertfordshire's undeveloped land is mainly agricultural and much of the county is covered by the [[Metropolitan Green Belt|Metropolitan green belt]].

Since 1903, [[Letchworth]] has served as the prototype [[Garden city movement|garden city]] while [[Stevenage]] became the first town to expand under [[post-war Britain]]'s [[New Towns Act 1946]] ([[9 & 10 Geo. 6]]. c. 68). [[Tertiary sector of the economy|Services]] have become the largest sector of the county's economy.

== History ==
{{main|History of Hertfordshire}}
The county's landmarks span many centuries, ranging from the [[Six Hills]] in [[Stevenage]] built by local inhabitants during the [[Roman Britain|Roman]] period, to [[Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden|Leavesden Film Studios]]. The volume of intact medieval and [[Tudor architecture|Tudor buildings]] surpasses London, in places in well-preserved [[Conservation area (United Kingdom)|conservation area]]s, especially in [[St Albans]], which includes remains of the Roman town of [[Verulamium]].

In 913, Hertfordshire was the area assigned to a fortress constructed at [[Hertford]] under the rule of [[Edward the Elder]]. Hertford is derived from the [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''heort ford,'' meaning [[deer]] crossing (of a watercourse). The name Hertfordshire is first recorded in the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' in 1011. Deer feature in many county emblems. Many of the names of the current settlements date back to the Anglo-Saxon period, with many featuring standard placename suffixes attributed to the Anglo-Saxons: "ford", "ton", "den", "bourn", "ley", "stead", "ing", "lett", "wood", and "worth", are represented in this county by Hertford, Royston, Harpenden, Redbourn, Cuffley, Wheathampstead, Tring, Radlett, Borehamwood and Rickmansworth.

There is evidence of human life in Hertfordshire from the [[Mesolithic period]]. It was first farmed during the [[Neolithic period]] and permanent habitation appeared at the beginning of the [[Bronze Age]]. This was followed by tribes settling in the area during the [[Iron Age]].

Following the [[Roman conquest of Britain|Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43]], the [[Catuvellauni|Catuvellauni tribe]] accepted peace and adapted to the Roman life; resulting in the development of several new towns, including [[Verulamium]] (St Albans) where in {{Circa|293}} the first recorded British martyrdom is traditionally believed to have taken place. [[Saint Alban]], a Romano-British soldier, took the place of a Christian priest and was beheaded on Holywell Hill. His martyr's cross of a yellow saltire on a blue field is reflected in the [[Flag of Hertfordshire|flag and coat of arms of Hertfordshire]] as the yellow field to the stag or Hart representing the county. He is the Patron Saint of Hertfordshire.

With the [[End of Roman rule in Britain|departure of the Roman Legions in the early 5th century]], the now-unprotected territory was invaded and colonised by the [[Anglo-Saxons]]. By the 6th century, the majority of the modern county was part of the [[East Saxon]] kingdom. This relatively short-lived kingdom collapsed in the 9th century, ceding the territory of Hertfordshire to the control of the West Anglians of [[Mercia]]. The region finally became an English shire in the 10th century, on the merger of the West Saxon and Mercian kingdoms.

In the midst of the Norse invasions, Hertfordshire was on the front lines of much of the fighting. King [[Edward the Elder]], in his reconquest of Norse-held lands in what was to become [[England]], established a "[[burh]]" or fort in Hertford, which was to curb Norse activities in the area. His father, [[King Alfred the Great]], established the River Lea as a boundary between his kingdom and that of the Norse lord [[Guthrum]], with the north and eastern parts of the county being within the [[Danelaw]]. There is little evidence however of [[Old Norse|Norse]] placenames within this region, and many of the [[Anglo-Saxon]] features remained intact to this day. The county however suffered from renewed Norse raids in the late 10th to early 11th centuries, as armies led by [[Danish king]]s [[Swein Forkbeard]] and [[Cnut the Great]] harried the country as part of their attempts to undermine and overthrow English king [[Athelred the Unready]].
===Norman invasion onwards===
A century later, [[William the Conqueror|William of Normandy]] received the surrender of some senior English Lords and Clergy at [[Berkhamsted]], before entering London unopposed and being crowned at [[Westminster]]. Hertfordshire was used for some of the new Norman castles at [[Bishop's Stortford]], and at [[Kings Langley|King's Langley]], a staging post between London and the royal residence of [[Berkhamsted]].

The [[Domesday Book]] recorded the county as having nine [[hundred (country subdivision)|hundreds]]. [[Tring (hundred)|Tring]] and [[Danais (hundred)|Danais]] became one{{mdash}}[[Dacorum]]{{mdash}}from Danis Corum or Danish rule harking back to a [[Viking]] not [[Saxons|Saxon]] past. The other seven were [[Braughing]], [[Stevenage]], [[Liberty of St Albans|Cashio]], [[Buntingford]], [[Hertford]], [[Hitchin]] and [[Odsey]].

In the later Plantagenet period, St. Albans Abbey was an initial drafting place of what was to become [[Magna Carta]]. And in the later Wars of the Roses, St. Albans was the scene of two major battles between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists.

In Tudor times, [[Hatfield House]] was often frequented by Queen Elizabeth I. Stuart King James I used the locale for hunting and facilitated the construction of a waterway, the [[New River (London)|New River]], supplying [[drinking water]] to London.

As London grew, Hertfordshire became conveniently close to the English capital; much of the area was owned by the [[nobility]] and [[aristocracy]], this [[patronage]] helped to boost the local economy. However, the greatest boost to Hertfordshire came during the [[Industrial Revolution]], after which the population rose dramatically. In 1903, [[Letchworth]] became the world's first [[Garden city movement|garden city]] and [[Stevenage]] became the first town to redevelop under the [[New Towns Act 1946]] ([[9 & 10 Geo. 6]]. c. 68).
[[File:County Flag of Hertfordshire.svg|thumb|The flag of the historic county of Hertfordshire]]
The first shooting-down of a [[zeppelin]] over Great Britain during WW1 happened in Cuffley.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/zeppelin-raids-hertfordshire|title=Zeppelin Raids - Herts at War|website=hertsatwar.co.uk|access-date=23 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170228221343/http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/zeppelin-raids-hertfordshire|archive-date=28 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

From the [[1920s in film|1920s]] until the late [[1980s in film|1980s]], the town of [[Borehamwood]] was home to one of the major British [[film studio]] complexes, including the [[MGM-British Studios]]. Many well-known films were made here including the first three ''[[Star Wars]]'' movies ([[Star Wars (film)|IV]], [[The Empire Strikes Back|V]], & [[Return of the Jedi|VI]]). The studios generally used the name of [[Elstree]]. American director [[Stanley Kubrick]] not only used to shoot in those studios but also lived in the area until his death. ''[[Big Brother UK]]'' and ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (British game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?]]'' have been filmed there. ''[[EastEnders]]'' is filmed at Elstree. Hertfordshire has seen development at [[Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden|Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden]]; the [[Harry Potter (film series)|''Harry Potter'' series]] was filmed here and the 1995 James Bond film ''[[GoldenEye]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmlondon.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=836|title=Leavesden Studios|website=[[Film London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070807090806/http://www.filmlondon.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=836|archive-date=7 August 2007|access-date=4 November 2018}}</ref>

On 17 October 2000, the [[Hatfield rail crash]] killed four people with over 70 injured.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-11560482|title=Hatfield train crash remembered|date=17 October 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=2 August 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802191243/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-11560482|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The crash exposed the shortcomings of [[Railtrack]], and resulted in speed restrictions and major track replacement. On 10 May 2002, seven people died in the fourth of the [[Potters Bar rail accidents]]; the train was travelling at high speed when it derailed and flipped into the air when one of the carriages slid along the platform where it came to rest.

In early December 2005, there were [[Buncefield fire|explosions]] at the [[Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal]] at Buncefield on the edge of Hemel Hempstead.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-34919922|title=I thought a plane had landed on us|last=Lewis|first=Katy|date=11 December 2015|work=BBC News|access-date=2 August 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802175523/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-34919922|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/dec/11/buncefield2|title=Fuel depot blaze 'will last for days'|last=Staff and agencies|date=11 December 2005|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802193102/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/dec/11/buncefield2|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/buncefield-blast-companies-sentenced-to-pay-pound9m-2028260.html|title=Buncefield blast companies sentenced to pay £9m|work=The Independent|access-date=2 August 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802175551/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/buncefield-blast-companies-sentenced-to-pay-pound9m-2028260.html|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Geography ==
Hertfordshire is located in the south-eastern part of England and is the county immediately north of London. It is officially part of the [[East of England]] [[Government Office Region|region, a mainly statistical unit]].<ref name="eelga">{{cite web |url=http://www.eelga.gov.uk/corporate/ |title=The East of England |access-date=23 January 2012 |publisher=[[East of England Local Government Association]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127121305/http://www.eelga.gov.uk/corporate/ |archive-date=27 January 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> To the east is [[Essex]], to the west is [[Buckinghamshire]] and to the north are [[Bedfordshire]] and [[Cambridgeshire]]. A significant minority of the population across all districts [[Commuting|commute]] to [[Central London]].

The county's boundaries were roughly fixed by the [[Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844#Hertfordshire|Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844]] which eliminated [[exclave]]s; amended when, in 1965 under the [[London Government Act 1963]], [[East Barnet Urban District]] and [[Barnet Urban District]] were abolished, their area was transferred to form part of the present-day [[London Borough of Barnet]] and the [[Potters Bar Urban District]] of [[Middlesex]] was transferred to Hertfordshire.

The highest point in the county is at {{convert|244|m|ft|abbr=on}} ([[above sea level|AOD]]) on [[the Ridgeway]] long distance national path, on the border of [[Hastoe]] near [[Tring]] with [[Drayton Beauchamp]], Buckinghamshire.<ref>{{cite book |last= Bathurst |first= David |year= 2012 |title= Walking the county high points of England |location= Chichester |publisher= Summersdale |isbn= 978-1-84-953239-6 |pages= 105–110}}</ref>

At the 2011 census, among the county's ten districts, [[East Hertfordshire]] had the lowest population density (290 people per km<sup>2</sup>) and [[Watford]] the highest (4210 per km<sup>2</sup>). Compared with neighbouring Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire lacks large towns or cities on the scale of [[Luton]] or [[Milton Keynes]], whose populations exceed 200,000, but its overall population (1.2 million in 2021) is greater than those of the two aforementioned counties.

The [[River Lea]] near [[Harpenden]] runs through [[Wheathampstead]], Welwyn Garden City, Hertford, Ware, and Broxbourne before reaching [[Cheshunt]] and ultimately the River Thames. The far west of the county is the most hilly, with the [[Chiltern Hills]] surrounding [[Tring]], [[Berkhamsted]] and the Ashridge estate. This [[Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty]] runs from near Hitchin in the north to Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Many of the county's major settlements are in the central, northern and southern areas, such as Watford, Hemel Hempstead, [[Kings Langley]], [[Rickmansworth]], [[St. Albans]], [[Harpenden]], [[Redbourn]], [[Radlett]], [[Borehamwood]], [[Potters Bar]], Stevenage, [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]], [[Welwyn]] and Welwyn Garden City, [[Hitchin]], Letchworth and Baldock. These are all small to medium-sized locations, featuring a mix of post-WWII new towns and older/more historical locales. The [[St Albans|City of St. Albans]] is an example of a historical settlement, as its cathedral and abbey date to the [[Norman architecture|Norman]] period, and there are ruins from the Roman settlement of [[Verulamium]] nearby the current city centre. Stevenage is a mix of post-WWII [[new town]] planning amidst its prior incarnation as a smaller town. The Old Town in Stevenage represents this historic core and has many shops and buildings reflecting its pre-WWII heritage. Hitchin also has a historic centre, with many [[House of Tudor|Tudor]] and [[House of Stuart|Stuart]] era buildings interspersed amongst more contemporary structures.

Hertfordshire's eastern regions are predominantly rural and arable, intermixed with villages and small to medium-sized towns. Royston, Buntingford and [[Bishop's Stortford]], along with [[Ware, Hertfordshire|Ware]] and the county town of Hertford are major settlements in this regard. The physical geography of eastern Hertfordshire is less elevated than the far west, but with lower rising hills and prominent rivers such as the [[Stort]]. This river rises in [[Essex]] and terminates via a confluence with the Lea near to Ware. 
Apart from the Lea and Stort, the River Colne is the major watercourse in the county's west. This runs near Watford and Radlett, and has a complex system/drainage area running south into both Greater London and Buckinghamshire.

An unofficial status, the purple star-shaped flower with yellow stamens, the [[Pulsatilla vulgaris|Pasqueflower]] is among endemic [[county flower]]s.<ref>[http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/pasqueflower "Wild Plants: Pasqueflower"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226191254/http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/plant_species/pasqueflower |date=26 February 2015 }} [[Plantlife]]. Retrieved 26 February 2015</ref>

=== Geology ===
{{main|Geology of Hertfordshire}}

The rocks of Hertfordshire belong to the great shallow [[syncline]] known as the [[London Basin]]. The beds dip in a south-easterly direction towards the syncline's lowest point roughly under the [[River Thames]]. The most important formations are the [[Cretaceous]] [[Chalk]], exposed as the high ground in the north and west of the county, forming the [[Chiltern Hills]] and the younger [[Palaeocene]], [[Reading Beds]] and [[Eocene]], [[London Clay]] which occupy the remaining southern part. The eastern half of the county was covered by glaciers during the [[Last Glacial Period|Ice Age]] and has a superficial layer of glacial [[boulder clay]]s.

=== Natural resources and environment ===
[[Image:De Wint, Peter, Cornfields near Tring Station, Hertfordshire, 1847.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Peter de Wint]], ''Cornfields near Tring Station, Hertfordshire'', 1847, [[Princeton University Art Museum]]]]
[[Image:Hertfordshire_UK_relief_location_map.jpg|thumb|250px|Relief map]]
Much of the west &ndash; and much more in the east &ndash; have richly diverse countryside.<ref name="rw">{{Cite book |last1=Rowe |first1=Anne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rBleCUlsT_oC&pg=PT18 |title=Hertfordshire: A Landscape History |last2=Williamson |first2=Tom |date= June 2013|publisher=Univ of Hertfordshire Press |isbn=978-1-909291-02-7 |language=en}}</ref> These range from beech woods of the [[Chiltern Hills|Chilterns]], clayland [[buffer zone]] countryside of Braughing and the Hadhams across to [[ancient woodland|ancient]] [[hornbeam]] [[coppicing|coppices]] west of the upper Lea valley.<ref name=rw/> The county has sweeping panoramas of chalklands near [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]], [[Baldock]], [[Hexton]] and [[Tring]].<ref name=rw/>

Large parts of the county are used for agriculture.

Some [[quarry]]ing of sand and gravel occurs around St Albans. In the past, clay has supplied local brick-making and still does in [[Bovingdon]], just south-west of Hemel Hempstead. The chalk that is the bedrock of much of the county provides an [[aquifer]] that feeds streams and is also exploited to provide water supplies for much of the county and beyond. Chalk has also been used as a building material and, once fired, the resultant lime was spread on agricultural land to improve fertility. The mining of chalk since the early 18th century has left unrecorded underground galleries that occasionally collapse unexpectedly and endanger buildings.<ref>{{cite web
 |title        = About the chalk mines
 |publisher    = Dacorum Borough Council
 |year         = 2008
 |url          = http://www.dacorum.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=5692
 |access-date   = 7 February 2009
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20081212000718/http://www.dacorum.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=5692
 |archive-date = 12 December 2008
 |url-status     = live}}</ref>

Fresh water is supplied to London from [[Ware, Hertfordshire|Ware]], using the [[New River (London)|New River]] built by [[Hugh Myddleton]] and opened in 1613. Local rivers, although small, supported developing industries such as paper production at [[Nash Mills]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.intriguing-history.com/hugh-myddleton-the-new-river/|title=Sir Hugh Myddleton New River|date=25 April 2015|work=Intriguing History|access-date=17 June 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617115642/http://www.intriguing-history.com/hugh-myddleton-the-new-river/|archive-date=17 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Hertfordshire affords habitat for a variety of flora and fauna. A bird once common in the shire is the [[Hooded Crow#Cultural significance|hooded crow]], the old name of which is the eponymous name of the regional newspaper, the [[Royston Crow (newspaper)|''Royston Crow'']] published in [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]]. A product, now largely defunct, was [[watercress]], based in [[Hemel Hempstead]] and [[Berkhamsted]] supported by reliable, clean chalk rivers.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol2/pp215-230#h2-0001|title=A History of the County of Hertford|publisher=British History Online|department=Originally published by Victoria County History, London|year=1908|volume=2|chapter=Parishes: Hemel Hempstead}}</ref>

=== Urban areas ===
{{see also|List of places in Hertfordshire|List of settlements in Hertfordshire by population|List of lost settlements in Hertfordshire}}
{{location map+|Hertfordshire|caption=Main towns in Hertfordshire and environs|width=600|float=center|places=
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.989504|lon_deg=-0.189128|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[Baldock]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.76|lon_deg=-0.56|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[Berkhamsted]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.872|lon_deg=0.1725|position=left|label_size=75|label=[[Bishop's Stortford]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.6578|lon_deg=-0.2723|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[Borehamwood]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.743473|lon_deg=-0.021151|position=left|label_size=75|label=[[Broxbourne]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.9445|lon_deg=-0.0160|position=bottom|label_size=75|label=[[Buntingford]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.6429|lon_deg=-0.3604|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Bushey]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.700824|lon_deg=-0.033088|position=left|label_size=75|label=[[Cheshunt]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.8175|lon_deg=-0.3524|position=bottom|label_size=75|label=[[Harpenden]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.7627|lon_deg=-0.2284|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.7526|lon_deg=-0.4692|position=bottom|label_size=75|label=[[Hemel Hempstead]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.795|lon_deg=-0.078|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Hertford]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.9476|lon_deg=-0.2832|position=bottom|label_size=75|label=[[Hitchin]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.759|lon_deg=-0.015|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[Hoddesdon]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.978|lon_deg=-0.23|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Letchworth]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.698|lon_deg=-0.183|position=left|label_size=75|label=[[Potters Bar]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.6383|lon_deg=-0.4659|position=bottom|label_size=75|label=[[Rickmansworth]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=52.0471|lon_deg=-0.0202|position=bottom|label_size=75|label=[[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.81554|lon_deg=0.14721|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[Sawbridgeworth]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.9|lon_deg=-0.2|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Stevenage]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.755|lon_deg=-0.336|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[St Albans]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.7962|lon_deg=-0.6592|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Tring]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.685075|lon_deg=-0.030963|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Waltham Cross]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.817|lon_deg=-0.0292|position=right|label_size=75|label=[[Ware, Hertfordshire|Ware]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.6556|lon_deg=-0.3967|position=top|label_size=75|label=[[Watford]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.8062|lon_deg=-0.1932|position=left|label_size=75|label=[[Welwyn Garden City]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.644|lon_deg=-0.1997|position=bottom|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[Chipping Barnet|Barnet]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.6516|lon_deg=-0.0837|position=bottom|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[Enfield Town|Enfield]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.77|lon_deg=0.09|position=bottom|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[Harlow]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.6769|lon_deg=-0.6034|position=bottom|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[Amersham]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.629|lon_deg=-0.748|position=right|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[High Wycombe]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.9|lon_deg=-0.4333|position=top|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[Luton]]}}
  {{location map~|Hertfordshire|lat_deg=51.617|lon_deg=-0.325|position=bottom|label_size=75|mark=Orange pog.svg|label=[[Stanmore]]}}
}}

== Economy ==
[[File:Hatfield Business Park.jpg|thumb|300px|View of one of the buildings at [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield Business Park]], currently the headquarters of [[EE (telecommunications)|EE]]]]
This is a table of trends of regional gross value added of Hertfordshire at current basic prices with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf Regional Gross Value Added] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201002538/http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/RegionalGVA.pdf |date=1 December 2007 }}, [[Office for National Statistics]], pp.&nbsp;240–253.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year || Regional Gross Value Added{{refn|group=n|Components may not sum to totals due to rounding}} || Agriculture{{refn|group=n|includes hunting and forestry}} || Industry{{refn|group=n|includes energy and construction}} || Services{{refn|group=n|includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured}}
|-
| 1995 || '''11,742''' || 96 || 3,292 || 8,354
|-
| 2000 || '''18,370''' || 77 || 4,138 || 14,155
|-
| 2003 || '''20,937''' || 82 || 4,348 || 16,507
|}

Hertfordshire has the main operational and/or headquarters UK site of some very large employers. Clockwise from north:

In [[Stevenage]] (a subsidiary of: [[BAE Systems]], [[Airbus]] and [[Finmeccanica]]) [[MBDA]], develops [[missile]]s. In the same town, [[Airbus Defence and Space|Airbus (Defence & Space Division)]] produces satellites.

Hatfield was where [[de Havilland]] developed the first commercial jet liner, the [[de Havilland Comet|Comet]]. Now the site is a business park and new campus for the [[University of Hertfordshire]]. This major employment site notably hosts [[EE (telecommunications)|EE]], [[Computacenter]] and [[Ocado]] groceries and other goods e-commerce.

[[Welwyn Garden City]] hosts [[Tesco]]'s UK base, hosts the UK [[Cereal Partners]] factory and in pharmaceuticals it hosts Roche UK's headquarters (subsidiary of the Swiss [[Hoffman-La Roche]]). [[GlaxoSmithKline]] has plants in [[Ware, Hertfordshire|Ware]] and [[Stevenage]].

[[Hemel Hempstead]] has large premises of [[Dixons Carphone]].

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA), the trade association for UK pharmacies, is based in [[St Albans]].

[[Kings Langley]] has the plant-office of [[Pure Digital|Pure]], making [[Digital Audio Broadcasting|DAB digital radios]].

[[Watford]] hosts national companies such as [[J D Wetherspoon]], [[Camelot Group]], [[Bathstore]], and Caversham Finance (BrightHouse). It is also the UK base of multi-nationals [[Hilton Worldwide]], [[TotalEnergies]], [[TK Maxx]], [[Costco]], [[JJ Kavanagh and Sons]], [[Vinci (construction)|Vinci]] and [[Beko]]. The 2006 [[World Golf Championship]] and the [[2013 Bilderberg Conference]], took place at [[The Grove, Watford|The Grove hotel]].<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/02/week-ahead-bilderberg-2013-watford|title=The week ahead: Bilderberg 2013 comes to&nbsp;... the Grove hotel, Watford|author=Charlie Skelton|work=The Guardian|date=2 June 2013}}</ref> [[Warner Bros.]] owns and runs its main UK base since the 2000s, Warner Bros. Studios, in Leavesden, Watford.

[[Rickmansworth]] hosts [[Skanska]].

==Media==
===Television===
Most of the county is served by [[BBC London]] & [[ITV London]], however [[Stevenage]] and [[North Hertfordshire]] is served by [[BBC East]] & [[ITV Anglia]]. Some northwestern parts of the county around [[Tring]] can also receive [[BBC South]] and [[ITV Meridian]].

===Radio===
Local radio for the county is provided by [[BBC Three Counties Radio]], [[BBC Radio Cambridgeshire]] (covering [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]]), [[Heart Hertfordshire]], [[Greatest Hits Radio Bucks, Beds and Herts]] (formerly Mix 96), [[Mix 92.6]] (formerly Radio Verulam St. Albans) and Community Radio Dacorum (Hemel Hempstead).

===Newspapers===
Local newspapers in the county are:
*''[[Hertfordshire Mercury]]'' (serving East and North Hertfordshire)
*''[[The Comet (newspaper)|The Comet]]'' (Stevenage and North Hertfordshire)
*''[[Hemel Hempstead Gazette & Express]]'' ([[Hemel Hempstead]], [[Berkhamsted]] and Tring)
*''[[Watford Observer]]'' (for [[Watford]])
*''Welwyn Hatfield Times'' (serving [[Welwyn Garden City]] and [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]])

== Sport ==

=== Watersports ===
[[Waltham Cross]], [[Broxbourne (borough)|Broxbourne]], is the location of the [[Lee Valley White Water Centre]], a purpose-built venue opened in 2010 for the [[2012 Summer Olympics]]. The site consists of two white water courses; one 300m [[International scale of river difficulty|Grade IV]] "Olympic" run; and one 160m [[International scale of river difficulty|Grade III]] "legacy" run.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lee Valley White Water Centre |url=https://www.visitleevalley.org.uk/10-years-on-venues/lee-valley-white-water-centre |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=Visit Lee Valley |language=en}}</ref>

During the games the center was the venue for the [[Canoeing at the 2012 Summer Olympics|canoe and kayak slalom events]].

Lee Valley has since hosted the [[ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships]] twice. First in [[2015 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships|2015]], and most recently in [[2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships|2023]], where Britain topped the medal table with 5 golds.

=== Football ===
[[File:Vicarage Road 2015.jpg|thumb|right|Vicarage Road stadium in Watford]]
As of the 2024–25 season, there are four [[Professionalism in association football|professional football teams]] in Hertfordshire: [[Watford F.C.|Watford]], [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage]], [[Arsenal W.F.C.|Arsenal WFC]] and [[Boreham Wood F.C.|Boreham Wood]]

Watford have played their home games at [[Vicarage Road]] since 1922.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stadiumguide.com/vicarageroad/|title=Vicarage Road - Watford - The Stadium Guide|website=stadiumguide.com|language=en-US|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802193136/http://www.stadiumguide.com/vicarageroad/|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The club joined the Football League in 1920 as a founding member of the Third Division<ref name="www.watfordfcarchive.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/|title=Watford Football Club archive 1881-2017|website=watfordfcarchive.com|language=en|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802223434/http://www.watfordfcarchive.com/|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> and first played in the First Division of English football in [[1982–83 Watford F.C. season|1982]], finishing as runners-up to champions [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]].<ref name="www.watfordfcarchive.com"/> Watford was promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2020–2021 season. After spending one season in the Premier League, they were relegated to the Championship again for the 2022–2023 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watford relegated from the Premier League after failing to beat Crystal Palace |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-watford-relegated-premier-league-26898398 |website=The Mirror |date=7 May 2022 |access-date=15 July 2022}}</ref>

Stevenage F.C. was formed in 1976 as Stevenage Borough and have played at [[Broadhall Way]] since 1980.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stevenagefc.com/club/the-lamex-stadium/|title=The Lamex Stadium - Stevenage Football Club|website=stevenagefc.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802195149/https://www.stevenagefc.com/club/the-lamex-stadium/|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Stevenage was the first club to win a competitive match at the new [[Wembley Stadium]], beating [[Kidderminster Harriers]] 3–2 in the [[2007 FA Trophy Final]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6649807.stm|title=Kidderminster 2-3 Stevenage|date=12 May 2007|access-date=2 August 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070913110100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/6649807.stm|archive-date=13 September 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> The club currently play in the [[EFL League One]] and have been managed by former player [[Alex Revell]] since February 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.stevenagefc.com/news/2020/february/managerial-change-graham-westley-alex-revell-stevenage-football-club-sky-bet-league-two-efl-english-football-league-sunday-16th-february-2020/|date=16 February 2020|work=Stevenage F.C.|access-date=15 July 2021|language=en-GB|title=Managerial change}}</ref>

[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], whilst based at the [[Emirates Stadium]] in the [[London Borough of Islington]], has long held a training ground in the county. Until 1999, it held the London Colney [[University of London]] facility, until it built a new purpose-built compound adjacent to it. Watford FC currently utilises the old Arsenal training area as its training facility.

Arsenal W.F.C. play at [[Meadow Park (Borehamwood)|Meadow Park]] in [[Borehamwood]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballgroundmap.com/ground/meadow-park/boreham-wood|title=Meadow Park, home to Boreham Wood, Arsenal Ladies|website=footballgroundmap.com|language=en|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802224942/https://www.footballgroundmap.com/ground/meadow-park/boreham-wood|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The club was formed in 1987 and have played in the [[FA Women's Super League]] since its inaugural season in [[2011 FA WSL|2011]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/apr/07/womens-super-league-launch|title=Women's Super League aims to step out of men's shadow {{!}} David Conn|last=Conn|first=David|date=7 April 2011|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803013959/https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2011/apr/07/womens-super-league-launch|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Hertfordshire has many semi-professional and amateur clubs. The highest placed are Boreham Wood, [[Hemel Hempstead Town F.C.|Hemel Hempstead Town]] and [[St Albans City F.C.|St Albans City]], who all play in the [[National League South]], the sixth tier of English football.

=== Rugby ===
==== Rugby league ====
[[Hemel Stags]] are a [[rugby league]] team based in [[Hemel Hempstead]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugbyclubs.info/rugbyleagueclubs.php/Hertfordshire/34/2/|title=Hertfordshire Rugby League Clubs|website=rugbyclubs.info|language=en|access-date=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803133738/https://www.rugbyclubs.info/rugbyleagueclubs.php/Hertfordshire/34/2/|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Hemel Stags have played at [[Pennine Way Stadium]] since the club's founding in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hemelstags.com/club_info/find_us|title=Find Us - Hemel Stags - Rugby League Team|website=Hemel Stags|access-date=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803163452/http://hemelstags.com/club_info/find_us|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/sport/more-sport/world-famous-bradford-bulls-are-on-their-way-to-pennine-way-this-sunday-1-8508181|title=World famous Bradford Bulls are on their way to Pennine Way this Sunday|access-date=3 August 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194038/https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/sport/more-sport/world-famous-bradford-bulls-are-on-their-way-to-pennine-way-this-sunday-1-8508181|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Until 2018, the club played in [[League 1 (rugby league)|league 1]], the [[British rugby league system#Tier 3: League 1|third tier]] of the British rugby league system, and now compete in the [[Conference League South]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/english-national-league-one/table|title=National League Division One Table - Rugby Union|website=BBC Sport|language=en|access-date=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902053330/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/english-national-league-one/table|archive-date=2 September 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Rugby union ====
The [[Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union]] is the governing body for [[rugby union]] in Hertfordshire and is responsible for any interested parties involved in rugby.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fullerians.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-rugby-football-union-2262871.html|title=Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union - News - Fullerians RFC|website=fullerians.co.uk|language=en|access-date=3 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803163801/http://www.fullerians.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-rugby-football-union-2262871.html|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Tring Rugby]] play matches at Cow Lane, Tring.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hertsad.co.uk/property/area-guide-scenery-culture-and-a-manageable-commute-tring-has-it-all-1-5599526|title=Area Guide: Scenery, culture and a manageable commute, Tring has it all|last=Caminsky|first=Spencer|work=Herts Advertiser|access-date=3 August 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180803194007/http://www.hertsad.co.uk/property/area-guide-scenery-culture-and-a-manageable-commute-tring-has-it-all-1-5599526|archive-date=3 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The first XV currently play in the [[Regional 1 South East]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/search-results?competition=261&division=39100&season=2022-2023|access-date=5 October 2022|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818190655/https://www.englandrugby.com/fixtures-and-results/search-results?competition=261&division=39100&season=2022-2023#/fixtures|title=London & SE Division|publisher=Rugby Football Union|archive-date=18 August 2022|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> League. A [[English rugby union system#Level 5: Regional 1 South East|level 5]] league.

==== GAA ====

[[Gaelic Football]] is played within Hertfordshire, with clubs from [[Oxfordshire]] all the way to [[Cambridge]] playing in the Hertfordshire League and Championship. Eire Óg, Oxford are the 2022 County Champions. [[Hurling]] is played by an amalgamated team, St Declan's CLG, with players contributed from all football teams across Hertfordshire. St Declan's currently play in the [[Warwickshire]] League and Championship, having previously played in the [[London GAA]] championship. A number of St Declan's players have also played for the Warwickshire Senior Hurling team, playing in the Lory Meagher and Nicky Rackard competitions, including Patrick Lancaster, Eamon Doherty, Alan Hayes, and Alex Hanley.

== Landmarks ==
[[File:Cheshunt, Theobalds - geograph.org.uk - 552741.jpg|alt=|thumb|Cedars Park]]
[[File:The Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban.jpg|thumb|right|St Albans Abbey]]
[[File:St George's School.jpg|thumb|[[St George's School, Harpenden|St George's School]]]]
[[File:Hatfield House, Hertfordshire - geograph.org.uk - 3490603.jpg|thumb|[[Hatfield House]]]]
[[File:Trees and Bluebells, Dockey Wood, Ashridge - geograph.org.uk - 1516118.jpg|thumb|right|Bluebells in Dockey Wood]]
[[File:The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012 (7528994480).jpg|thumb|The Warner Bros. ''Making of Harry Potter'' Studio Tour at Leavesden]]

Below is a list of notable visitor attractions in Hertfordshire:
* [[Aldenham]] Country Park
* [[Ashridge]] – the estate surrounding the neo-Gothic house by [[James Wyatt]] (not open to the public) is [[National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty|National Trust]] land.
** [[Bridgewater Monument]], built in 1832 in memory of Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater. {{convert|108|ft|m}} tall and open to the public to ascend to the top
* [[Berkhamsted Castle]]
* [[Cedars Park, Broxbourne]] – historic park once the site of James I's favourite residence, Theobalds Palace. Maintained by Broxbourne Services and the Friends of Cedars Park.
* [[de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre]], between [[London Colney]] and [[South Mimms]]
* [[Frogmore Paper Mill]], [[Apsley, Hertfordshire|Apsley]]
* [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]]
** [[Hatfield House]] – Jacobean house, gardens and park
** [[Mill Green Watermill]] in Hatfield
** [[University of Hertfordshire]] – a public research university based in [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]]
* [[Henry Moore Foundation]], [[Much Hadham]] – sculpture park on the work of [[Henry Moore]]
* [[Knebworth House]], {{convert|250|acre|km2}} of country park, venue of many rock and pop festivals
* [[Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden|Leavesden Film Studios]], home of the Warner Bros. ''[[Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter|Making of Harry Potter]]'' studio tour
* [[Letchworth Garden City]] – the world's first [[Garden city movement|Garden City]]. Site of the first planned [[Green Belt]], the UK's first [[roundabout]], and a number of experiments in early town planning and house and factory design
** [[Spirella Building]]
* [[Magic Roundabout (Hemel Hempstead)]] – a complex road junction
* [[Royston Cave]] – in [[Royston, Hertfordshire|Royston]] town centre
* [[Rye House Gatehouse]] in [[Hoddesdon]] (part of the [[Rye House Plot]] to assassinate [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]])
* [[St Albans]]
** [[Beech Bottom Dyke]] – large-scale [[Iron Age]] defensive or boundary ditch
** [[Sopwell Nunnery]]
** [[St Albans Cathedral]]
** [[Verulamium]] – [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] town remains, including museum of Roman life and the remains of a Roman amphitheatre
* [[Scott's Grotto]], [[Ware, Hertfordshire|Ware]]
* [[Shaw's Corner]], [[Ayot St Lawrence]] – home of [[George Bernard Shaw]]
* [[Stevenage]] – the first UK [[New towns in the United Kingdom|New Town]]
** [[Six Hills]] [[Roman Britain|Roman]] barrows site
* [[Therfield Heath]] – a local nature reserve in the north of the county
* [[Welwyn Roman Baths]]
* [[Welwyn Viaduct]] to the north of Welwyn Garden City
* [[Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum]], [[Tring]] – a museum-annotated collection of dead mammals, birds, reptiles and insects
* [[Watford Museum]], fine art and local artefacts

=== Main footpaths ===
*[[The Ridgeway]]
*[[Icknield Way Path|Icknield Way]]
*[[Grand Union Canal 145 mile Race|Grand Union Canal Walk]]
*[[Icknield Way Path|Harcamlow Way]]
*[[Hertfordshire Way]]
*[[Hertfordshire Chain Walk]]

== Transport ==
[[File:M25-M1 intersection near Hemel Hempstead.jpg|thumb|Junction of the [[M1 motorway|M1]] and [[M25 motorway|M25]] near [[Hemel Hempstead]]]]
[[File:700110 - London Blackfriars 3T13.JPG|thumb|[[Govia Thameslink Railway]] provide frequent train services through Hertfordshire on the [[Midland Main Line]] and [[East Coast Main Line]]]]
[[File:Bridge 168, Grand Union Canal, Watford - geograph.org.uk - 464942.jpg|thumb|Bridge 168 on the [[Grand Union Canal]]]]
Hertfordshire is a [[home county]] with many towns forming part of the [[London commuter belt]] and has some of the principal roads in England including the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]], [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1(M)]], [[A41 road|A41]], [[A414 road|A414]], [[M1 motorway|M1]], [[M11 motorway|M11]], and the [[M25 motorway|M25]].

Four principal national railway lines pass through the county:
* the [[West Coast Main Line]] from {{stnlink|Euston}}. [[Avanti West Coast]] operates high speed [[InterCity (British Rail)|intercity]] services via {{stnlink|Watford Junction}} to [[the Midlands]], [[North Wales]], the [[North West England]] and [[Scotland]]. [[West Midlands Trains]] provides local commuter and regional services.
* the [[East Coast Main Line]] from {{stnlink|London King's Cross}}. Local commuter and regional services are provided by [[Govia Thameslink Railway]]. [[London North Eastern Railway]] runs high speed intercity services via {{stnlnk|Stevenage}} to the east coast of [[Northern England]] and [[Scotland]]
* the [[Midland Main Line]] which forms part of the [[Thameslink|Thameslink route]] between [[Bedford railway station|Bedford]] and [[Brighton railway station|Brighton]] via [[Central London]] with services are provided by [[Govia Thameslink Railway]]. [[East Midlands Railway]] provide intercity services along the line from [[St Pancras railway station|London St Pancras]] to the [[East Midlands]] and Yorkshire
* the [[West Anglia Main Line]] from [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]]. Local commuter and regional services are provided by [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]] mainly in the east of the county

A number of other local rail routes also cross Hertfordshire:
* the [[London to Aylesbury Line]] from [[Marylebone railway station|London Marylebone]] runs via [[Rickmansworth station|Rickmansworth]] and [[Chorleywood station|Chorleywood]]
* the [[Abbey Line]], a local line from Watford to {{stnlink|St Albans Abbey}}
* the [[Cambridge Line]], a branch of the East Coast line which runs via [[Royston railway station|Royston]] and [[Letchworth Garden City railway station|Letchworth]] to {{stnlink|Cambridge}}

Three commuter lines operated by [[Transport for London]] enter the county:
* the [[Lea Valley Lines]], a suburban metro line from Liverpool Street to [[Cheshunt railway station|Cheshunt]] via [[Seven Sisters railway station|Seven Sisters]]
* the [[Watford DC Line]], a suburban metro line from Euston to Watford Junction
* five stations on the [[London Underground]] [[Metropolitan line]]
The distance travelled by buses in Hertfordshire has reduced by 56.5% since 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-20 |title=Hertfordshire: Covid was catalyst for bus service reduction |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64704709 |access-date=2023-02-20}}</ref>

[[Stansted Airport]] and [[Luton Airport]] are both within {{convert|10|mi}} of the county's borders in Essex and Bedfordshire, respectively. The commercial airfield at [[Elstree]] is for light aircraft.

The [[Grand Union Canal]] passes through [[Rickmansworth]], [[Watford]], [[Hemel Hempstead]], [[Berkhamsted]] and [[Tring]].

{{Commons category|Hertfordshire}}

== Education ==
[[File:University of Hertfordshire building 1.jpg|thumb|right|[[University of Hertfordshire]]]]
{{see also|List of schools in Hertfordshire}}

Hertfordshire has 26 independent schools and 73 state secondary schools.
The state secondary schools are entirely [[comprehensive school|comprehensive]], although 7 schools in the south and southwest of the county are [[partially selective school (England)|partially selective]] (see [[Watford#Education|Education in Watford]]).
All state schools have [[sixth form]]s, and there are no [[sixth form college]]s.
The tertiary colleges, each with multiple campuses, are [[Hertford Regional College]], [[North Hertfordshire College]], [[Oaklands College]] and [[West Herts College]].
The [[University of Hertfordshire]] is a modern university based largely in [[Hatfield, Hertfordshire|Hatfield]]. It has more than 23,000 students.

== Literature ==
Hertfordshire is the location of [[Jack Worthing]]'s country house in [[Oscar Wilde]]'s play ''[[The Importance of Being Earnest]]''.

[[Jane Austen]]'s novel ''[[Pride and Prejudice (novel)|Pride and Prejudice]]'' is primarily set in Hertfordshire.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ourhertfordandware.org.uk/content/topics/pride_and_prejudice_-_the_hertford_connection |title=Pride and Prejudice - the Hertford connection|work=Our Hertford and Ware|access-date=2 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802165557/http://www.ourhertfordandware.org.uk/content/topics/pride_and_prejudice_-_the_hertford_connection|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The location of Mr Jarndyce's Bleak House in [[Charles Dickens]]'s ''[[Bleak House]]'' is near St Albans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/topics/literary_hertfordshire/charles-dickens|title=Charles Dickens|work=Herts Memories|access-date=2 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802193003/http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/topics/literary_hertfordshire/charles-dickens|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The eponymous residence in [[E. M. Forster]]'s novel ''[[Howards End]]'' was based on [[Rooks Nest House]] just outside [[Stevenage]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Forster|first=E. M. (Edward Morgan)|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext01/hoend10h.htm|title=Howards End|date=1 November 2001|via=Project Gutenberg}}</ref>

[[George Orwell]] based ''[[Animal Farm]]'' on [[Wallington, Hertfordshire]], where he lived between 1936 and 1940. Manor Farm and The Great Barn both feature in the novel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/propertymarket/3317585/At-the-gates-of-Animal-Farm.html|title=At the gates of Animal Farm|website=The Telegraph|date=24 September 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802194542/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/propertymarket/3317585/At-the-gates-of-Animal-Farm.html|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live|access-date=2 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/property/over-the-road-from-animal-farm-91486.html|title=Over the road from Animal Farm|work=The Independent|access-date=2 August 2018|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802172725/https://www.independent.co.uk/property/house-and-home/property/over-the-road-from-animal-farm-91486.html|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/may/24/guardianleaders1|title=All villages are equal|date=24 May 1999|website=The Guardian |access-date=2 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180802193259/https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/1999/may/24/guardianleaders1|archive-date=2 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|England}}
* [[Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire]]
* [[High Sheriff of Hertfordshire]]
* [[Custos Rotulorum of Hertfordshire]] – Keeper of the Rolls
* [[Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)]] – Historical list of MPs for Hertfordshire constituency
* [[List of Jewish communities in the United Kingdom#Hertfordshire|List of Jewish communities in Hertfordshire]]
* [[Hertfordshire GAA]]
* [[The Hundred Parishes]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=n}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk Hertfordshire County Council website]

{{Adjacent communities
| title = '''Neighbouring counties'''
| Centre    = Hertfordshire
| North     = [[Bedfordshire]], Cambridgeshire
| Northeast = [[Cambridgeshire]]
| East      = [[Essex]]
| Southeast = [[Essex]]
| South     = [[Greater London]]
| Southwest = [[Buckinghamshire]]
| West      = [[Bedfordshire]]<br>[[Buckinghamshire]]
| Northwest = [[Bedfordshire]]
}}

{{Hertfordshire}}
{{England counties}}
{{London commuter belt}}
{{Local authorities in Hertfordshire}}
{{Civil parishes of Hertfordshire}}
{{Listed buildings in Hertfordshire}}
{{Pubs in Hertfordshire}}
{{Rivers and Watercourses of Hertfordshire}}
{{SSSIs Hertfordshire}}
{{Local Nature Reserves in Hertfordshire}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Hertfordshire| ]]
[[Category:Non-metropolitan counties]]
[[Category:Home counties]]
[[Category:Counties of England established in antiquity]]