Coordinates: 54°31′37″N 1°33′09″W / 54.5270°N 1.5526°W / 54.5270; -1.5526

Darlington is a market town in County Durham, in the North East of England and is also part of the Tees Valley region. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Darlington, with a resident population of 106,000 in 2011. The town lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. The town owes much of its development to the influence of local Quaker families during the Victorian era, and it is famous as the terminus of the world's first passenger railway. Darlington railway station is a stop on the East Coast Main Line. Darlington is currently represented at the UK Parliament by Jenny Chapman MP.

History

Early history

Darlington started life as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. The name Darlington derives from the Anglo-Saxon Dearthington, which seemingly meant 'the settlement of Deornoth's people' but by Norman times the name had changed to Derlinton. During the 17th and 18th centuries the town was generally known by the name of Darnton.

Darlington is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of County Durham, north-east England. It borders the non-metropolitan county of County Durham to the north and west, Stockton-on-Tees to the east and North Yorkshire to the south along the line of the River Tees. The urban centre of the borough is the town of Darlington and is a major component of the Tees Valley economic area. In 2011 it had a resident population of 106,000.

Council

Traditionally part of County Durham, the current borough boundaries were formed on 1 April 1974 by the creation of a new non-metropolitan district of Darlington by the Local Government Act 1972, covering the previous county borough of Darlington along with nearly all of Darlington Rural District (the Newton Aycliffe parts of which went to Sedgefield). It remained part of County Durham until gaining "independence" as a unitary authority on 1 April 1997. For ceremonial purposes it remains part of County Durham with whom it continues to share certain local services such as Fire and Rescue and Police. It is included within the Tees Valley area for both cultural and regional government administration.

Darlington is a small city in and the county seat of Darlington County, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a center for tobacco farming. The population was 6,289 at the 2010 census, down from 6,720 at the 2000 census. Darlington is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Darlington, theorized to be named for the Revolutionary War Colonel Darlington, is known for its Darlington Oak and Spanish moss. Darlington County was named thus by an Act in March 1785.

Darlington is best known for Darlington Raceway, a speedway that is home to the annual NASCAR Southern 500 race. Darlington is also the site of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame.

History

Early history

This area was settled in the mid-18th century by Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and English farmers, who grew cotton primarily.

The settlement of what is now Darlington County began in earnest after 1736 and 1737 when the province of South Carolina set aside a vast area of land for the Welsh Baptists of Delaware. This Welsh Tract bordered both sides of the Pee Dee River. Soon after the first settlers began to arrive they constituted the Welsh Neck Baptist Church. This church was first located on the north side of the Pee Dee River, opposite present-day Society Hill. For almost thirty years settlers concentrated on the banks and small tributaries of the Pee Dee River. Beginning in the 1760s and continuing into the 1770s other groups slowly made their way into present-day Darlington and were granted lands on the Lynches River, Jeffries Creek, and a host of other watercourses. These later settlers included descendants of French Huguenots, Scots-Irish, and the English.