Warrington is a large town and borough in Cheshire, England. It sits beside the West Coast Mainline, the M6, M56 and M62 motorways, upon the River Mersey and alongside the Manchester Ship Canal. Its population has more than doubled since it was designated a new town in 1968. Historically a part of Lancashire, and today governed by a Unitary Authority, the population of the Warrington borough, including its 18 civil parishes, is 191,084 (2001 Census). 158,195 of these live in the Warrington Urban Area, defined by the ONS, and of these, 80,661 live in the core area.