Borken (German pronunciation: [ˈbɔʁkn̩] ⓘ, Westphalian: Buorken) is a town and the capital of the district of the same name, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Around the year 800 the village was being used by Charles The Great (Charlemagne) as a stopover place on his travels.

In the last years of the Holy Roman Empire (1803–06) it was the capital of the short-lived principality of Salm.

Between 1880 and 1905 the area experienced the building of railroad connections: (1880 Wanne-Borken-Winterswijk line, 1901 Empel-Bocholt-Borken and Borken-Burgsteinfurt, 1905 Borken-Coesfeld-Münster).

Near the end of World War II the historic center of the city was heavily destroyed.