[1] Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, in the mid-19th century Droylsden grew as a mill town on the Ashton canal.

Beginning in the early 1930s, Droylsden's population expanded rapidly as it became a housing overflow area for neighbouring Manchester.

[5] Droylsden is located at 53°28′58″N 2°9′30″W / 53.48278°N 2.15833°W / 53.48278; -2.15833 (53.4826, −2.1582), about 4 miles (6 km) to the east of Manchester city centre, close to Ashton-under-Lyne, Failsworth, Clayton, Openshaw and Newton Heath.

Bus 216 runs a main-road service between Manchester city centre and Ashton-under-Lyne, sometimes extending to Stalybridge in the evening.

Droylsden Academy, which was sponsored by Tameside College, opened in September 2009, in the existing buildings of the two former schools.

[8] Fairfield High School for Girls was unaffected by these changes and has been granted Specialist Science College status.

[9] It became an urban district of the administrative county of Lancashire under the Local Government Act 1894, and was granted its arms on 16 October 1950.

Manchester's expansion to the east and the increase in the electorate, resulted in the seat being divided in the 1950 boundary change.

He was replaced by his fellow Labour Party member Angela Rayner in the 2015 UK General Election.

[citation needed] England's rugby union captain from 1956 to 1958, Eric Evans, was born in Droylsden in 1921.

Harry Pollitt, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain, was born in the town in 1890.

[13] Rev Arthur Herbert Procter, Victoria Cross recipient, was Rector of St Mary's parish church from 1946 to 1951.

Other notable people who grew up in the town include 10cc's Eric Stewart, Howard Donald of Take That, cult author Jeff Noon, professional boxer Prince Arron, and the musician known as "Damian".