Johnstone (Scots: Johnstoun,[2] Scottish Gaelic: Baile Iain)[3] is a town in the administrative area of Renfrewshire and larger historic county of the same name, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.

[4] Part of the biggest conurbation in Scotland, Johnstone is at the western edge of the Greater Glasgow Urban Area.

In 1782, the Laird, George Houstoun, commissioned designs for a series of regular residential streets, which now form the town centre.

[5] A six-storey cotton mill, one of the largest in Scotland, was built in 1782, and was rescued from failure by Robert Burns of Paisley sometime before 1812.

[7] As the community expanded, slum conditions formed in part of the town: the population by 1831 had increased to a sizeable 5,600.

In 2007 the two schools were housed in a new shared building nearby, 'West Johnstone Shared Campus', just outside Thomas Shanks Public Park, the locations of the original schools (between Dundonald Avenue and Craigview Avenue) remain overgrown 'gap sites' awaiting redevelopment.

For elections to the Scottish Parliament, Johnstone is included in the constituency of Renfrewshire South, currently held by SNP politician Tom Arthur since 2016.

In the UK Parliament the town is contained within the seat of Paisley and Renfrewshire South, represented by the Labour Party's Johanna Baxter since the 2024 general election.

Johnstone is served by Glasgow International Airport, which is located 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) northeast of the town.

A dual carriageway, the A737, connects Johnstone to the M8 motorway to provide car transport links to central Scotland.