It borders the London boroughs of Barnet to the west, Haringey to the south, and Waltham Forest to the southeast.

Artefacts found in the early 1900s reveal that there were Roman settlements in the areas that are now Edmonton and Bush Hill Park.

In the 890s strongholds were built by men loyal to King Alfred the Great, in order to keep the Danes to the east of the River Lea.

The old market cross was removed in the early 20th century to make way for a monument to the coronation of King Edward VII, but was preserved by the horticulturalist E. A. Bowles for his garden at nearby Myddelton House, where it remains today.

[3] Nearby historically was the palace of Edward VI, where Elizabeth I lived while a princess, including during the final illness of Henry VIII.

The world's first solid state circuitry colour televisions were manufactured by Ferguson at their now closed plant in Enfield.

The Barclays Bank branch in Enfield was the first place in the world to have an ATM or cash machine; it was officially opened in June 1967 by Reg Varney, a television actor and personality most famous for his lead role in the comedy series On the Buses.

The area of the modern borough broadly corresponds to the two ancient parishes of Enfield and Edmonton, and was historically part of the county of Middlesex.

An extension was added to the existing retail area with many new shops, and a second multi-storey car park was built along with a new road layout.

A major redevelopment of Edmonton Green including the shopping centre, and adjacent municipal housing over a wide area, started in 1999.

This is still on-going, and provides new housing, health facilities, a new leisure centre, a supermarket, and many other civic features.

[citation needed] The western part of Enfield is largely residential, with shopping centres in Southgate, Palmers Green and Cockfosters.

The Sony Distribution Centre in the Innova Business Park, near Waltham Cross, was burnt to the ground.

In September 2012, a year after the attack, a rebuilt Sony Distribution Centre was opened by the prime minister, David Cameron.

The borough has three members of parliament (MPs) representing Enfield North, Edmonton and Winchmore Hill and Southgate and Wood Green constituencies.

The borough is home to the well-renowned Enfield Grammar School, founded in 1558, which still uses its Tudor building which is now often referred to as the Old Hall.

[citation needed] Middlesex University, the former polytechnic, used to have two campuses in Enfield: Cat Hill and Trent Park.

The Red Room music and film project ran from 2008 – 2014 based in Ponders End, aimed at 13 – 19 year olds supported and funded by Enfield Council.

Saracens Rugby Football Club used to play in Enfield and still train at Bramley Road sports ground near Cockfosters.

Enfield, Southgate, and Winchmore Hill have long been the area's most successful cricket clubs, regularly competing in the Middlesex Premier League.

[32] Talkies Community Cinema screens British Independent and specialist films in a range of venues across the borough.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club's new training ground is located in Enfield at Bulls Cross.

[35] The first international branch of the WWE Performance Center was opened in Enfield's Great Cambridge Industrial Estate on 11 January 2019.

[36] In 1840 the first section of the Northern and Eastern Railway was opened from Stratford to Broxbourne, with stations at Water Lane (Angel Road) and Ponders End.

In 1891, a loop from Edmonton serving Southbury (Churchbury) and Turkey Street (Forty Hill) to Cheshunt on the main line was added.

Suburban London Overground and National Rail Great Northern services also run within the borough.

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: driving a car or van, 26.1% of all residents aged 16–74; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 8.2%; bus, minibus or coach, 8.2%; train, 7.3%; on foot, 4.0%; work mainly at or from home, 2.7%; passenger in a car or van, 1.6%.