[2] In medieval times, Islington was just one of many small manors in the area, along with Bernersbury, Neweton Berewe or Hey-bury, and Canonesbury (Barnsbury, Highbury and Canonbury – names first recorded in the 13th and 14th centuries).

From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.

From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards.

In the Victorian Age, some parts of Islington such as Clerkenwell were known for their poverty, which George Gissing describes in his naturalist novel, The Nether World (1889).

Since this time, Islington has been a subject of gentrification and with the median house price rising rapidly since the 2020 pandemic.

The Borough boasts a large transport network for rail, bus, cycles and road users.

There are also several London Overground stations in the borough, all but one of which are in London fare zone 2: There are several other National Rail stations in Islington, which offer direct services to destinations across London, East Anglia and South East England: Farringdon and Finsbury Park are served by Thameslink services, with some trains travelling direct to Gatwick Airport, as well as destinations including Cambridge, Peterborough, Brighton and Sevenoaks.

Other stations, including Finsbury Park, are served by Great Northern trains which normally operate between Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City or Stevenage via Hertford North.

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 19.4% of all residents aged 16–74; bus, minibus or coach, 10.3%; on foot, 10.3%; bicycle, 6.2%; driving a car or van, 6.0%; train, 3.7%; work mainly at or from home, 3.6%.

When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased—reaching nearly 400,000 by the turn of the century; with the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury particularly suffering deprivation, poverty and severe overcrowding.

According to the 2011 census, Islington has the highest population density of local authorities in England and Wales—13,875 people per square kilometre.

[12] A 2017 study by Trust for London and the New Policy Institute found that a third of Islington residents lived in poverty.

The London Borough of Islington is home to two higher education institutions: Moorfields Eye Hospital is a major centre for postgraduate training of ophthalmologists, orthoptists, optometrists, and nurses.