The population is 198,019 and the major communities are Barnes, East Sheen, Mortlake, Kew, Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington and Hampton.

Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre are within its boundaries and draw domestic and international tourism.

Parts of the borough, including Barnes, Richmond, St Margarets, Cambridge Park and Marble Hill, some areas of Twickenham and much of East Sheen rival Stanmore Hill and Kenley as the highest house-price districts and neighbourhoods in Outer London.

The borough is home to the National Physical Laboratory and the attractions of Hampton Court Palace, Twickenham Stadium and the WWT London Wetlands Centre that draw domestic and international tourism.

[8] The local authority divides the borough into fourteen loosely bounded neighbourhoods, or "villages".

[13][14] Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the South West constituency, currently represented by the AM Gareth Roberts.

In 2006, research commissioned by a major mortgage lender found that, on the quantitative statistical indices used, the borough had the best quality of life in London and was in the top quarter of local authorities nationwide.

[17] Richmond upon Thames has the lowest child poverty rates in London at 20%[18] and contains at least one ward with an above-average level (for London) of working-age adults receiving out-of-work benefits but even this borough – reflecting the best result – has two standard poverty indices of sixteen in which it is placed in the worst quarter of boroughs.

The borough is connected to central London and Reading by the National Rail services of the South Western Railway.

Two stations, served by the District line, are located towards the borough's northeastern end: Richmond and Kew Gardens.

The southwestern end of the district, encompassing areas such as Twickenham are served instead by suburban railway services.

The borough adopted a tertiary post-16 provision with virtually all 16-19 studies taking place at this college.

The River Thames flows through the borough and a number of sailing and rowing clubs are located along it.

[29] Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham displays material from the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames' art collection.

[30] This includes a portrait of James Johnston by Thomas Gibson, paintings of Orleans House by Arthur Vickers and several other artists, and the Burton Collection, which includes artwork, personal effects and photographs of the explorer Richard Francis Burton.

The Richmond Theatre at the side of Little Green is a Victorian structure designed by Frank Matcham and restored and extended by Carl Toms in 1990.

The theatre has a weekly schedule of plays and musicals, usually given by professional touring companies, and pre-West End shows can sometimes be seen.

As audience numbers increased there was pressure to find a more accommodating space and, in 1991, the company moved to current premises within a converted primary school.

[34] The Cabbage Patch pub on London Road near Twickenham railway station has, since 1983, been a regular venue for live music on Sunday nights, organised by TwickFolk.