Situated on the Peel River within the local government area of the Tamworth Regional Council, it is the largest and most populated city in the region, with a population of 43,874 in 2021,[1] making it the third largest inland city in New South Wales (after Wagga Wagga and Albury).

[4][5][6] The Kamilaroi or Gamilaroi ('G' and 'K' can be pronounced the same) people, from whose language comes the word "budgerigar", inhabited the area before European contact.

In 1818, John Oxley passed through the Peel Valley and commented, "it would be impossible to find a finer or more luxuriant country than its waters...No place in this world can afford more advantages to the industrious settler than this extensive vale".

[8] In the 1830s, a company town began to develop on the Peel's southwest bank, the present site of West Tamworth.

[7] The first streetlights used in Australia were commercially owned in Waratah Tasmania in 1886,[11] but on 9 November 1888, Tamworth became the first location in Australia to have electric street lighting powered by a municipally owned power station, giving the town the title of "First Town of Light".

[citation needed] Tamworth is located on the western side of the Great Dividing Range, on the banks of the Peel River, about 420 km (260 mi) north of Sydney on the New England Highway, and 280 km (170 mi) inland from Port Macquarie on the Oxley Highway.

The city is situated at a narrow point on the Peel River floodplain, nestled at the base of the Wentworth Mounds, a spur of the Moonbi Range, where the Northwest Slopes rise to the Northern Tablelands.

Water for residents and the town's industry is supplied by Chaffey Dam, 44 km (27 mi) south east of the city.

An estimated 307,000 hectares (760,000 acres) of land are used for the agricultural industry, with an economic gross value of $75 million contributing to the Tamworth economy.

[36] Other agricultural areas include alpaca, buffalo, berry, fish, goat, hydroponic, nut, olive, and specialised game fowl farming, as well as wineries.

[36] Tamworth is recognised nationally as the sporting horse capital of Australia and is the headquarters of three major equine associations: CHA, ABCRA and AQHA.

Various international, national and state championships are regularly held in the Tamworth district, as well as Australia's richest sporting horse event; the NCHA Futurity.

Additionally, the ABCRA National Finals Rodeo occurs during the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

The Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre has been built by the Tamworth Regional Council at a cost of $30 million.

Tamworth is the largest and main retail centre for the New England and North West Slopes regions of New South Wales.

Shopping centres include: Tourism is a significant industry in the Tamworth area, worth $AUD239 million annually as at December 2014,[41] with by far the most significant draw being the annual Tamworth Country Music Festival, the biggest event of its type in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere.

[44] It features thousands of Australian and international country music artists performing live shows 24 hours a day.

Tamworth otherwise honours country music by being home to the 'Big Golden Guitar', the Wax Museum, and the Hands of Fame Park.

It has significantly added to the existing cultural facilities in the region and provides a forum for live theatre, including dance, drama, music, educational activities, conferences and community events.

It is a multipurpose centre with a seating capacity of 5,100,[48] and is the biggest of its kind outside the New South Wales and south-east Queensland metropolitan areas.

[49][50][51] There has been media criticism for the amount of fast food establishments in Tamworth with the town receiving its fourth McDonalds.

[55] Many major annual and one-off sporting events are held in the town because of the wide range of facilities and venues available.

[55] The Northern Inland Academy of Sport is one important institution in the town that has helped talented sportspeople to establish themselves "on and off the field".

During the Queen's Birthday long weekend in June, Tamworth hosts a Baseball tournament with teams competing from all over NSW and QLD.

A larger power station was established in 1923 at a site in Marius Street, East Tamworth due to the high demand of electricity and the main building was demolished in 1982.

Since 2000, the Combined Churches of Tamworth have run a free to the public festival called "Lifefest" in Bicentennial Park.

The family day celebrates National Thanksgiving Day and involves various stalls with free food, drinks, games, and showbags, as well as a drama presentation, music performances, and displays from police, fire brigade and ambulance personnel; 2007 attracted a crowd of a few thousand to the festival in the park.

In 1970, the town (city hall, main street, swimming pool, Hoyts drive-in, and station) and region served as the setting for the Judy vignette in the 1971 film 3 to Go.

[67] Regional carrier Fly Corporate, now known as Link Airways, began a regular service between Brisbane and Tamworth on 31 October 2016.

[69] Tamworth was served by thrice-weekly bus services to Coffs Harbour and Brisbane by New England Coaches until 2021 because of coronavirus.