They collectively acquired almost half of the area and profited from coal and ironstone mines and iron smithies on their estates.

[5] The area was the site of the 1821 Cinderloo Uprising, which saw 3,000 people protest against the lowering of wages for those working in the local coal industry.

The Minister proposed an extension of 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) in 1968 (taking in the historic area of Ironbridge Gorge).

Many of the new town's residents were originally from the West Midlands conurbation, which includes Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall.

The area includes a refurbished library, various chain restaurants, Cineworld IMAX Cinema, a bowling alley/arcade and a new multi-storey car park.

The town covers 7,803 hectares (30.13 square miles) and its southern and eastern parts, between the Severn Gorge and Donnington Wood, include the East Shropshire coalfield.

The town centre stands on a watershed, with land to the south draining towards the River Severn and to the north sloping gently down towards the Weald Moors.

The town is dominated by the Wrekin, a large hill of 407 m (1335 ft),[14] south-west of Wellington, straddling the border with the unitary Shropshire Council (before the latter's creation in 2009 the borough of Shrewsbury and Atcham).

It was then held by Lucy Allen who stood down ahead of the 2024 general election after defecting to the Reform UK party.

However, in 1967 Halesfield Industrial Estate was founded on the south-eastern edge of the town – the first real answer to Telford's unemployment problems.

In total, half a million square metres of factory space were provided between 1968 and 1983, making Telford an attractive investment area.

[23] The new arrivals included the American company Unimation and three firms from Japan: Nikon UK Ltd., which opened a warehouse at Halesfield in 1983;[24] video-tape manufacturers Hitachi Maxell at Apley Castle in 1983;[25] and office equipment manufacturers Ricoh, who took a 22-acre (89,000 m2) site for a factory at Priorslee next to the M54, and formed the first in Telford's new enterprise zone.

[29] In recent years the local economy has matured, the median gross weekly earnings for full-time workers who work in Telford and Wrekin was £563 in 2019 (West Midlands £552.50 and England £591.40).

Telford has attracted several large IT services companies, including EDS who support the MOD contract from the Euston Park site, as well as a vast array of clients across the world from the Plaza building.

Also Capgemini and Fujitsu employ a significant number of staff in the area, mainly supporting their governmental client, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

By August 2007, the success story of Telford's economy had seen unemployment shrink to 3.3% – a fraction of its peak 15 years earlier.

In 2019 a joint venture called Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land installed itself in Telford, not far from Babcock DSG.

[34] Aqueduct, Brookside, Dawley Bank, Doseley, Hollinswood, Heath Hill, Horsehay, Lawley, Lawley Bank, Lightmoor, Little Dawley, Malinslee, Newdale, Old Park, Overdale, Randlay, Stirchley, Sutton Hill, The Rock, Tweedale, Woodside.

Arleston, Donnington, Donnington Wood, Hadley, Hartshill, Haybridge, Ketley, Ketley Bank, Ketleybrook, Ketleyhill, Leegomery, Muxton, Priorslee, Priorslee, Red Lake, Snedshill, St Georges, Trench, Trench Lock, Wombridge, Wrockwardine Wood.

Blists Hill, Coalbrookdale, Coalport, Dawley, Ironbridge, Jackfield, Madeley, Newport, Oakengates, Wellington, Admaston, Bratton, Dothill and Shawbirch.

It is home to the administrative headquarters of Telford & Wrekin Council, which are now based at Addenbrook House on Ironmasters Way, after moving from the old Civic Offices (dating from the mid-1970s) in December 2012.

[37][38] Wrekin College, an independent co-educational boarding and day school, is located in the Wellington area of Telford.

Local news and television programmes are provided by BBC West Midlands and ITV Central.

Television signals are received from the nearby Wrekin TV transmitter situated south east of Telford.

[41] Telford is situated at the terminus of the M54 motorway, a spur of the M6 linking the town with Wolverhampton and the West Midlands, and on the A5 road between Shrewsbury and Cannock.

A service to Walsall was introduced from Wellington via Wolverhampton but proved to be unprofitable and was withdrawn by London Midland in December 2008.

The venture however proved unprofitable and ceased to operate on 28 January 2011,[43] leaving Shropshire as the only English county without a direct train link to London.

Between 1 June 2021 and January 2022, Chaserider launched service X14 to Cannock and the McArthur Glenn West Midlands Designer Outlet.

[87][88] Telford has a Supporters Club following Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., organising travel to away games and hosting social functions.

[94] Shropshire Warriors Basketball Club play at Telford College of Art and Technology (TCAT).