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Peterborough (/ˈpiːtərbrə/ or /ˈpiːtərbərə/) is a Cathedral City and Unitary Authority Area in the East of England, with a population estimated in 2012 to be 186,400, of which 137,910 were residents in the urban area of the city. Although previously administered by the traditional county of Northamptonshire, for ceremonial and some administrative purposes it falls within the county of Cambridgeshire. It is the 27th largest in the United Kingdom, excluding urban zones. Situated 75 miles (121 km) north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea approximately 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The unitary authority borders Northamptonshire and Rutland to the west, Lincolnshire to the north, and Cambridgeshire to the south and east.

The local topography is flat and low-lying, and in some places lies below sea level, for example in the Fens that lie to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral. Peterborough was until 1965 part of Northamptonshire, although the city with its surrounding rural area was from medieval times administered separately as the Soke of Peterborough.

The population grew rapidly following the arrival of the railways in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly noted for its brick manufacture. Following the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. Housing and population are expanding and a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding area is underway. In common with much of the United Kingdom, industrial employment has fallen, with a significant proportion of new jobs in financial services and distribution.