Romford was originally a market town in Essex. The town developed on the main road to London with Romford Market was established in 1247.
The railway station open in 1839 which was key to the development of the Star Brewery. The Eastern Counties Railway services operated between Mile End and Romford, with extensions to Brentwood and to Shoreditch in 1840. A second station was opened in 1892 by the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, giving Romford a rail connection to Tilbury Docks. The two stations were combined in 1934.
There was a shift from agriculture to light industry during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and then to retail and commerce.
In the 20th century, Romford significantly expanded, becoming a municipal borough in 1937 and part of Greater London since 1965 when the area was transferred from Essex.