Cheshire ( CHESH-ər, -eer; Welsh: Sir Gaer), archaically the County Palatine of Chester, is a historic county in northwest England. It is bordered by Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south, and the Welsh local authorities of Flintshire and Wrexham to the west. Cheshire's county town is Chester, while its largest town by population is Warrington. Other major towns include Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Knutsford, Macclesfield, Nantwich, Northwich, Runcorn, Widnes, Wilmslow, and Winsford.