Hemel Hempstead is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England. It is located 24 miles north-west of London; nearby towns include Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. The population at the 2021 census was 95,961. Hemel Hempstead has existed since at least the 8th century and was granted its town charter by Henry VIII in 1539. However, it has expanded and developed in recent decades after being designated as a new town after the end of the Second World War.