Stanford-le-Hope is a town, former civil parish and Church of England parish in the unitary authority area of Thurrock, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. Often known locally simply as Stanford, the town is located 24 miles east of Charing Cross in London. In 2011 it had a population of 28,765. Early modernist author Joseph Conrad lived in Stanford-le-Hope from 1896 to 1898.