Sandy is a town and civil parish in Central Bedfordshire, England. It lies 8 miles to the east of Bedford, 18 miles to the south west of Cambridge and 43 miles north of Central London. It had a population of 12,171 at the 2021 census. The town takes its name from a low range of sandy hills on the eastern side of the town, which form part of the Bedfordshire Greensand Ridge. The main part of the built-up area lies between the hills to the east and the River Ivel to the west.