Rotherham i/ˈrɒðᵊrəm/ is a large town in South Yorkshire, England, which together with its conurbation and outlying settlements to the north, south and south-east forms the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, with a recorded population of 257,280 in the 2011 census. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, its central area is on the banks of the River Don below its confluence with the Rother on the traditional road between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham is today the largest town in a contiguous area with Sheffield, informally known as the Sheffield Urban Area and is as such an economic centre for many of Sheffield's suburbs — Sheffield City Centre is 5.6 miles (9.0 km) from Rotherham town centre.