Halton, local government unitary authority, or administrative area, in north-western England. Situated on either side of the River Mersey, it is bordered by St Helens to the north, Warrington to the east, Cheshire to the south, Liverpool to the west, and Knowsley to the north-west. Widnes, located on the northern bank of the Mersey, is the administrative centre of the authority. Halton is composed of the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and the surrounding parishes of Hale, Preston Brook, Moore, and Daresbury; it has an area of 73 sq km (28 sq mi). Halton came into existence on April 1, 1998, and was established as a result of the review of local administration in the non-metropolitan counties of England carried out by the Local Government Commission that was established under the Local Government Act of 1992. The Borough of Halton first came into existence in 1974 following a national reorganization of local government and was formerly part of a two-tier structure with Cheshire County. For ceremonial and related occasions, the unitary authority forms part of Cheshire. For the physical geography, settlement, economy, and history of the area, see Cheshire. Population 118,215 (2001).