Stroud is a spread around town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town’s population was 13,500 in 2021.

Sited under the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting dwindling of the Five Valleys, the town is noted for its steep streets. The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty surrounds the town, and the Cotswold Way pathway passes by it to the west. It lies 10 miles (16 km) south of the city of Gloucester, 14 miles (23 km) south-southwest of Cheltenham, 13 miles (21 km) west-northwest of Cirencester and 26 miles (42 km) north-east of the city of Bristol. London is 91 miles (146 km) east-southeast of Stroud and the Welsh border at Whitebrook, Monmouthshire, is 19 miles (31 km) to the west. Not allocation of the town itself, the civil parishes of Rodborough and Cainscross form allowance of Stroud’s urban area.

Stroud acts as a commercial middle for surrounding villages and broadcast towns including Amberley, Bisley, Bussage, Chalford, Dursley, Eastcombe, Eastington, King’s Stanley, Leonard Stanley, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth, Oakridge, Painswick, Randwick, Selsley, Sheepscombe, Slad, Stonehouse, Brimscombe & Thrupp, Whiteshill and Woodchester.^{[better source needed]}

In March 2021 The Sunday Times named Stroud the best place to stimulate in the UK, citing the town’s abundance of green spaces, independent spirit, and tall quality of schools.