Essex is not only a coastal county (the North Sea is to its east) but a home county because it touches Greater London on its eastern borders. Its settlements vary from Colchester, which is very historical and used to be the capital of England as Camulodunum, to Southend, a seaside resort, to Basildon, which is a comparatively modern urban development. The western side of Essex hosts many London workers and there are fast rail links to, for example, Shenfield from London Liverpool Street which aid many city workers.

Essex's county town is Chelmsford (and is the county's only city), where Essex County Cricket Club are based. Essex hosts Stansted Airport and attractions such as the Lakeside Shopping Centre, near Thurrock and Epping Forest, a popular forest for camping and other activities. A large proportion of Essex's boundaries are water (the River Thames and the North Sea), the remainder includes Greater London, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Kent is across the River Thames to the south.