The London Borough of Merton is a borough in south-west London, England. The borough was formed under the London Government Act 1963 in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon as well as the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly inside Surrey. The borough derives its name from the historic parish of Merton, which was centred on the area now called South Wimbledon. The local authority is Merton London Borough Council.
In accordance with population estimates made during 2014, the borough features a permanent population of about 203515 individuals. Merton is served by a wide array of National Rail stations across the borough, as well as the southern tip of the London Underground's Northern line and the District line around the Wimbledon branch. It's the only London Borough which has tube, rail and tram services.
The primary commercial centres in Merton are Mitcham, Morden and Wimbledon, of which Wimbledon is the biggest. Other smaller sized centres include Raynes Park, Colliers Wood, South Wimbledon, Wimbledon Park and Pollards Hill. Every year, Wimbledon, one of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments, is held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Church Road Wimbledon. The occasion happens over a fortnight at the end of June and start of July and it is the largest annual sporting occasion to take place in the United Kingdom, attracting more than 200000 guests throughout the Wimbledon fortnight.