Hemel Hempstead is a town in Hertfordshire, England. Located 24 miles (39 km) northwest of London, it is part of the Greater London Urban Area. Developed after the Second World War as a new town, it has existed as a settlement since the 8th century and was granted its town charter by King Henry VIII in 1539. It is part of the district (and borough since 1984) of Dacorum and the Hemel Hempstead constituency.