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The name 'York' has an interesting etymological history, ultimately deriving from the Latin name for the city, Eboracum, which derived from the Brythonic ebor-acon meaning "place of yew trees". The name may have been derived from another Roman city in the Iberian peninsula called Ebora (current day Evora in Portugal). The city was founded in AD 71, and has a rich Roman and Viking history, acting as capital of the Roman province of Britannia Inferior. After being settled by the Anglo-Saxons, the city was given the name Eoforwic (Meaning 'Boar's Dwelling'). It was also one of the capitals of Northumbria, the other being Bamburgh.

York later became the seat of the Archbishop of York, whose province of York covers northern England, and acted as the centre for the Viking kingdom of Jorvik. The city remained one of England's main cities throughout the middle ages, declining in relative importance only with the Industrial Revolution. York was the capital city of the country before London and is still a highly vibrant and thriving community to this day.

York's economic downturn during the Industrial Revolution meant that many medieval structures, elsewhere swept aside to make way for mills and factories, survived reasonably intact. The renewed interest in medievalism in the 19th century led to a widespread programme of renovation, and to this day the city attracts a great deal of tourism, the jewel in the crown being the city's historic cathedral church, York Minster.

York lies within the Vale of York, a flat area of arable land bordered by the Pennines, North York Moors and Wolds. The ings are flood meadows along the River Ouse, while the strays are scattered around the city in marshy, low-lying places.

During Roman times, the land surrounding the rivers Ouse and Foss was very marshy, making it easier to defend. The city is prone to severe flooding from the River Ouse, and has an extensive (but not always effective) network of flood defences. These include walls along the Ouse, and a barrier across the River Foss where it joins the Ouse.

The floods of late October and early November 2000, which were the highest for over 350 years, caused much damage, but the water did not breach the (sandbag reinforced) flood walls. Much land within the city has always been too flood-prone for development.

York railway station is situated on the East Coast, Cross Country and TransPennine mainlines.

The population of York is about 181,000. Until fairly recently, the city was almost 100% White. It now stands at 97.84% White, which is still high for a city of this size. In terms of class, York is also less diverse than most cities; there are not many areas of York can be categorised as working- or middle-class areas in the way that most areas of Leeds could be. York's population has a slightly higher elderly population than the national average.

York's economy is based largely on tourism, science and service-based industries. This is very different from the position as recently as the 1950s, when York's prosperity was based on chocolate manufacturing and the railways. Most of the industry around the railway has gone, including the carriage works which once employed some 22,000 men. Major employers now include City of York Council, Norwich Union, Card Protection Plan and Nestlé, amongst others.