Bromley is a large suburban town, the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London, England. It was historically a market town chartered since 1158 and an ancient parish in the county of Kent. Its location on a coaching route and the opening of a railway station in 1858 were key to its development, and the economic history of Bromley is underpinned by a shift from an agrarian village to commerce and retail. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Bromley significantly increased in population and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1903. It has developed into one of a handful of regionally significant commercial and retail districts outside central London and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. Most of Bromley including the town centre falls under the BR1 postcode district, whereas areas to the west towards Shortlands are part of BR2 instead. The population of the town, consisting of the Bromley Town ward, was 16,826 in the 2011 census.