Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and home to Loughborough University. The town had a population of 57,600 in 2004, making it the largest settlement in Leicestershire outside the city of Leicester. The town is close to the Nottinghamshire border and is within a short distance of locations such as Nottingham, the East Midlands Airport and Derby.

The town has the world's largest bell foundry — John Taylor Bellfounders, which made the bells for the Carillon war memorial, a landmark within the Queens Park in the town, Great Paul for St Paul's Cathedral, and York Minster. The first mention of Loughborough is in the 1086 Domesday Book.

Loughborough's local weekly newspaper is the Loughborough Echo. The town is also served by Leicestershire's daily newspaper, the Leicester Mercury.