Hillsborough

Hillsborough is a place name that appears in several countries and contexts, most prominently in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States. The name is typically derived from Old English elements meaning hill and a fortified place or town.

In Northern Ireland, Hillsborough refers to a village in County Down, noted for its historic town center and Hillsborough Castle, a residence used by the royal family in Northern Ireland. In England, Hillsborough is a suburb of Sheffield; the Hillsborough Stadium there was the site of the 1989 FA Cup semi-final disaster, a tragedy that spurred sweeping reforms in stadium safety and crowd management.

In the United States, Hillsborough denotes multiple towns. Hillsborough, California, is a residential community in San Mateo County. Hillsborough, North Carolina, is a town that serves as the county seat of Orange County and lies near the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill area. Hillsborough, New Hampshire, is a town in Hillsborough County with a historic main street and surrounding rural areas.

The name also appears in other contexts, most notably linked to the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 and as a common toponym in English-speaking regions. Across its various uses, Hillsborough typically reflects historical ties to hilltop geography and fortified or civic settlement.