Chester (/ˈtʃɛstər/ CHESS-tər) is a walled city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, with a population of 79,645 it is the largest and most populous settlement of the unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a combined population of 329,608 at the 2011 Census. Chester was granted city status in 1541.