Penzance is a town, civil parish, and port located in Cornwall, England, situated within the United Kingdom. It lies 64 miles west-southwest of Plymouth and 255 miles from London, positioned nine miles east of Land's End. The town sits in the shelter of Mount's Bay, facing south-east onto the English Channel. As the most south-westerly town in West Cornwall, it serves as a key administrative center for the Penwith area and acts as the primary transport link to the Isles of Scilly via seasonal ferry services.

The settlement has ancient roots, with prehistoric stone axes found in the region suggesting early trade networks. The first recorded mention of the name Pensans appears in an 1284 Assize Roll, while the area likely featured in the Domesday Book under the Manor of Alverton. Penzance was granted a market charter in 1404 and formally incorporated as a borough in 1614. Its history includes Roman coin finds and Iron Age earthworks like Lescudjack Castle, reflecting centuries of continuous habitation and strategic importance in Cornwall.

The parish encompasses the fishing port of Newlyn and villages such as Mousehole, Paul, Gulval, and Heamoor. Architectural highlights include Regency and Georgian terraces, Chapel Street's Egyptian House, and Branwell House, once home to the Brontë sisters' relatives. The town features the sub-tropical Morrab Gardens and a seafront promenade with the Jubilee Pool, one of the oldest surviving Art Deco swimming baths in the country. The civic regalia displays the severed head of St John the Baptist, reflecting the town's toponymic origins.

Penzance is culturally significant as the setting for Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, written when the town was a peaceful resort. It attracts cultural tourism due to its long association with the arts and serves as a base for exploring the Penwith peninsula. The town's identity is deeply tied to its maritime heritage and literary connections, drawing visitors interested in its unique history and scenic coastal environment rather than just its operational role as a transport hub.

At the 2021 census, the population of the parish was recorded as 20,734, while the built-up area held 14,960 residents. Penzance railway station is the southernmost and westernmost station in England, terminating the Cornish Main Line with direct services from London Paddington and Exeter. Access is also available via Newquay Airport, Exeter Airport, and Land's End Airport for Isles of Scilly flights. The town functions as a vital gateway for regional travel and tourism throughout the year.