The borough of Barking and Dagenham consists of and includes the following areas:

• Barking
• Becontree
• Becontree Heath
• Chadwell Heath
• Creekmouth
• Dagenham
• Rush Green

The borough was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963 as the London Borough of Barking. The constituent parts were the greater part of the Municipal Borough of Barking and the entire Municipal Borough of Dagenham, the former area of which was transferred to Greater London from Essex. At the time of the amalgamation the combined population of Barking and Dagenham was around 180,000, the northern tip of Dagenham having been incorporated into Redbridge and a small area of Barking in Newham.

The borough was renamed Barking and Dagenham in 1980.