Renfrew is located six miles west of Glasgow in the titular county. Renfrew is known as the Cradle of the Royal Stewarts, as a result of its early link with the Royal House of Scotland and Great Britain. The M8 intersects with Renfrew, and two junctions at Arkleston and Braehead provide access to the town.
Renfrew is the setting for the popular Braehead shopping centre and sprawling retail park, as well as the Soar leisure complex. Housebuilding at Ferry Village has radically changed the town's demographics in recent years, and Renfrew's final gap sites are due to be filled with housing over the next few years.