Ballinasloe occupies a strategic location on the N6 National Primary route linking Dublin and Galway and is one of the principal gateways to the West. The town owes its origins to its location as a crossing point on the River Suck, a tributary of the Shannon, on the boarders of Counties Galway and Roscommon. It is the largest town in County Galway after Galway City, and its hinterland extends up to twelve miles from the town boundary into County Galway, and up to six miles into County Roscommon. The population of the town is almost 6,000 with a further 8,000 residing in the environs.