Hockley is a large village and civil parish in Essex in the East of England located between Chelmsford and Southend-on-Sea, or, more specifically, between Rayleigh and Rochford. It came to prominence during the coming of the railway in the 1890s and at the 2001 census had a population of 13,616 people, reducing to 9,616 at the 2011 Census, many of whom commute to London. The parish of Hockley itself has a population of 8,909, while the urban area runs into the neighbouring parish of Hawkwell. Hockley railway station serves the village.