Leicestershire (/ˈlɛstərʃər/ or /ˈlɛstərʃɪər/; abbreviation Leics.) is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from and is home to at least one third of Greater Leicester at its centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warwickshire to the south-west, Staffordshire to the west, and Derbyshire to the north-west. The border with most of Warwickshire is Watling Street (the A5).

The county has a population of just over 1 million with over half the population living in Leicester's built-up area.