Irlam is a suburb of Salford in Greater Manchester, England. Historically in Lancashire, in 2001 it had a population of 18,504, increasing to 19,933 at the 2011 Census. It lies on flat ground on the south side of the M62 motorway and the north bank of the Manchester Ship Canal, and is west-southwest of Salford, west-southwest of Manchester and east-northeast of Warrington. Irlam forms a continuous urban area with Cadishead to the southwest, and is divided from Flixton and the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford to the southeast by the Manchester Ship Canal. The main road through Irlam linking it to Cadishead and Eccles is the A57. For train services, Irlam railway station serves the district.