Ashford (pop. 102,661) is a local government district in Kent, England, on the southern side of the North Downs. The market town of Ashford is the district's administrative and business center. The town has also become an important transportation center, with rail and road links to the Channel Tunnel. The town has factories that produce machine tools, plastics, cosmetics, and furniture. Outside the town, the district is rich in agriculture, and farming is important to the economy. See also Kent.