Its position has meant that many people have lived here through the ages: there have been finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age .The Romans built the Dover to London road (afterwards named Watling Street ) which crossed the River Darent here. Noviomagus (Crayford) is close by.The town became a market centre during the Middle Ages, and two groups of friars - the Domicans and the Franciscans - built hospitals here for the care of the sick, especially those wayfarers on pilgrimage through the town.In 1576 a school was provided for teaching grammar.

The coming of the railways brought an end to the turnpikes. Eventually tarmacadam roads appeared; and in 1925 the building of what was to become the A2 main road took traffic away from Dartford town Centre.The first railway from London to reach the town was the North Kent Line via Woolwich in 1849, connecting at Gravesend with the line through the Medway Towns. Later two more lines were built: the ’’Dartford Loop line’’ through Sidcup opened in 1866 .the Bexleyheath line’’ opened in 1895 The three routes make Dartford a very busy junction. All the lines were electrified on 6 June 1926. The original station buildings at Dartford were replaced in the 1980s.