Created as the Municipal Borough of Salford in 1844. Became the County Borough of Salford in 1889, following the Local Government Act in 1888 in which all municipal boroughs with a population of 50,000 or more were designated as "county boroughs".

The City and County Borough of Salford was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972. Its territory transferred to Greater Manchester to form part of the metropolitan borough and City of Salford.