Penrith is situated to the west of the Sydney CBD and east of the Nepean River, near the Blue Mountains. It is an outlying suburb located at the western verge of the Cumberland Plain. Penrith was most likely named for the town of Penrith, England. The city of Penrith includes numerous other smaller suburbs and localities. It supports a growing residential population of 184,000. The city includes a shopping area of more than 200 shops.