From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [1] Staines is a town on the River Thames in the borough of Spelthorne in Surrey, England. It is an urban development within the western bounds of the M25 motorway and located 17 miles west south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is within the London Commuter Belt of South East England and the built up Greater London Urban Area. Before 1 April 1965 it was in the historic county of Middlesex. The town changed its official name from Staines to Staines-upon-Thames on 20 May 2012. Staines is located on the Thames Path National Trail.