Shaw is located about 10 miles north of Manchester in North West England.

It is part of the Oldham, which is in turn, one of the ten township's of Greater Manchester. Shaw is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, with three councillors in the Oldham Council. Shaw and Crompton share a parish council with parochial responsibilities.

It is an historic cotton mill town, that in the 19th century had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.