Situated at the head of the Ebbw Fawr valley, Ebbw Vale is the largest town in Blaenau Gwent.

Ebbw Vale lies in south-eastern Wales, positioned along the upper course of the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River. It forms a conurbation with Brynmawr and sits close to Tredegar, Nantyglo, Blaina, and the Brecon Beacons National Park.

The town has direct access to the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road, which links the eastern and western valleys.

Archaeological traces show that the uplands around Ebbw Vale were inhabited long before the industrial era. These include Y Domen Fawr, a Bronze Age burial cairn overlooking the town, as well as Cefn Manmoel Dyke, a boundary earthwork believed to be either Neolithic or medieval in origin. This suggests a long-term human presence in what was, until the 18th century, a sparsely populated rural area of Monmouthshire.

Ebbw Vale remained a quiet upland farming district until the late 1700s, when the Industrial Revolution transformed the valley. The Ebbw Vale Ironworks opened in 1778, initiating rapid industrialization. In the 1790s, coal mines were established to support iron production. The rails for the Stockton & Darlington Railway were manufactured in Ebbw Vale. In the early 20th century, steel from Ebbw Vale was used in several major projects, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge. By the 1930s and 40s, the steelworks had become the largest in Europe, employing around 14,500 people by the 1960s. However, the decline of the British steel industry in the late 20th century led to closures, and the final works shut in 2002.

Iron, steel, and coal were strong components of Ebbw Vale's identity. For over two centuries, the town's ironworks and later, steelworks, dominated local employment and shaped many of the town's structures. Coal mining, engineering, and associated trades supported a dense industrial economy.

Following the industrial collapse, the town shifted toward light manufacturing and tinplate production, a remnant of its metallurgical heritage, supplemented by retail, services, and tourism.

Attractions, landmarks, and events in Ebbw Vale include the Ebbw Vale Works Museum, located in the former steelworks Time Office, preserving artefacts and stories of the town's industrial past. The Beaufort Theatre is a community arts venue that hosts music events, theatre, comedy, and film. Created for the 1992 Garden Festival, Festival Park is now a large park with lakes, woodland paths, and recreational facilities, and Ebbw Valley Railway Path is a traffic-free walking and cycling route that follows the old railway line.

Area events often celebrate local culture, industrial heritage, and community arts, with regular programming at the Beaufort Theatre and seasonal activities in the parklands.

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