Stony Stratford (sometimes shortened to Stony) is a town in the Unitary Authority of Milton Keynes, England. It is located on the border with Northamptonshire, to the north-west of and (somewhat reluctantly, included in) Milton Keynes itself. Prior to boundary changes in the 1990s the town was in Buckinghamshire.

The town name 'Stratford' is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'ford on a Roman road'. The Roman road in this sense is the Watling Street that runs through the middle of the town. The ford is the crossing of the river Ouse. The prefix 'Stony' refers to the stones on the bed of the ford, differentiating the town from nearby Fenny Stratford.

There has been a market in Stony Stratford since 1194 (by charter of King Richard I).

Stony Stratford was the location where, in 1290, an Eleanor cross was built in memory of the recently deceased Eleanor of Castile. The cross was destroyed during the English Civil War.

Stony Stratford was reputedly the last place that King Edward V was seen alive in public. It was here in 1483 that his uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester met him to become his legal guardian before taking him to London.

The town has twice become almost completely consumed by fire, the first time in 1736 and the second in 1742. The only building to escape the second fire was the parish church of St Mary Magdalen.

The common phrase a cock and bull story originates here. Two pubs in the centre of town, The Cock and The Bull were originally coaching inns on the main London to Chester and North Wales turnpike. Travellers gossip and rumour that was exchanged between the two, was renowned for being far-fetched and fanciful.

Today Stony Stratford is a busy market town on the periphery of Milton Keynes, and is considered by many to be quite picturesque.