A liquid phase process for the production of ethylene glycol comprising: providing a water stream and an aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream; dividing the aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream into at least a first equal proportion and a second equal proportion; combining the first equal proportion and the water stream to form a first feedstream; feeding the first feedstream into an inlet of a first adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the first adiabatic reactor being at an inlet temperature; reacting the ethylene oxide and water in the presence of a first ion exchange resin catalyst in the first adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a first reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide; withdrawing the first reactor effluent stream from an outlet of the first adiabatic reactor; cooling the first reactor effluent stream through a heat-exchanger located downstream of the first adiabatic reactor to the hydration temperature; and combining the second proportion and the cooled product stream to form a second feedstream; conveying the second feedstream to an inlet of a second adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the second adiabatic reactor being at the hydrolysis temperature; reacting ethylene oxide and water contained in the second feedstream in the presence of a second ion exchange resin catalyst in the second adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a second reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide, wherein the first adiabatic reactor and the second adiabatic reactor each contain an ion exchange resin catalyst in a fixed catalyst bed and the outlet temperature is higher than the inlet temperature, and wherein said water stream is heated in a further heat exchanger previous to combining with the first equal proportion to form a first feedstream. providing a water stream and an aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream; dividing the aqueous ethylene oxide feed stream into at least a first equal proportion and a second equal proportion; combining the first equal proportion and the water stream to form a first feedstream; feeding the first feedstream into an inlet of a first adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the first adiabatic reactor being at an inlet temperature; reacting the ethylene oxide and water in the presence of a first ion exchange resin catalyst in the first adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a first reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide; withdrawing the first reactor effluent stream from an outlet of the first adiabatic reactor; cooling the first reactor effluent stream through a heat-exchanger located downstream of the first adiabatic reactor to the hydration temperature; and combining the second proportion and the cooled product stream to form a second feedstream; conveying the second feedstream to an inlet of a second adiabatic reactor, the inlet of the second adiabatic reactor being at the hydrolysis temperature; reacting ethylene oxide and water contained in the second feedstream in the presence of a second ion exchange resin catalyst in the second adiabatic reactor to thereby produce a second reactor effluent stream containing water, ethylene glycol, and unreacted ethylene oxide, wherein the first adiabatic reactor and the second adiabatic reactor each contain an ion exchange resin catalyst in a fixed catalyst bed and the outlet temperature is higher than the inlet temperature, and wherein said water stream is heated in a further heat exchanger previous to combining with the first equal proportion to form a first feedstream. <EOS>