List of urban areas in the United Kingdom

This is a list of the most populous urban areas in the United Kingdom based on the 2011 census, as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). , the ONS has not published the equivalent data based on the 2021 census.

Definition 2001 In reporting the 2001 census, the ONS gave a clearer definition of the term "built-up" for the 2001 urban area as follows:

2011 The methodology used by ONS in 2011 is set out in 2011 Built-up Areas – Methodology and Guidance, published in June 2013. When ONS reported the results of the 2011 UK census, it used the term built-up area rather than the term urban area as used in previous censuses. ONS states, however, that the criteria used to define built-up area have not changed:

2021 , ONS has not defined a new nomenclature for each of the macro-scaled 2021 areas. Table 4A in the Supplementary Tables

Most populous

The list below shows the most populated urban areas in the United Kingdom as defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The list includes all urban areas with a population in excess of 100,000 at the 2011 census.

#Area (needs a more direct citation) Population(2011)Area(km2) Density(People/km2)Primary subdivisionsNotable changes from 2001 to 20111Greater London9,787,4261,737.95,630London boroughs, Hemel Hempstead, Watford, Woking, Harlow, St Albans, BracknellGuildford, Harlow, Bracknell and St Albans added.2Greater Manchester2,553,379630.34,051Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Atherton, Leigh, Trafford, TamesideGolborne, Glossop and Newton-le-Willows added.3West Midlands2,440,986598.94,076Birmingham, Wolverhampton, West Bromwich, Dudley, Walsall, Solihull4West Yorkshire1,777,934487.83,645Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Keighley, HalifaxHalifax added5Greater Glasgow957,620368.53,390Glasgow, Paisley, Clydebank, Rutherglen, Newton Mearns, Bearsden, Cambuslang, Clarkston, Bishopbriggs6Liverpool864,122199.64,329Liverpool, Bootle, Litherland, Crosby, Prescot, St. Helens, Ashton-in-MakerfieldAshton-in-Makerfield added7South Hampshire855,569192.04,455Portsmouth, Southampton, Eastleigh, Gosport, Fareham, HavantPortsmouth Urban Area and Southampton Urban Area combined.Hedge End, Locks Heath, Bursledon and Whiteley added.Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent removed.8Tyneside774,891180.54,292Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South TynesideWashington, Chester-le-Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-Spring removed.9Nottingham729,977176.44,139Nottingham, Beeston, Carlton, West Bridgford, Ilkeston, Hucknall10Sheffield685,368167.54,092Sheffield, Rotherham, Rawmarsh11Bristol617,280144.44,274Bristol, Filton, Pill, Frampton Cotterell, Kingswood, Warmley, Mangotsfield, Winterbourne12Belfast595,87996.06,207Belfast, Castlereagh, Greenisland, Holywood, Lisburn, Newtownabbey13Leicester508,916109.44,653Leicester, Wigston, Oadby, Syston, Blaby, Birstall, Narborough, EnderbyRatby removed and Narborough and Enderby added14Edinburgh482,2701254,172Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Wallyford15Brighton and Hove474,48589.45,304Brighton and Hove, Worthing, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-SeaRottingdean, Saltdean and Findon removed.16Bournemouth/ Poole466,266131.03,559Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Ferndown, New Milton, Wimborne MinsterFerndown and Wimborne Minster added.17Cardiff447,287102.34,370Cardiff, Caerphilly, Penarth, PontypriddCaerphilly and Pontypridd added.18Teesside376,633108.23,482Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Billingham, RedcarEston & Southbank added to Middlesbrough sub-division, no longer counted as separate sub-division19Stoke-on-Trent372,775103.93,588Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Kidsgrove20Coventry359,26281.34,420Coventry, Bedworth21Sunderland335,415137.54,018Sunderland, Washington, Chester-le-Street, Hetton-le-Hole, Houghton-le-SpringWashington, Chester-le-Street, Hetton-le-Hole and Houghton-le-Spring added.22Birkenhead325,26488.23,687Birkenhead, Wallasey, Ellesmere Port, Bebington23Reading318,01483.73,800Reading, Wokingham, Woodley, CrowthorneBracknell removed.24Kingston upon Hull314,01882.63,802Kingston upon Hull, Cottingham, Hessle25Preston313,32282.43,802Preston, Bamber Bridge, Chorley, Fulwood, LeylandLongton and Adlington added.26Newport306,84484.23,643Newport, Pontypool, Cwmbran, Blackwood, Risca, Ystrad MynachPontypool, Cwmbran and Blackwood added.27Swansea300,35287.63,431Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Ystradgynlais, PontardaweYstradgynlais added.28Southend-on-Sea295,31071.84,111Southend-on-Sea, Hullbridge, Rayleigh, RochfordHullbridge added.29Derby270,46864.14,219Derby, Borrowash, Duffield30Plymouth260,20359.74,356Plymouth31Luton258,01850.75,088Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis32Farnborough/ Aldershot252,39778.53,217Farnborough, Aldershot, Camberley, Farnham, Frimley, Sandhurst, Yateley33Medway Towns243,93152.24,677Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester34Blackpool239,40961.33,908Blackpool, Lytham St Annes, Poulton-le-Fylde, Thornton, CleveleysFleetwood removed.35Milton Keynes229,94162.53,678"Milton Keynes", Bletchley, Newport Pagnell, Woburn SandsWoburn Sands added.36Barnsley/ Dearne Valley223,28159.73,739Barnsley, Wath upon Dearne, Wombwell, Hoyland37Northampton215,96357.93,731Northampton, Collingtree38Norwich213,16661.93,444Norwich, Taverham, Costessey, Cringleford, Colney, Horsham St Faith, Queens Hills, Thorpe End, Trowse with Newton39Aberdeen208,19069.53,050Aberdeen 40Swindon185,60947.13,945Swindon, Haydon Wick, Stratton St. Margaret, Broad Blunsdon, Blunsdon St Andrew, Wroughton41Crawley180,50858.13,107Crawley, Horley, East Grinstead, Copthorne, Crawley DownEast Grinstead, Copthorne and Crawley Down added. Reigate and Redhill removed.42Ipswich178,83549.13,639Ipswich, Kesgrave, WoodbridgeWoodbridge added43Wigan175,40543.84,009Wigan, Skelmersdale, Standish, Ince-in-Makerfield44Mansfield171,95848.43,556Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Mansfield Woodhouse45Oxford171,38037.44,585Oxford, Kennington, WheatleyKennington and Wheatley added46Warrington165,45644.93,686Warrington47Slough163,77734.14,797Slough, Stoke Poges, Poyle48Peterborough163,37944.23,693Peterborough, Farcet49Cambridge158,43442.13,760Cambridge, Fen Ditton, Girton, HistonHiston and Fen Ditton added.50Doncaster158,14143.53,634Doncaster, Bentley, Armthorpe, SprotbroughBessacarr added.51Dundee157,55049.93,180Dundee, Monifieth, Invergowrie52York153,71734.04,518York, Earswick53Gloucester150,05340.43,718Gloucester, Innsworth54Burnley149,42235.74,183Burnley, Padiham, Brierfield, Colne, Barrowford, Nelson55Telford147,98047.73,103Telford, Broseley56Blackburn146,52135.64,115Blackburn, Darwen57Basildon144,85937.13,902Basildon, Wickford, Ramsden Heath, North BenfleetWickford added.58Grimsby134,16035.33,804Grimsby, Cleethorpes, WalthamNew Waltham removed.59Hastings133,42233.24,019Hastings, Bexhill60High Wycombe133,20439.23,398 High Wycombe, Cookham, Hughenden Valley61Thanet125,37027.94,495Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs62Accrington/ Rossendale125,05930.04,168Accrington, Rawtenstall, Bacup, Great Harwood, Haslingden, Oswaldtwistle, ChurchAccrington and Rossendale areas combined.63Motherwell124,54045.12,765Motherwell, Wishaw, Bellshill, Viewpark, Newmains, Holytown64Burton-upon-Trent122,19935.03,487Burton-upon-Trent, SwadlincoteSwadlincote, Stapenhill and Winshill added.65Colchester121,85932.73,732Colchester, Marks Tey66Eastbourne118,21925.14,705Eastbourne, Polegate67Exeter117,76328.54,133Exeter, Topsham68Cheltenham116,44728.94,034Cheltenham69Torquay/ Paignton115,41031.53,667Torquay, Paignton, Marldon70Lincoln114,87932.73,518Lincoln, North Hykeham71Chesterfield113,05734.63,263Chesterfield, Staveley, Wingerworth, HolymoorsideWingerworth added.72Chelmsford111,51126.24,259Chelmsford, Little Waltham73Basingstoke107,64229.43,662Basingstoke74Maidstone107,62725.44,229Maidstone75Bedford106,94024.84,309Bedford, Kempston76Worcester101,65924.74,121Worcester, Norton

Map

List of urban areas in the United Kingdom

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