Cambridgeshire

Ceremonial County in England

Region: East of England

§ This page provides an overview of an England's ceremonial county. Our website has 48 such county pages.

Overview ⁞ Cambridgeshire combines ancient academic prestige with expansive fenland countryside. At its heart is the city of Cambridge, globally renowned for its university and innovation economy, though it remains part of the wider Cambridgeshire County Council area. The ceremonial county also includes the cathedral city of Ely, market towns such as Huntingdon and Wisbech, and the independently governed unitary authority of Peterborough, which is included for ceremonial purposes. Together, Cambridgeshire is administered by Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, forming a diverse mix of historic charm, rural landscapes, and modern growth.

Is Cambridgeshire a historic county? Yes—Cambridgeshire is a historic county. Administratively, the ceremonial county includes Cambridgeshire County Council (with five districts) and the separate unitary authority of Peterborough.

Cambridgeshire has 6 Local Authority Districts. The chart below shows how this compares with other counties in England.

Number of local authority districts in Cambridgeshire and other counties — Number of local authority districts in Cambridgeshire, compared with other counties

This county page, Cambridgeshire, is a sub-page this region page: East of England. It zooms in to local authorities, administrative districts, and parliamentary constituencies in this county. We have this list page for easy browsing of all historic counties, ceremonial counties, and administrative counties: List of all counties in the UK.

Local Authorities in Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire County Council (County Council) 🔗 cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Cambridge City Council (District Council) 🔗 cambridge.gov.uk
East Cambridgeshire District Council (District Council) 🔗 eastcambs.gov.uk
Fenland District Council (District Council) 🔗 fenland.gov.uk
Huntingdonshire District Council (District Council) 🔗 huntingdonshire.gov.uk
South Cambridgeshire District Council (District Council) 🔗 scambs.gov.uk
Peterborough City Council (Unitary Authority) 🔗 peterborough.gov.uk

Cambridgeshire, in England’s East of England region, has a two-tier system of local government with Cambridgeshire County Council responsible for services such as education, transport, and social care, alongside five district and city councils that handle local matters including planning, housing, and waste collection. These are Cambridge City Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, and South Cambridgeshire District Council. In addition, the unitary authority of Peterborough City Council operates independently of the county council, delivering all local government functions within its area. Together, these councils provide governance for a county that combines the historic university city of Cambridge, the cathedral city of Ely, the market towns of Huntingdon and St Neots, the agricultural landscapes of the Fens, and the rapidly growing city of Peterborough, balancing county-wide provision with locally focused services.

Districts in Cambridgeshire

In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Cambridgeshire is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, that contains the following 2 ITLs Level 3 areas:

(ITL 1) East of England
(ITL 2) ⇒ Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Peterborough ⁞ Cambridgeshire CC

Constituencies in Cambridgeshire

A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies, 8 of them are in Cambridgeshire.

Local Authorities in Cambridgeshire

Districts in Cambridgeshire

Constituencies in Cambridgeshire

Counties in East of England