Bedford
§ This page gives an overview of the Bedford local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Bedford lies on the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire, combining historic heritage with modern town life. Bedford Park and the Embankment provide riverside green spaces, while the town features museums, galleries, and markets. Villages such as Bromham and Turvey add countryside character, while the river valley shapes much of the landscape with meadows, wetlands, and farmland stretching beyond the town.
Bedford Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Bedford local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of Bedford can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Bedford.
Key Facts about Bedford
What region is Bedford in? Bedford is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Bedford in? Bedford is in the county of Bedfordshire.
Is Bedford a city? No, Bedford is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Bedford? The local government for this district is: Bedford Borough Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Bedford Borough Council 🔗 bedford.gov.uk
Which police force covers Bedford? Policing in Bedford is provided by Bedfordshire Police 🔗 beds.police.uk, which serves 3 local authority districts: Bedford ⁞ Central Bedfordshire ⁞ Luton.
Bedford in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Bedford is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, that contains the following 5 ITLs Level 3 areas:
(ITL 1) East of England
(ITL 2) ⇒ Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Luton ⁞ Bedford ⁞ Central Bedfordshire ⁞ North and East Hertfordshire ⁞ South West Hertfordshire
The International Territorial Levels are used by OECD member countries for statistical purposes to classify administrative areas. We have this listable page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.
Constituencies in Bedford
Bedford is divided into 3 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Bedford
Bedford is divided into 28 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Biddenham
- Brickhill
- Bromham
- Castle & Newnham
- Cauldwell
- Clapham & Oakley
- De Parys
- Goldington
- Great Barford
- Great Denham
- Greyfriars
- Harpur
- Harrold
- Kempston Central & East
- Kempston North
- Kempston South
- Kempston West
- Kingsbrook
- Putnoe
- Queens Park
- Renhold & Ravensden
- Riseley
- Riverfield
- Sharnbrook
- Shortstown
- Wixams & Wilstead
- Wootton & Kempston Rural
- Wyboston
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in Bedford
Bedford is part-parished: 49 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 2 unparished areas.
- Biddenham
- Bletsoe
- Bolnhurst and Keysoe
- Brickhill
- Bromham
- Cardington
- Carlton and Chellington
- Clapham
- Colmworth
- Cople
- Cotton End
- Dean and Shelton
- Elstow
- Felmersham
- Great Barford
- Great Denham
- Harrold
- Kempston
- Kempston Rural
- Knotting and Souldrop
- Little Barford
- Little Staughton
- Melchbourne and Yielden
- Milton Ernest
- Oakley
- Odell
- Pavenham
- Pertenhall
- Podington
- Ravensden
- Renhold
- Riseley
- Roxton
- Sharnbrook
- Shortstown
- Stagsden
- Staploe
- Stevington
- Stewartby
- Swineshead
- Thurleigh
- Turvey
- Wilden
- Willington
- Wilshamstead
- Wixams
- Wootton
- Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden
- Wymington
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Bedford
Below is a list of post towns in Bedford, grouped by postcode area:
MK ▸ Bedford (MK40 / MK41 / MK42 / MK43 / MK44 / MK45)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in Bedford
Bedford covers 42 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Backnoe End
- Bedford
- Box End
- Bromham (Bedford)
- Cardington
- Carlton (Bedford)
- Clapham (Bedford)
- Cople
- Cotton End
- Felmersham
- Great Barford *
- Great Denham
- Hargrave *
- Harrold
- Haynes *
- Kempston
- Kempston Hardwick
- Keysoe Row
- Little Staughton
- Milton Ernest
- Oakley (Bedford)
- Pavenham
- Podington
- Riseley (Bedford)
- Roxton
- Rushden *
- Salph End
- Sharnbrook
- Shortstown
- St Neots *
- Stagsden
- Stevington
- Stewartby *
- Turvey *
- Upper Dean
- Willington (Bedford)
- Wilstead
- Wixams *
- Wootton (Bedford) *
- Workhouse End
- Wyboston
- Wymington *
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of Bedford.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Bedford
Bedford is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the Bedford Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Thameslink) ▸ Bedford (MK40 1DS)
- West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway) ▸ Bedford St Johns (MK42 9AN) ⁞ Stewartby (MK43 9LY) ⁞ Kempston Hardwick (MK43 9NT)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
Bedford compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Bedford compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Bedford has 28 electoral wards.
Bedford has a population of 194,976 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Bedford
This chart shows the population trend for Bedford from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for Bedford can be found on the ONS statistics for Bedford.