Blackburn with Darwen
§ This page gives an overview of the Blackburn with Darwen 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 ⁞ Blackburn with Darwen lies in east Lancashire, set in a valley surrounded by Pennine hills. Blackburn is the largest town, with a cathedral, museums, and a strong textile heritage, while Darwen adds charm with its market and landmark Darwen Tower overlooking the moors. The West Pennine Moors dominate the surrounding landscape, offering reservoirs, heather moorland, and scenic trails. Canals, parks, and villages add to the variety, blending industrial heritage with natural beauty.
Blackburn with Darwen Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Blackburn with Darwen 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 Blackburn with Darwen can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Blackburn with Darwen.
Key Facts about Blackburn with Darwen
What region is Blackburn with Darwen in? Blackburn with Darwen is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Blackburn with Darwen in? Blackburn with Darwen is in the county of Lancashire.
Is Blackburn with Darwen a city? No, Blackburn with Darwen is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Blackburn with Darwen? The local government for this district is: Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council 🔗 blackburn.gov.uk
Which police force covers Blackburn with Darwen? Policing in Blackburn with Darwen is provided by Lancashire Constabulary 🔗 lancashire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Blackburn with Darwen ⁞ Blackpool ⁞ Burnley ⁞ Chorley ⁞ Fylde ⁞ Hyndburn ⁞ Lancaster ⁞ Pendle ⁞ Preston ⁞ Ribble Valley ⁞ Rossendale ⁞ South Ribble ⁞ West Lancashire ⁞ Wyre.
Blackburn with Darwen in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Blackburn with Darwen is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) North West
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Lancashire
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Blackburn with Darwen
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 Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is divided into 2 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 Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is divided into 17 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Audley & Queen's Park
- Bastwell & Daisyfield
- Billinge & Beardwood
- Blackburn Central
- Blackburn South & Lower Darwen
- Blackburn South East
- Darwen East
- Darwen South
- Darwen West
- Ewood
- Little Harwood & Whitebirk
- Livesey with Pleasington
- Mill Hill & Moorgate
- Roe Lee
- Shear Brow & Corporation Park
- Wensley Fold
- West Pennine
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 Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen is part-parished: 7 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 3 unparished areas.
- Darwen
- Eccleshill
- Livesey
- North Turton
- Pleasington
- Tockholes
- Yate and Pickup Bank
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 Blackburn with Darwen
Below is a list of post towns in Blackburn with Darwen, grouped by postcode area:
- BB ▸ Blackburn (BB1 / BB2 / BB6) ⁞ Darwen (BB3)
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 Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen covers 6 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Blackburn (Blackburn with Darwen) *
- Bolton (Bolton) *
- Chapeltown
- Darwen
- Edgworth
- Hoddlesden
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 Blackburn with Darwen.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Blackburn with Darwen
Blackburn with Darwen 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 Blackburn with Darwen Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Northern Trains ▸ Blackburn (BB1 1EX) ⁞ Darwen (BB3 0DE) ⁞ Ramsgreave and Wilpshire (BB1 9BP) ⁞ Mill Hill (Lancs) (BB2 2QY) ⁞ Cherry Tree (BB2 2TZ) ⁞ Entwistle (BL7 0NG) ⁞ Pleasington (BB2 5JQ)
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.
Blackburn with Darwen compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Blackburn with Darwen compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Blackburn with Darwen has 17 electoral wards.
Blackburn with Darwen has a population of 162,540 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Blackburn with Darwen
This chart shows the population trend for Blackburn with Darwen 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 Blackburn with Darwen can be found on the ONS statistics for Blackburn with Darwen.