Chorley
§ This page gives an overview of the Chorley 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 ⁞ Chorley, in central Lancashire, is surrounded by countryside and moorland, with the West Pennine Moors to the east. The town centre has a traditional market, Astley Hall and Park, and modern shopping areas. Villages such as Adlington and Coppull add local charm, while Yarrow Valley Country Park and Rivington offer woodlands, reservoirs, and scenic trails. Chorley balances rural landscapes with a lively market town atmosphere.
Chorley Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Chorley 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 Chorley can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Chorley.
Key Facts about Chorley
What region is Chorley in? Chorley is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Chorley in? Chorley is located in the county of Lancashire.
Is Chorley a city? No, Chorley is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Chorley? The local authority for this district is: Chorley Borough Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Lancashire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Lancashire County Council.
▶ Official website of Chorley Borough Council 🔗 chorley.gov.uk
Which police force covers Chorley? Policing in Chorley 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.
Chorley in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Chorley is within an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) North West
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Lancashire
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Chorley and West Lancashire
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 Chorley
Chorley 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 Chorley
Chorley is divided into 14 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Adlington & Anderton
- Buckshaw & Whittle
- Chorley East
- Chorley North & Astley
- Chorley North East
- Chorley North West
- Chorley South East & Heath Charnock
- Chorley South West
- Clayton East, Brindle & Hoghton
- Clayton West & Cuerden
- Coppull
- Croston, Mawdesley & Euxton South
- Eccleston, Heskin & Charnock Richard
- Euxton
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 Chorley
Chorley is part-parished: 23 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 1 unparished areas.
- Adlington
- Anderton
- Anglezarke
- Astley Village
- Bretherton
- Brindle
- Charnock Richard
- Clayton-le-Woods
- Coppull
- Croston
- Cuerden
- Eccleston
- Euxton
- Heapey
- Heath Charnock
- Heskin
- Hoghton
- Mawdesley
- Rivington
- Ulnes Walton
- Wheelton
- Whittle-le-Woods
- Withnell
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 Chorley
Below is a list of post towns in Chorley, grouped by postcode area:
PR ▸ Chorley (PR6 / PR7)
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 Chorley
Chorley covers 25 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Adlington (Chorley) *
- Bamber Bridge *
- Bretherton
- Brinscall
- Charnock Richard
- Chorley
- Coppull
- Croston
- Eccleston
- Euxton *
- Gregson Lane *
- Heath Charnock
- Heskin Green
- Higher Wheelton
- Hoghton *
- Horwich *
- Leyland *
- Mawdesley *
- Tarleton and Hesketh Bank *
- Towngate
- Ulnes Walton
- Wheelton
- Whittle-le-Woods
- Withnell
- Wymott
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 Chorley.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Chorley
Chorley 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 Chorley Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Northern Trains ▸ Chorley (PR7 1BS) ⁞ Buckshaw Parkway (PR7 7EY) ⁞ Adlington (Lancashire) (PR6 9RS) ⁞ Euxton Balshaw Lane (PR7 6DX) ⁞ Croston (PR26 9SE)
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.
Chorley compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Chorley compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Chorley has 14 electoral wards.
Chorley has a population of 120,839 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Chorley
This chart shows the population trend for Chorley 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 Chorley can be found on the ONS statistics for Chorley.