Derby

§ This page gives an overview of the Derby local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.

Overview ⁞ Derby is a historic city on the River Derwent, known as one of the birthplaces of the Industrial Revolution. Landmarks include Derby Cathedral with its tall tower, the Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill, and the Arboretum, England’s first public park. The city combines historic streets, Victorian architecture, and modern shopping areas with green spaces along the river. Its location on the edge of the Peak District makes it a cultural hub with easy access to scenic countryside.

The administrative boundary of Derby can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Derby.

Map of Derby
Administrative Boundary of Derby (Local Authority District)

Key Facts about Derby

What region is Derby in? Derby is in the East Midlands of England, a region within the UK.

What county is Derby in? Derby is in the county of Derbyshire.

Is Derby a city? Yes, Derby is a city. Derby holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.

Who governs Derby? The local government for this district is: Derby City Council (Unitary Authority).

▶ Official website of Derby City Council 🔗 derby.gov.uk

Website of Derby City Council
Website of Derby City Council (captured on 2025-09-20)

Which police force covers Derby? Policing in Derby is provided by Derbyshire Constabulary 🔗 derbyshire.police.uk, which serves 9 local authority districts: Amber Valley ⁞ Bolsover ⁞ Chesterfield ⁞ Derby ⁞ Derbyshire Dales ⁞ Erewash ⁞ High Peak ⁞ North East Derbyshire ⁞ South Derbyshire.

Derby in International Geographies

In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Derby is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, that contains the following 6 ITLs Level 3 areas:

(ITL 1) East Midlands
(ITL 2) ⇒ Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Derby ⁞ East Derbyshire ⁞ South and West Derbyshire ⁞ Nottingham ⁞ North Nottinghamshire ⁞ South Nottinghamshire

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.

This district page, Derby, is a sub-page of this county page: Derbyshire and this region page: East Midlands. It zooms in to local authorities and parliamentary constituencies, and provides a list of wards in this district. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK local authority districts: List of Local Authority Districts.

Constituencies in Derby

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 Derby

Derby is divided into 18 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.

  • Abbey
  • Allestree
  • Alvaston North
  • Alvaston South
  • Arboretum
  • Blagreaves
  • Chaddesden East
  • Chaddesden North
  • Chaddesden West
  • Chellaston & Shelton Lock
  • Darley
  • Littleover
  • Mackworth & New Zealand
  • Mickleover
  • Normanton
  • Oakwood
  • Sinfin & Osmaston
  • Spondon

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.

Parishes in Derby

Derby is entirely unparished—there are no civil parishes in this local authority district.

Parishes are the lowest tier of local government; where they don’t exist, those very local services and representation sit directly with the principal council.

Built-up Areas in Derby

Derby covers 4 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.

  • Borrowash *
  • Derby *
  • Little Eaton *
  • Quarndon *

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 Derby.)

Derby compared with other districts in the UK

This section shows how Derby compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.

Derby has 18 electoral wards.

Derby compared with other districts
Smaller: 98  Similar: 51  Larger: 212 (compared with 361 districts)

Derby has a population of 274,149 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)

Population of Derby compared with other districts
Population of Derby, compared with other districts in England and Wales

More local statistics and data for Derby can be found on the ONS statistics for Derby.