Doncaster
§ This page gives an overview of the Doncaster 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 ⁞ The City of Doncaster, located in South Yorkshire, England, is a historic and vibrant urban centre known for its rich heritage, cultural landmarks, and strong transport connections. At its heart lies Doncaster town, famous for Doncaster Minster, a striking Gothic Revival church, and the award-winning Yorkshire Wildlife Park on its outskirts, which attracts families and tourists year-round. The city is closely tied to horse racing, with Doncaster Racecourse hosting the world-renowned St Leger Stakes, the oldest Classic horse race in the world. Doncaster’s industrial and railway history is evident through the National Rail College and the legacy of the Flying Scotsman locomotive built here, while modern developments blend with historic markets and shopping areas such as the Frenchgate Centre. The wider metropolitan area encompasses charming villages and green spaces, including Cusworth Hall and Park, Brodsworth Hall, and Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, offering residents and visitors a mix of urban and rural life. Doncaster’s location makes it a key transport hub, with excellent rail links on the East Coast Main Line, a major road network via the M18 and A1(M), and close access to surrounding Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire regions. With a blend of history, culture, sport, and connectivity, the City of Doncaster has grown into a thriving destination that balances modern living with deep-rooted traditions.
The administrative boundary of Doncaster can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Doncaster.
Key Facts about Doncaster
What region is Doncaster in? Doncaster is in the Yorkshire and The Humber of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Doncaster in? Doncaster is located in the county of South Yorkshire.
Is Doncaster a city? Yes, Doncaster is a city. Doncaster holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.
Who governs Doncaster? The local government for this district is: City of Doncaster Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of City of Doncaster Council 🔗 doncaster.gov.uk
Which police force covers Doncaster? Policing in Doncaster is provided by South Yorkshire Police 🔗 southyorkshire.police.uk, which serves 4 local authority districts: Barnsley ⁞ Doncaster ⁞ Rotherham ⁞ Sheffield.
Doncaster in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Doncaster is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) Yorkshire and The Humber
- (ITL 2) ⇒ South Yorkshire
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Doncaster
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 Doncaster
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, 54 of them are in Yorkshire and the Humber region. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Doncaster
Doncaster is divided into 21 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Adwick le Street & Carcroft
- Armthorpe
- Balby South
- Bentley
- Bessacarr
- Conisbrough
- Edenthorpe & Kirk Sandall
- Edlington & Warmsworth
- Finningley
- Hatfield
- Hexthorpe & Balby North
- Mexborough
- Norton & Askern
- Roman Ridge
- Rossington & Bawtry
- Sprotbrough
- Stainforth & Barnby Dun
- Thorne & Moorends
- Tickhill & Wadsworth
- Town
- Wheatley Hills & Intake
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 Doncaster
Doncaster is part-parished: 43 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 3 unparished areas.
- Adwick upon Dearne
- Armthorpe
- Askern
- Auckley
- Austerfield
- Barnburgh
- Barnby Dun with Kirk Sandall
- Bawtry
- Blaxton
- Braithwell
- Brodsworth
- Burghwallis
- Cadeby
- Cantley
- Clayton with Frickley
- Conisbrough Parks
- Denaby
- Edenthorpe
- Edlington
- Fenwick
- Finningley
- Fishlake
- Hampole
- Hatfield
- Hickleton
- High Melton
- Hooton Pagnell
- Kirk Bramwith
- Loversall
- Marr
- Moss
- Norton
- Owston
- Rossington
- Sprotbrough and Cusworth
- Stainforth
- Stainton
- Sykehouse
- Thorne
- Thorpe in Balne
- Tickhill
- Wadworth
- Warmsworth
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.
Built-up Areas in Doncaster
Doncaster covers 46 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Adwick le Street
- Arksey
- Armthorpe
- Askern
- Auckley
- Austerfield
- Barnburgh and Harlington *
- Barnby Dun
- Bawtry *
- Bentley (Doncaster)
- Blaxton
- Bolton upon Dearne *
- Braithwell
- Branton
- Campsall
- Conisbrough *
- Denaby Main
- Doncaster
- Dunscroft and Hatfield
- Finningley
- Fishlake
- Goldthorpe *
- Harworth and Bircotes *
- Hatfield Woodhouse
- Hellaby *
- High Melton
- Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe
- Kirk Smeaton and Little Smeaton *
- Maltby *
- Mexborough *
- Moorends
- Moss
- New Rossington and Rossington
- Norton (Doncaster)
- Scawthorpe and Cusworth
- Sprotbrough
- Stainforth
- Stainton (Doncaster)
- Swinton (Rotherham) *
- Thorne
- Thurnscoe *
- Tickhill
- Toll Bar
- Wadworth
- Warmsworth
- Wroot *
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 Doncaster.)
Doncaster compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Doncaster compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Doncaster has 21 electoral wards.
Doncaster has a population of 319,765 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Doncaster can be found on the ONS statistics for Doncaster.