Dover
§ This page gives an overview of the Dover 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 ⁞ Dover, on the Kent coast, is famed for its White Cliffs rising above the English Channel. Dover Castle dominates the skyline, with centuries of history overlooking the busy port. The town itself has harbours, promenades, and historic sites, while the surrounding district includes Deal, with its castle and seaside charm, and Sandwich, a medieval Cinque Port town with winding streets. The coastline features chalk cliffs, beaches, and nature reserves, while inland areas include rolling Kent countryside and villages.
Dover Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Dover 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 Dover can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Dover.
Key Facts about Dover
What region is Dover in? Dover is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Dover in? Dover is located in the county of Kent.
Is Dover a city? No, Dover is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Dover? The local authority for this district is: Dover District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Kent is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Kent County Council.
▶ Official website of Dover District Council 🔗 dover.gov.uk
Which police force covers Dover? Policing in Dover is provided by Kent Police 🔗 kent.police.uk, which serves 13 local authority districts: Ashford ⁞ Canterbury ⁞ Dartford ⁞ Dover ⁞ Folkestone and Hythe ⁞ Gravesham ⁞ Maidstone ⁞ Medway ⁞ Sevenoaks ⁞ Swale ⁞ Thanet ⁞ Tonbridge and Malling ⁞ Tunbridge Wells.
Constituencies in Dover
Dover 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 Dover
Dover is divided into 17 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Alkham & Capel-le-Ferne
- Aylesham, Eythorne & Shepherdswell
- Buckland
- Dover Downs & River
- Eastry Rural
- Guston, Kingsdown & St Margaret's-at-Cliffe
- Little Stour & Ashstone
- Maxton & Elms Vale
- Middle Deal
- Mill Hill
- North Deal
- Sandwich
- St Radigunds
- Tower Hamlets
- Town & Castle
- Walmer
- Whitfield
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 Dover
Dover is fully parished: 35 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Alkham
- Ash
- Aylesham
- Capel-le-Ferne
- Deal
- Denton with Wootton
- Dover
- Eastry
- Eythorne
- Goodnestone
- Great Mongeham
- Guston
- Hougham Without
- Langdon
- Lydden
- Nonington
- Northbourne
- Preston
- Ringwould with Kingsdown
- Ripple
- River
- Sandwich
- Shepherdswell with Coldred
- Sholden
- St. Margaret's at Cliffe
- Staple
- Stourmouth
- Sutton
- Temple Ewell
- Tilmanstone
- Walmer
- Whitfield
- Wingham
- Woodnesborough
- Worth
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 Dover
Below is a list of post towns in Dover, grouped by postcode area:
- CT ▸ Deal (CT14) ⁞ Dover (CT15 / CT16 / CT17) ⁞ Sandwich (CT13)
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 Dover
Dover covers 26 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Alkham
- Ash (Dover)
- Aylesham *
- Capel-le-Ferne *
- Cliffs End *
- Deal
- Dover
- East Studdal
- Eastry
- Eythorne
- Great Mongeham
- Guston
- Hawkinge *
- Kingsdown
- Lydden
- Nonington
- Preston (Dover) *
- Sandwich
- Sholden
- Sibertswold
- St Margaret's at Cliffe
- Weddington
- Whitfield (Dover)
- Wingham
- Woodnesborough
- Worth
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 Dover.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Dover
Dover 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 Dover Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Southeastern ▸ Dover Priory (CT17 9SB) ⁞ Deal (CT14 6HD) ⁞ Sandwich (CT13 9JR) ⁞ Walmer (CT14 7RN) ⁞ Aylesham (CT3 3AS) ⁞ Shepherds Well (CT15 7PE) ⁞ Martin Mill (CT15 5JZ) ⁞ Kearsney (Kent) (CT17 0RN) ⁞ Snowdown (CT15 4JH)
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.
Dover compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Dover compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Dover has 17 electoral wards.
Dover has a population of 119,768 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Dover
This chart shows the population trend for Dover 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 Dover can be found on the ONS statistics for Dover.