Dudley
§ This page gives an overview of the Dudley 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 ⁞ Dudley, in the heart of the Black Country, is a district shaped by its industrial heritage and hilly landscapes. Dudley town itself is home to Dudley Castle and the Black Country Living Museum, which showcases the region’s past. The area includes Stourbridge, known for its glassmaking heritage and attractive suburban areas, and Halesowen, with parks and links to the Clent Hills. The Dudley Canal and limestone caverns add to the distinctive landscape, while green spaces and nature reserves balance the industrial past with natural scenery.
Dudley Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Dudley 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 Dudley can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Dudley.
Key Facts about Dudley
What region is Dudley in? Dudley is in the West Midlands of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Dudley in? Dudley is located in the county of West Midlands.
Is Dudley a city? No, Dudley is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Dudley? The local government for this district is: Dudley Borough Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of Dudley Borough Council 🔗 dudley.gov.uk
Which police force covers Dudley? Policing in Dudley is provided by West Midlands Police 🔗 west-midlands.police.uk, which serves 7 local authority districts: Birmingham ⁞ Coventry ⁞ Dudley ⁞ Sandwell ⁞ Solihull ⁞ Walsall ⁞ Wolverhampton.
Dudley in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Dudley is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) West Midlands
- (ITL 2) ⇒ West Midlands
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Dudley
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 Dudley
Dudley is divided into 5 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 Dudley
Dudley is divided into 24 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Amblecote
- Belle Vale
- Brierley Hill & Wordsley South
- Brockmoor & Pensnett
- Castle & Priory
- Coseley
- Cradley North & Wollescote
- Gornal
- Halesowen North
- Halesowen South
- Hayley Green & Cradley South
- Kingswinford North & Wall Heath
- Kingswinford South
- Lye & Stourbridge North
- Netherton & Holly Hall
- Norton
- Pedmore & Stourbridge East
- Quarry Bank & Dudley Wood
- Sedgley
- St. James's
- St. Thomas's
- Upper Gornal & Woodsetton
- Wollaston & Stourbridge Town
- Wordsley North
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 Dudley
Dudley 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Dudley
Below is a list of post towns in Dudley, grouped by postcode area:
- B ▸ Halesowen (B62 / B63)
- DY ▸ Brierley Hill (DY5) ⁞ Dudley (DY1 / DY2 / DY3) ⁞ Kingswinford (DY6) ⁞ Stourbridge (DY7 / DY8 / DY9)
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 Dudley
Dudley covers 17 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bilston (Wolverhampton) *
- Birmingham *
- Blackheath *
- Brierley Hill *
- Coseley *
- Cradley Heath *
- Dudley (Dudley) *
- Hagley *
- Halesowen *
- Kingswinford *
- New Wood *
- Oldbury (Sandwell) *
- Rowley Regis *
- Sedgley *
- Stourbridge *
- Tipton *
- Wolverhampton *
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 Dudley.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Dudley
Dudley 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 Dudley Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway) ▸ Stourbridge Junction (DY8 1NH) ⁞ Coseley (WV14 8XP) ⁞ Stourbridge Town (DY8 1EX) ⁞ Lye (West Midlands) (DY9 8ES)
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.
Dudley compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Dudley compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Dudley has 24 electoral wards.
Dudley has a population of 331,930 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Dudley
This chart shows the population trend for Dudley 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 Dudley can be found on the ONS statistics for Dudley.