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. One of 361 district 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.
The administrative boundary of Dudley can 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
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.
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.
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.)
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)
More local statistics and data for Dudley can be found on the ONS statistics for Dudley.