Folkestone and Hythe
§ This page gives an overview of the Folkestone and Hythe 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 ⁞ Folkestone and Hythe stretches along the Kent coast from the Channel Tunnel terminal at Folkestone to the shingle beaches of Dungeness. Folkestone itself has a regenerated harbour, coastal park, and creative quarter, while Hythe is a historic town with a seafront promenade, canal, and medieval churches. Inland, the North Downs rise with views across the Channel, while Romney Marsh spreads across the south with open, flat landscapes and scattered churches. Dungeness, a vast shingle headland with lighthouses and unique habitats, highlights the district’s distinctive geography.
Folkestone and Hythe Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Folkestone and Hythe.
Key Facts about Folkestone and Hythe
What region are Folkestone and Hythe in? Folkestone and Hythe are in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Folkestone and Hythe in? Folkestone and Hythe is located in the county of Kent.
Is Folkestone and Hythe a city? No, Folkestone and Hythe is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Folkestone and Hythe? The local authority for this district is: Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe District Council 🔗 folkestone-hythe.gov.uk
Which police force covers Folkestone and Hythe? Policing in Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe is divided into 13 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Broadmead
- Cheriton
- East Folkestone
- Folkestone Central
- Folkestone Harbour
- Hythe
- Hythe Rural
- New Romney
- North Downs East
- North Downs West
- Romney Marsh
- Sandgate & West Folkestone
- Walland & Denge Marsh
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 Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe is fully parished: 30 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Acrise
- Brenzett
- Brookland
- Burmarsh
- Dymchurch
- Elham
- Elmsted
- Folkestone
- Hawkinge
- Hythe
- Ivychurch
- Lydd
- Lyminge
- Lympne
- Monks Horton
- New Romney
- Newchurch
- Newington
- Old Romney
- Paddlesworth
- Postling
- Saltwood
- Sandgate
- Sellindge
- Snargate
- St. Mary in the Marsh
- Stanford
- Stelling Minnis
- Stowting
- Swingfield
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 Folkestone and Hythe
Below is a list of post towns in Folkestone and Hythe, grouped by postcode area:
- CT ▸ Folkestone (CT18 / CT19 / CT20 / CT50) ⁞ Hythe (CT21)
- TN ▸ New Romney (TN28) ⁞ Romney Marsh (TN29)
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 Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe covers 23 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bossingham *
- Brabourne Lees *
- Brookland
- Capel-le-Ferne *
- Densole
- Dungeness
- Dymchurch
- Elham
- Etchinghill
- Folkestone
- Hawkinge *
- Hythe
- Littlestone-on-Sea
- Lydd
- Lyminge
- Lympne
- New Romney
- Rhodes Minnis
- Saltwood
- Sellindge *
- St Mary's Bay
- Stanford
- Stelling Minnis
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 Folkestone and Hythe.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Folkestone and Hythe
Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Southern) ▸ Appledore (Kent) (TN26 2DG)
- Southeastern ▸ Folkestone West (CT20 3PA) ⁞ Folkestone Central (CT19 5HB) ⁞ Sandling (CT21 4HH) ⁞ Westenhanger (TN25 6DE)
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.
Folkestone and Hythe compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Folkestone and Hythe compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Folkestone and Hythe has 13 electoral wards.
Folkestone and Hythe has a population of 112,411 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Folkestone and Hythe
This chart shows the population trend for Folkestone and Hythe 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 Folkestone and Hythe can be found on the ONS statistics for Folkestone and Hythe.