Gloucester
§ This page gives an overview of the Gloucester 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 ⁞ Gloucester, on the River Severn, is a historic cathedral city surrounded by countryside. The city centre features Gloucester Cathedral, with its medieval cloisters, and historic docks with converted warehouses now housing museums and leisure facilities. The River Severn and Sharpness Canal shape its geography, while nearby hills such as the Cotswolds rise to the east. Gloucester’s mix of Roman history, medieval heritage, and riverside regeneration defines its character.
Gloucester Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Gloucester 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 Gloucester can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Gloucester.
Key Facts about Gloucester
What region is Gloucester in? Gloucester is in the South West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Gloucester in? Gloucester is located in the county of Gloucestershire.
Is Gloucester a city? Yes, Gloucester is a city. Gloucester holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.
Who governs Gloucester? The local authority for this district is: Gloucester City Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Gloucestershire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Gloucestershire County Council.
▶ Official website of Gloucester City Council 🔗 gloucester.gov.uk
Which police force covers Gloucester? Policing in Gloucester is provided by Gloucestershire Constabulary 🔗 gloucestershire.police.uk, which serves 6 local authority districts: Cheltenham ⁞ Cotswold ⁞ Forest of Dean ⁞ Gloucester ⁞ Stroud ⁞ Tewkesbury.
Gloucester in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Gloucester is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, that contains the following 4 ITLs Level 3 areas:
(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ West of England
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Swindon ⁞ Wiltshire ⁞ Gloucestershire CC
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 Gloucester
Gloucester 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 Gloucester
Gloucester is divided into 18 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbeydale
- Abbeymead
- Barnwood
- Barton and Tredworth
- Coney Hill
- Elmbridge
- Grange
- Hucclecote
- Kingsholm and Wotton
- Kingsway
- Longlevens
- Matson, Robinswood and White City
- Moreland
- Podsmead
- Quedgeley Fieldcourt
- Quedgeley Severn Vale
- Tuffley
- Westgate
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 Gloucester
Gloucester is part-parished: 1 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 2 unparished areas.
- Quedgeley
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 Gloucester
Below is a list of post towns in Gloucester, grouped by postcode area:
GL ▸ Gloucester (GL1 / GL2 / GL3 / GL4 / GL19)
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 Gloucester
Gloucester covers 5 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Churchdown *
- Gloucester *
- Longford *
- Quedgeley and Hardwicke *
- Whaddon (Stroud) *
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 Gloucester.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Gloucester
Gloucester 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 Gloucester Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
Great Western Railway ▸ Gloucester (GL1 1DE)
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.
Gloucester compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Gloucester compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Gloucester has 18 electoral wards.
Gloucester has a population of 138,598 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Gloucester
This chart shows the population trend for Gloucester 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 Gloucester can be found on the ONS statistics for Gloucester.