Harlow
§ This page gives an overview of the Harlow 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 ⁞ Harlow is a post-war New Town in west Essex, known for its modernist design, public art, and extensive green spaces. The town features sculptures by artists such as Henry Moore, cycleways, and neighbourhood centres built around a planned layout. The River Stort and its valley provide natural scenery, with the Stort Navigation offering waterside walks. Nearby villages like Old Harlow preserve historic character with timber-framed buildings and churches. Harlow Town Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, while the Gibberd Garden adds horticultural interest. The district combines planned urban form with natural landscapes.
The administrative boundary of Harlow can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Harlow.
Key Facts about Harlow
What region is Harlow in? Harlow is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Harlow in? Harlow is located in the county of Essex.
Is Harlow a city? No, Harlow is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Harlow? The local authority for this district is: Harlow District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Essex is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Essex County Council.
▶ Official website of Harlow District Council 🔗 harlow.gov.uk
Which police force covers Harlow? Policing in Harlow is provided by Essex Police 🔗 essex.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Basildon ⁞ Braintree ⁞ Brentwood ⁞ Castle Point ⁞ Chelmsford ⁞ Colchester ⁞ Epping Forest ⁞ Harlow ⁞ Maldon ⁞ Rochford ⁞ Southend-on-Sea ⁞ Tendring ⁞ Thurrock ⁞ Uttlesford.
Constituencies in Harlow
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 Harlow
Harlow is divided into 11 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bush Fair
- Church Langley North & Newhall
- Church Langley South & Potter Street
- Great Parndon
- Latton Bush & Stewards
- Little Parndon & Town Centre
- Mark Hall
- Netteswell
- Old Harlow
- Passmores
- Sumners & Kingsmoor
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 Harlow
Harlow 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 Harlow
Harlow covers 1 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Harlow *
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 Harlow.)
Harlow compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Harlow compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Harlow has 11 electoral wards.
Harlow has a population of 98,235 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Harlow can be found on the ONS statistics for Harlow.