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. This is one of 361 LAD 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.
Harlow Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Harlow 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 Harlow can also 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
Harlow is divided into 1 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 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Harlow
Below is a list of post towns in Harlow, grouped by postcode area:
CM ▸ Harlow (CM17 / CM18 / CM19 / CM20)
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 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.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Harlow
Harlow 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 Harlow Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Greater Anglia ▸ Harlow Town (CM20 2JD) ⁞ Harlow Mill (CM20 2EL)
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.
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)
Population and Migration Trends in Harlow
This chart shows the population trend for Harlow 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 Harlow can be found on the ONS statistics for Harlow.