Ipswich
§ This page gives an overview of the Ipswich 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 ⁞ Ipswich, the county town of Suffolk, lies on the River Orwell and blends historic and modern features. The town centre has medieval churches, the Buttermarket, and museums, while the waterfront is revitalised with marinas, university buildings, and restaurants. Christchurch Park provides green space, and the town’s history as one of England’s oldest settlements is reflected in its architecture. The River Orwell estuary adds maritime character and links Ipswich to the wider Suffolk coast.
The administrative boundary of Ipswich can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Ipswich.
Key Facts about Ipswich
What region is Ipswich in? Ipswich is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Ipswich in? Ipswich is located in the county of Suffolk.
Is Ipswich a city? No, Ipswich is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Ipswich? The local authority for this district is: Ipswich Borough Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Suffolk is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Suffolk County Council.
▶ Official website of Ipswich Borough Council 🔗 ipswich.gov.uk
Which police force covers Ipswich? Policing in Ipswich is provided by Suffolk Constabulary 🔗 suffolk.police.uk, which serves 5 local authority districts: Babergh ⁞ East Suffolk ⁞ Ipswich ⁞ Mid Suffolk ⁞ West Suffolk.
Ipswich in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Ipswich is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) East of England
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Suffolk
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Ipswich
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 Ipswich
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 Ipswich
Ipswich is divided into 16 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Alexandra
- Bixley
- Bridge
- Castle Hill
- Gainsborough
- Gipping
- Holywells
- Priory Heath
- Rushmere
- Sprites
- St John's
- St Margaret's
- Stoke Park
- Westgate
- Whitehouse
- Whitton
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 Ipswich
Ipswich 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 Ipswich
Ipswich covers 2 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ipswich *
- Westerfield *
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 Ipswich.)
Ipswich compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Ipswich compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Ipswich has 16 electoral wards.
Ipswich has a population of 140,274 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Ipswich can be found on the ONS statistics for Ipswich.