Isle of Wight
§ This page gives an overview of the Isle of Wight 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 ⁞ Isle of Wight is a ceremonial county and unitary authority located just off the Hampshire coast in the English Channel. Known for its coastal beauty, sailing culture, and annual music festivals, it’s the largest island in England. The island is administered by the Isle of Wight Council and retains a distinct identity with its own traditions, tourism-driven economy, and historical significance dating back to Roman and Victorian times.
Isle of Wight Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Isle of Wight 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 Isle of Wight can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Isle of Wight.
Key Facts about Isle of Wight
What region is Isle of Wight in? Isle of Wight is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Isle of Wight in? Isle of Wight is in the county of Isle of Wight.
Is Isle of Wight a city? No, Isle of Wight is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Isle of Wight? The local government for this district is: Isle of Wight Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Isle of Wight Council 🔗 iow.gov.uk
Which police force covers Isle of Wight? Policing in Isle of Wight is provided by Hampshire Constabulary 🔗 hampshire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Basingstoke and Deane ⁞ East Hampshire ⁞ Eastleigh ⁞ Fareham ⁞ Gosport ⁞ Hart ⁞ Havant ⁞ Isle of Wight ⁞ New Forest ⁞ Portsmouth ⁞ Rushmoor ⁞ Southampton ⁞ Test Valley ⁞ Winchester.
Isle of Wight in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Isle of Wight is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, that contains the following 6 ITLs Level 3 areas:
(ITL 1) South East
(ITL 2) ⇒ Hampshire and Isle of Wight
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Portsmouth ⁞ Southampton ⁞ Isle of Wight ⁞ South Hampshire ⁞ Central Hampshire ⁞ North Hampshire
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 Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight 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 Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight is divided into 39 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bembridge
- Binstead & Fishbourne
- Brading & St Helens
- Brighstone, Calbourne & Shalfleet
- Carisbrooke & Gunville
- Central Rural
- Chale, Niton & Shorwell
- Cowes Medina
- Cowes North
- Cowes South & Northwood
- Cowes West & Gurnard
- East Cowes
- Fairlee & Whippingham
- Freshwater North & Yarmouth
- Freshwater South
- Haylands & Swanmore
- Lake North
- Lake South
- Mountjoy & Shide
- Nettlestone & Seaview
- Newchurch, Havenstreet & Ashey
- Newport Central
- Newport West
- Osborne
- Pan & Barton
- Parkhurst & Hunnyhill
- Ryde Appley & Elmfield
- Ryde Monktonmead
- Ryde North West
- Ryde South East
- Ryde West
- Sandown North
- Sandown South
- Shanklin Central
- Shanklin South
- Totland & Colwell
- Ventnor & St Lawrence
- Wootton Bridge
- Wroxall, Lowtherville & Bonchurch
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 Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight is fully parished: 33 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Arreton
- Bembridge
- Brading
- Brighstone
- Calbourne, Newtown and Porchfield
- Chale
- Chillerton and Gatcombe
- Cowes
- East Cowes
- Fishbourne
- Freshwater
- Godshill
- Gurnard
- Havenstreet and Ashey
- Lake
- Nettlestone and Seaview
- Newchurch
- Newport and Carisbrooke
- Niton and Whitwell
- Northwood
- Rookley
- Ryde
- Sandown
- Shalfleet
- Shanklin
- Shorwell
- St Helens
- Totland
- Ventnor
- Whippingham
- Wootton Bridge
- Wroxall
- Yarmouth
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 Isle of Wight
Below is a list of post towns in Isle of Wight, grouped by postcode area:
- PO ▸ Bembridge (PO35) ⁞ Cowes (PO31) ⁞ East Cowes (PO32) ⁞ Freshwater (PO40) ⁞ Newport (PO30) ⁞ Ryde (PO33) ⁞ Sandown (PO36) ⁞ Seaview (PO34) ⁞ Shanklin (PO36 / PO37) ⁞ Totland Bay (PO39) ⁞ Ventnor (PO38) ⁞ Yarmouth (PO30 / PO41)
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 Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight covers 37 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Alverstone Garden Village
- Arreton
- Bembridge
- Bouldnor
- Brading
- Brighstone
- Chale Green
- Cowes
- East Cowes
- Fishbourne (Isle of Wight)
- Freshwater and Totland
- Godshill (Isle of Wight)
- Great Thorness
- Hale Common
- Havenstreet
- Hillway
- Merstone
- Newchurch (Isle of Wight)
- Newport (Isle of Wight)
- Niton
- Norton (Isle of Wight)
- Pondwell
- Rookley
- Ryde
- Sandown
- Seaview and Nettlestone
- Shalfleet
- Shanklin
- Shorwell
- St Helens (Isle of Wight)
- Ventnor
- Whitwell (Isle of Wight)
- Winford (Isle of Wight)
- Wootton (Isle of Wight)
- Wroxall
- Yarmouth
- Yaverland
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 Isle of Wight.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight 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 Isle of Wight Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- South Western Railway (Island Line) ▸ Shanklin (PO37 7AR) ⁞ Ryde Esplanade (PO33 2HE) ⁞ Ryde Pier Head (PO33 2HF) ⁞ Sandown (PO36 9BN) ⁞ Ryde St Johns Road (PO33 2BA) ⁞ Lake (PO36 8PJ) ⁞ Brading (PO36 0EB) ⁞ Smallbrook Junction (PO33 1AZ)
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.
Isle of Wight compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Isle of Wight compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Isle of Wight has 39 electoral wards.
Isle of Wight has a population of 141,660 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Isle of Wight
This chart shows the population trend for Isle of Wight 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 Isle of Wight can be found on the ONS statistics for Isle of Wight.