Luton
§ This page gives an overview of the Luton 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 ⁞ Luton is a large Bedfordshire town at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, with a diverse cultural character. The town is known for Luton Airport, a major international hub, and landmarks such as Wardown Park Museum and Stockwood Discovery Centre. The River Lea flows through, while nearby Dunstable Downs and the Chilterns provide dramatic countryside. Luton’s mix of historic parks, industry, and transport links defines its geography.
Luton Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Luton 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 Luton can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Luton.
Key Facts about Luton
What region is Luton in? Luton is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Luton in? Luton is in the county of Bedfordshire.
Is Luton a city? No, Luton is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Luton? The local government for this district is: Luton Borough Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Luton Borough Council 🔗 m.luton.gov.uk
Which police force covers Luton? Policing in Luton is provided by Bedfordshire Police 🔗 beds.police.uk, which serves 3 local authority districts: Bedford ⁞ Central Bedfordshire ⁞ Luton.
Luton in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Luton is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) East of England
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Luton
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 Luton
Luton 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 Luton
Luton is divided into 20 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barnfield
- Beech Hill
- Biscot
- Bramingham
- Central
- Challney
- Dallow
- Farley
- High Town
- Leagrave
- Lewsey
- Northwell
- Poets
- Round Green
- Saints
- South
- Stopsley
- Sundon Park
- Vauxhall
- Wigmore
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 Luton
Luton 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 Luton
Below is a list of post towns in Luton, grouped by postcode area:
LU ▸ Luton (LU1 / LU2 / LU3 / LU4)
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 Luton
Luton covers 2 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Houghton Regis *
- Luton *
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 Luton.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Luton
Luton 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 Luton Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Thameslink) ▸ Luton Airport Parkway (LU1 3JW) ⁞ Luton (LU1 2LT) ⁞ Leagrave (LU4 9BA)
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.
Luton compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Luton compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Luton has 20 electoral wards.
Luton has a population of 239,090 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Luton
This chart shows the population trend for Luton 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 Luton can be found on the ONS statistics for Luton.