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. One of 361 district 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.
The administrative boundary of Luton can 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
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.
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.
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.)
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)
More local statistics and data for Luton can be found on the ONS statistics for Luton.