North Hertfordshire
§ This page gives an overview of the North Hertfordshire 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 ⁞ North Hertfordshire combines historic market towns, rural landscapes, and attractive villages set amid rolling countryside. Hitchin, with its cobbled streets, medieval parish church, and lively markets, is a focal point, while Letchworth Garden City, the world’s first garden city, showcases innovative urban planning with green spaces and arts venues. Baldock and Royston add character with their Roman and medieval heritage, while nearby villages feature timber-framed cottages and ancient churches. The chalk hills of the Chilterns fringe the area, offering scenic walking trails and nature reserves, while the River Ivel and other waterways add to the varied geography.
North Hertfordshire Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the North Hertfordshire 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 North Hertfordshire can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of North Hertfordshire.
Key Facts about North Hertfordshire
What region is North Hertfordshire in? North Hertfordshire is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is North Hertfordshire in? North Hertfordshire is located in the county of Hertfordshire.
Is North Hertfordshire a city? No, North Hertfordshire is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs North Hertfordshire? The local authority for this district is: North Hertfordshire District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Hertfordshire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Hertfordshire County Council.
▶ Official website of North Hertfordshire District Council 🔗 north-herts.gov.uk
Which police force covers North Hertfordshire? Policing in North Hertfordshire is provided by Hertfordshire Constabulary 🔗 herts.police.uk, which serves 10 local authority districts: Broxbourne ⁞ Dacorum ⁞ East Hertfordshire ⁞ Hertsmere ⁞ North Hertfordshire ⁞ St Albans ⁞ Stevenage ⁞ Three Rivers ⁞ Watford ⁞ Welwyn Hatfield.
Constituencies in North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire is divided into 3 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 North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire is divided into 25 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Arbury
- Baldock East
- Baldock West
- Cadwell
- Codicote & Kimpton
- Ermine
- Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley
- Great Ashby
- Hitchin Bearton
- Hitchin Highbury
- Hitchin Oughton
- Hitchin Priory
- Hitchin Walsworth
- Hitchwood
- Knebworth
- Letchworth Grange
- Letchworth Norton
- Letchworth South East
- Letchworth South West
- Letchworth Wilbury
- Offa
- Royston Heath
- Royston Meridian
- Royston Palace
- Weston & Sandon
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 North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire is part-parished: 35 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 2 unparished areas.
- Ashwell
- Barkway
- Barley
- Bygrave
- Caldecote
- Clothall
- Codicote
- Graveley
- Great Ashby
- Hexton
- Hinxworth
- Holwell
- Ickleford
- Kelshall
- Kimpton
- King's Walden
- Knebworth
- Langley
- Lilley
- Newnham
- Nuthampstead
- Offley
- Pirton
- Preston
- Radwell
- Reed
- Royston
- Rushden
- Sandon
- St Ippolyts
- St Paul's Walden
- Therfield
- Wallington
- Weston
- Wymondley
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 North Hertfordshire
Below is a list of post towns in North Hertfordshire, grouped by postcode area:
- SG ▸ Baldock (SG7) ⁞ Hitchin (SG4 / SG5 / SG6) ⁞ Knebworth (SG3) ⁞ Letchworth Garden City (SG6)
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 North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire covers 31 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Apsley End *
- Ashwell
- Baldock
- Barkway
- Barley
- Blackmore End *
- Breachwood Green
- Codicote
- Gosmore
- Great Offley
- Hitchin
- Holwell (North Hertfordshire) *
- Ickleford
- Kimpton
- Knebworth *
- Letchworth *
- Little Wymondley
- Lower Stondon *
- Luton *
- Oaklands *
- Pirton
- Preston (North Hertfordshire)
- Reed
- Royston (North Hertfordshire) *
- Rush Green
- St Ippolyts
- Stevenage *
- Stotfold *
- Therfield
- Weston (North Hertfordshire)
- Whitwell (North Hertfordshire)
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 North Hertfordshire.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in North Hertfordshire
North Hertfordshire 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 North Hertfordshire Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Govia Thameslink Railway (Great Northern) ▸ Hitchin (SG4 9UL) ⁞ Letchworth Garden City (SG6 3AN) ⁞ Royston (SG8 5AH) ⁞ Baldock (SG7 5BU) ⁞ Knebworth (SG3 6AT)
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.
North Hertfordshire compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how North Hertfordshire compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
North Hertfordshire has 25 electoral wards.
North Hertfordshire has a population of 137,201 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in North Hertfordshire
This chart shows the population trend for North Hertfordshire 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 North Hertfordshire can be found on the ONS statistics for North Hertfordshire.