North Somerset
§ This page gives an overview of the North Somerset 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 ⁞ North Somerset stretches along the Bristol Channel, combining seaside resorts, rural villages, and rolling countryside. Weston-super-Mare is the largest town, with its sandy beach, pier, and seafront attractions. Clevedon is known for its Victorian pier, while Portishead has a modern marina and coastal walks. The Mendip Hills provide scenic upland landscapes, while the Somerset Levels and rivers add to the district’s varied geography. Its coast, hills, and towns create a diverse environment.
The administrative boundary of North Somerset can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of North Somerset.
Key Facts about North Somerset
What region is North Somerset in? North Somerset is in the South West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is North Somerset in? North Somerset is in the county of Somerset.
Is North Somerset a city? No, North Somerset is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs North Somerset? The local government for this district is: North Somerset Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of North Somerset Council 🔗 n-somerset.gov.uk
Which police force covers North Somerset? Policing in North Somerset is provided by Avon and Somerset Constabulary 🔗 avonandsomerset.police.uk, which serves 5 local authority districts: Bath and North East Somerset ⁞ Bristol, City of ⁞ North Somerset ⁞ Somerset ⁞ South Gloucestershire.
North Somerset in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, North Somerset is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset, that contains the following 4 ITLs Level 3 areas:
(ITL 1) South West
(ITL 2) ⇒ North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ North Somerset ⁞ Somerset ⁞ Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ⁞ Dorset
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 North Somerset
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 Somerset
North Somerset is divided into 35 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Backwell
- Banwell & Winscombe
- Blagdon & Churchill
- Clevedon East
- Clevedon South
- Clevedon Walton
- Clevedon West
- Clevedon Yeo
- Congresbury & Puxton
- Gordano Valley
- Hutton & Locking
- Long Ashton
- Nailsea Golden Valley
- Nailsea West End
- Nailsea Yeo
- Nailsea Youngwood
- Pill
- Portishead East
- Portishead North
- Portishead South
- Portishead West
- Weston-super-Mare Central
- Weston-super-Mare Hillside
- Weston-super-Mare Kewstoke
- Weston-super-Mare Mid Worle
- Weston-super-Mare Milton
- Weston-super-Mare North Worle
- Weston-super-Mare South
- Weston-super-Mare South Worle
- Weston-super-Mare Uphill
- Weston-super-Mare Winterstoke
- Wick St Lawrence & St Georges
- Winford
- Wrington
- Yatton
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 North Somerset
North Somerset is fully parished: 39 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Abbots Leigh
- Backwell
- Banwell
- Barrow Gurney
- Blagdon
- Bleadon
- Brockley
- Burrington
- Butcombe
- Churchill
- Clapton-in-Gordano
- Cleeve
- Clevedon
- Congresbury
- Dundry
- Flax Bourton
- Hutton
- Kenn
- Kewstoke
- Kingston Seymour
- Locking
- Long Ashton
- Loxton
- Nailsea
- Pill and Easton-in-Gordano
- Portbury
- Portishead
- Puxton
- St. Georges
- Tickenham
- Walton-in-Gordano
- Weston-in-Gordano
- Weston-super-Mare
- Wick St. Lawrence
- Winford
- Winscombe and Sandford
- Wraxall and Failand
- Wrington
- Yatton
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.
Built-up Areas in North Somerset
North Somerset covers 37 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbots Leigh
- Avonmouth *
- Backwell
- Banwell
- Barrow Gurney
- Blagdon
- Bleadon *
- Bristol *
- Cambridge Batch
- Churchill (North Somerset)
- Clapton in Gordano
- Cleeve
- Clevedon
- Congresbury
- Downside
- Dundry
- Failand
- Felton (North Somerset)
- Flax Bourton
- Hutton (North Somerset)
- Kewstoke
- Leigh Woods
- Locking
- Long Ashton
- Nailsea
- Pill *
- Portishead *
- Redhill (North Somerset)
- Stone-edge Batch
- Tickenham
- West Hill (North Somerset)
- West Wick
- Weston-super-Mare
- Winford (North Somerset)
- Winscombe and Sandford *
- Wrington
- Yatton
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 Somerset.)
North Somerset compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how North Somerset compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
North Somerset has 35 electoral wards.
North Somerset has a population of 224,578 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for North Somerset can be found on the ONS statistics for North Somerset.