Oldham
§ This page gives an overview of the Oldham 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 ⁞ Oldham is set between Manchester and the Pennines, offering a mix of urban and rural landscapes. The town itself has Victorian architecture, theatres, and galleries, while the surrounding Saddleworth villages provide picturesque stone cottages, canals, and moorland scenery. The Pennine hills, including parts of the Peak District National Park, create a dramatic backdrop with reservoirs and walking trails. Parks and open countryside contrast with Oldham’s industrial heritage and suburban areas, making it a place of both rugged beauty and urban development.
The administrative boundary of Oldham can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Oldham.
Key Facts about Oldham
What region is Oldham in? Oldham is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Oldham in? Oldham is located in the county of Greater Manchester.
Is Oldham a city? No, Oldham is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Oldham? The local government for this district is: Oldham Borough Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of Oldham Borough Council 🔗 oldham.gov.uk
Which police force covers Oldham? Policing in Oldham is provided by Greater Manchester Police 🔗 gmp.police.uk, which serves 10 local authority districts: Bolton ⁞ Bury ⁞ Manchester ⁞ Oldham ⁞ Rochdale ⁞ Salford ⁞ Stockport ⁞ Tameside ⁞ Trafford ⁞ Wigan.
Constituencies in Oldham
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 Oldham
Oldham is divided into 20 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Alexandra
- Chadderton Central
- Chadderton North
- Chadderton South
- Coldhurst
- Crompton
- Failsworth East
- Failsworth West
- Hollinwood
- Medlock Vale
- Royton North
- Royton South
- Saddleworth North
- Saddleworth South
- Saddleworth West & Lees
- Shaw
- St James'
- St Mary's
- Waterhead
- Werneth
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 Oldham
Oldham is part-parished: 2 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 4 unparished areas.
- Saddleworth
- Shaw and Crompton
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 Oldham
Oldham covers 17 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ashton-under-Lyne *
- Chadderton *
- Delph
- Denshaw
- Dobcross
- Droylsden *
- Failsworth *
- Lees *
- Manchester *
- Middleton (Rochdale) *
- Mossley *
- Newhey *
- Oldham
- Royton *
- Shaw (Oldham)
- Uppermill
- Woodhouses
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 Oldham.)
Oldham compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Oldham compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Oldham has 20 electoral wards.
Oldham has a population of 251,560 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Oldham can be found on the ONS statistics for Oldham.