Oxford
§ This page gives an overview of the Oxford 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 ⁞ Oxford is a world-famous city in Oxfordshire, renowned for its university, historic architecture, and cultural life. The city centre is dominated by the spires of colleges such as Christ Church, Magdalen, and Radcliffe Camera, set along cobbled streets and quads. The River Thames and River Cherwell weave through, providing meadows and riverside walks such as Port Meadow. Museums, libraries, and theatres add cultural depth, while the city is surrounded by villages and farmland that preserve its rural edges. Its geography blends historic urban life with green landscapes.
Oxford Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Oxford 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 Oxford can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Oxford.
Key Facts about Oxford
What region is Oxford in? Oxford is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Oxford in? Oxford is located in the county of Oxfordshire.
Is Oxford a city? Yes, Oxford is a city. Oxford holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.
Who governs Oxford? The local authority for this district is: Oxford City Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Oxfordshire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Oxfordshire County Council.
▶ Official website of Oxford City Council 🔗 oxford.gov.uk
Which police force covers Oxford? Policing in Oxford is provided by Thames Valley Police 🔗 thamesvalley.police.uk, which serves 13 local authority districts: Bracknell Forest ⁞ Buckinghamshire ⁞ Cherwell ⁞ Milton Keynes ⁞ Oxford ⁞ Reading ⁞ Slough ⁞ South Oxfordshire ⁞ Vale of White Horse ⁞ West Berkshire ⁞ West Oxfordshire ⁞ Windsor and Maidenhead ⁞ Wokingham.
Oxford in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Oxford is within one of ITLs Level 2 area, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, that contains the following 5 ITLs Level 3 areas:
(ITL 1) South East
(ITL 2) ⇒ Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
(ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Milton Keynes ⁞ Buckinghamshire ⁞ Oxfordshire CC ⁞ Berkshire East ⁞ Berkshire West
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 Oxford
Oxford 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 Oxford
Oxford is divided into 24 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barton & Sandhills
- Blackbird Leys
- Carfax & Jericho
- Churchill
- Cowley
- Cutteslowe & Sunnymead
- Donnington
- Headington
- Headington Hill & Northway
- Hinksey Park
- Holywell
- Littlemore
- Lye Valley
- Marston
- Northfield Brook
- Osney & St Thomas
- Quarry & Risinghurst
- Rose Hill & Iffley
- St Clement's
- St Mary's
- Summertown
- Temple Cowley
- Walton Manor
- Wolvercote
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 Oxford
Oxford is part-parished: 4 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 2 unparished areas.
- Blackbird Leys
- Littlemore
- Old Marston
- Risinghurst and Sandhills
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 Oxford
Below is a list of post towns in Oxford, grouped by postcode area:
OX ▸ Oxford (OX1 / OX2 / OX3 / OX4 / OX33 / OX44)
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 Oxford
Oxford covers 2 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Oxford *
- Wolvercote
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 Oxford.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Oxford
Oxford 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 Oxford Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Great Western Railway ▸ Oxford (OX1 1HS) ⁞ Ascott-Under-Wychwood (OX3 5LP)
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.
Oxford compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Oxford compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Oxford has 24 electoral wards.
Oxford has a population of 166,034 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Oxford
This chart shows the population trend for Oxford 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 Oxford can be found on the ONS statistics for Oxford.