Portsmouth
§ This page gives an overview of the Portsmouth 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 ⁞ Portsmouth, on Portsea Island in Hampshire, is a historic naval city with a strong maritime identity. The Historic Dockyard houses HMS Victory and the Mary Rose, while the Spinnaker Tower offers panoramic views. Southsea provides beaches, a pier, and gardens, while the city centre has shopping and cultural venues. The Solent surrounds the city, giving it an almost entirely coastal setting. Portsmouth’s geography is defined by its harbour, naval heritage, and waterfront.
The administrative boundary of Portsmouth can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Portsmouth.
Key Facts about Portsmouth
What region is Portsmouth in? Portsmouth is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Portsmouth in? Portsmouth is in the county of Hampshire.
Is Portsmouth a city? Yes, Portsmouth is a city. Portsmouth holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.
Who governs Portsmouth? The local government for this district is: Portsmouth City Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Portsmouth City Council 🔗 portsmouth.gov.uk
Which police force covers Portsmouth? Policing in Portsmouth is provided by Hampshire Constabulary 🔗 hampshire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Basingstoke and Deane ⁞ East Hampshire ⁞ Eastleigh ⁞ Fareham ⁞ Gosport ⁞ Hart ⁞ Havant ⁞ Isle of Wight ⁞ New Forest ⁞ Portsmouth ⁞ Rushmoor ⁞ Southampton ⁞ Test Valley ⁞ Winchester.
Portsmouth in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Portsmouth is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) South East
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Hampshire and Isle of Wight
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Portsmouth
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 Portsmouth
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 Portsmouth
Portsmouth is divided into 14 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Baffins
- Central Southsea
- Charles Dickens
- Copnor
- Cosham
- Drayton and Farlington
- Eastney and Craneswater
- Fratton
- Hilsea
- Milton
- Nelson
- Paulsgrove
- St Jude
- St Thomas
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 Portsmouth
Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth
Portsmouth covers 3 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Gosport *
- Portsmouth *
- Waterlooville *
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 Portsmouth.)
Portsmouth compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Portsmouth compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Portsmouth has 14 electoral wards.
Portsmouth has a population of 214,321 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Portsmouth can be found on the ONS statistics for Portsmouth.