Renfrewshire
§ This page gives an overview of the Renfrewshire 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 ⁞ Renfrewshire borders Glasgow to the west and includes the town of Paisley, known for its textile heritage and as a cultural centre. The area has strong transport links via Glasgow Airport and is a mix of urban, suburban, and rural communities.
Renfrewshire Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Renfrewshire 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 Renfrewshire can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Renfrewshire.
Key Facts about Renfrewshire
What region is Renfrewshire in? Renfrewshire is in Scotland, a statistical region and also a country in United Kingdom.
Is Renfrewshire a city? No, Renfrewshire is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Renfrewshire? The local government for this district is: Renfrewshire Council (Scotland Council Area).
▶ Official website of Renfrewshire Council 🔗 renfrewshire.gov.uk
Which police force covers Renfrewshire? Policing in Renfrewshire is provided by Police Scotland 🔗 scotland.police.uk, which covers the whole of Scotland.
Renfrewshire in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Renfrewshire is within an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) Scotland
- (ITL 2) ⇒ West Central Scotland
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, and Renfrewshire
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 Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire 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, 57 of them are in Scotland. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire is divided into 12 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank
- Erskine and Inchinnan
- Houston, Crosslee and Linwood
- Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch
- Johnstone South and Elderslie
- Paisley East and Central
- Paisley Northeast and Ralston
- Paisley Northwest
- Paisley Southeast
- Paisley Southwest
- Renfrew North and Braehead
- Renfrew South and Gallowhill
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.
Post Towns in Renfrewshire
Below is a list of post towns in Renfrewshire, grouped by postcode area:
- PA ▸ Bishopton (PA7) ⁞ Bridge of Weir (PA11) ⁞ Erskine (PA8) ⁞ Johnstone (PA5 / PA6 / PA9 / PA10) ⁞ Lochwinnoch (PA12) ⁞ Paisley (PA1 / PA2 / PA3) ⁞ Renfrew (PA4)
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 Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire covers 20 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barrhead *
- Bishopton
- Bridge of Weir
- Brookfield
- Craigends
- Crosslee
- Elderslie
- Erskine
- Glasgow *
- Houston
- Howwood
- Johnstone
- Kilbarchan
- Kilmacolm *
- Langbank
- Linwood
- Lochwinnoch
- Paisley
- Quarriers Village *
- Renfrew *
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 Renfrewshire.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Renfrewshire
Renfrewshire 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 Renfrewshire Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- ScotRail ▸ Paisley Gilmour Street (PA1 1BS) ⁞ Johnstone (Renfrewshire) (PA5 8HE) ⁞ Bishopton (Renfrewshire) (PA7 5AD) ⁞ Paisley Canal (PA2 6SZ) ⁞ Hillington West (G52 4NQ) ⁞ Hawkhead (PA2 7BB) ⁞ Milliken Park (PA5 8PQ) ⁞ Lochwinnoch (PA12 4JF) ⁞ Paisley St James (PA3 1RB) ⁞ Howwood (Renfrewshire) (PA9 1AZ) ⁞ Langbank (PA14 6PD)
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.