Rochdale
§ This page gives an overview of the Rochdale 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 ⁞ Rochdale, north-east of Manchester, is centred around its historic town hall, known for its Gothic Revival architecture. The River Roch runs through the town, while the Rochdale Canal provides waterside scenery. Beyond the urban area, the Pennines rise steeply, with moorland, reservoirs, and walking routes such as the Pennine Way. The district includes villages like Littleborough, nestled near Hollingworth Lake Country Park, offering water sports and scenic views. Its geography combines dramatic uplands with valleys and suburban communities.
Rochdale Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Rochdale 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 Rochdale can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Rochdale.
Key Facts about Rochdale
What region is Rochdale in? Rochdale is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Rochdale in? Rochdale is located in the county of Greater Manchester.
Is Rochdale a city? No, Rochdale is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Rochdale? The local government for this district is: Rochdale Borough Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of Rochdale Borough Council 🔗 rochdale.gov.uk
Which police force covers Rochdale? Policing in Rochdale 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 Rochdale
Rochdale 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in Rochdale
Rochdale is divided into 20 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Balderstone & Kirkholt
- Bamford
- Castleton
- Central Rochdale
- East Middleton
- Healey
- Hopwood Hall
- Kingsway
- Littleborough Lakeside
- Milkstone & Deeplish
- Milnrow & Newhey
- Norden
- North Heywood
- North Middleton
- Smallbridge & Firgrove
- South Middleton
- Spotland & Falinge
- Wardle, Shore & West Littleborough
- West Heywood
- West Middleton
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 Rochdale
Rochdale 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Rochdale
Below is a list of post towns in Rochdale, grouped by postcode area:
- OL ▸ Heywood (OL10) ⁞ Littleborough (OL15 / OL16) ⁞ Rochdale (OL11 / OL12 / OL16)
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 Rochdale
Rochdale covers 17 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Birch
- Bury (Bury) *
- Chadderton *
- Heywood *
- Littleborough
- Manchester *
- Middleton (Rochdale) *
- Milnrow
- Newhey *
- Rhodes *
- Rochdale *
- Royton *
- Slattocks
- Summit *
- Trub
- Wardle (Rochdale)
- Whitworth *
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 Rochdale.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Rochdale
Rochdale 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 Rochdale Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Northern Trains ▸ Rochdale (OL11 1DR) ⁞ Littleborough (OL15 8AR) ⁞ Mills Hill (Manchester) (M24 2HJ) ⁞ Smithy Bridge (OL15 0DZ) ⁞ Castleton (Manchester) (OL11 3EB)
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.
Rochdale compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Rochdale compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Rochdale has 20 electoral wards.
Rochdale has a population of 235,561 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Rochdale
This chart shows the population trend for Rochdale 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 Rochdale can be found on the ONS statistics for Rochdale.