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. One of 361 district 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.
The administrative boundary of Rochdale can 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
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.
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.
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.)
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)
More local statistics and data for Rochdale can be found on the ONS statistics for Rochdale.