Sandwell
§ This page gives an overview of the Sandwell 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 ⁞ Sandwell lies in the industrial Black Country between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with a mix of urban centres, canals, and green spaces. West Bromwich, the largest town, has a busy centre and The Hawthorns football ground, while Smethwick and Oldbury reflect the area’s historic industrial roots. The extensive canal network runs through the district, and Sandwell Valley Country Park provides a large green space with farms, lakes, and trails. The landscape is urban in character but dotted with parks, waterways, and historic industrial landmarks.
The administrative boundary of Sandwell can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Sandwell.
Key Facts about Sandwell
What region is Sandwell in? Sandwell is in the West Midlands of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Sandwell in? Sandwell is located in the county of West Midlands.
Is Sandwell a city? No, Sandwell is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Sandwell? The local government for this district is: Sandwell Borough Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of Sandwell Borough Council 🔗 sandwell.gov.uk
Which police force covers Sandwell? Policing in Sandwell is provided by West Midlands Police 🔗 west-midlands.police.uk, which serves 7 local authority districts: Birmingham ⁞ Coventry ⁞ Dudley ⁞ Sandwell ⁞ Solihull ⁞ Walsall ⁞ Wolverhampton.
Sandwell in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Sandwell is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) West Midlands
- (ITL 2) ⇒ West Midlands
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Sandwell
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 Sandwell
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 Sandwell
Sandwell is divided into 24 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbey
- Blackheath
- Bristnall
- Charlemont with Grove Vale
- Cradley Heath and Old Hill
- Friar Park
- Great Barr with Yew Tree
- Great Bridge
- Greets Green and Lyng
- Hateley Heath
- Langley
- Newton
- Old Warley
- Oldbury
- Princes End
- Rowley
- Smethwick
- Soho and Victoria
- St Pauls
- Tipton Green
- Tividale
- Wednesbury North
- Wednesbury South
- West Bromwich Central
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 Sandwell
Sandwell 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 Sandwell
Sandwell covers 16 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bilston (Wolverhampton) *
- Birmingham *
- Blackheath *
- Brierley Hill *
- Coseley *
- Cradley Heath *
- Darlaston *
- Dudley (Dudley) *
- Halesowen *
- Oldbury (Sandwell) *
- Rowley Regis *
- Smethwick *
- Tipton *
- Walsall *
- Wednesbury *
- West Bromwich *
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 Sandwell.)
Sandwell compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Sandwell compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Sandwell has 24 electoral wards.
Sandwell has a population of 353,860 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Sandwell can be found on the ONS statistics for Sandwell.