Slough
§ This page gives an overview of the Slough 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 ⁞ Slough, in Berkshire, is a major urban centre west of London, with a strong industrial and commercial heritage. The town centre has modern developments, cultural venues, and parks such as Herschel Park. The Grand Union Canal and Jubilee River run nearby, while surrounding countryside and villages contrast with the urban core. Its geography reflects its role as a transport and business hub, balanced by pockets of green space.
What County is Slough in?
Slough is in the ceremonial county of Berkshire, in South East England. It is governed by Slough Borough Council, which operates as a unitary authority and is responsible for local government services within the town. Despite being administratively independent, Slough remains part of Berkshire for ceremonial and geographic purposes.
Historically, Slough was part of Buckinghamshire until 1995, when local government boundaries were reorganised. Since then, Slough has been transferred to Berkshire and is officially recognised as such. As a result, although older references may still associate Slough with Buckinghamshire, the correct modern answer is that Slough is in Berkshire.
Slough Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Slough 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 Slough can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Slough.
Key Facts about Slough
What region is Slough in? Slough is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Slough in? Slough is in the county of Berkshire.
Is Slough a city? No, Slough is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Slough? The local government for this district is: Slough Borough Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Slough Borough Council 🔗 slough.gov.uk
Which police force covers Slough? Policing in Slough is provided by Thames Valley Police 🔗 thamesvalley.police.uk, which serves 13 local authority districts: Bracknell Forest ⁞ Buckinghamshire ⁞ Cherwell ⁞ Milton Keynes ⁞ Oxford ⁞ Reading ⁞ Slough ⁞ South Oxfordshire ⁞ Vale of White Horse ⁞ West Berkshire ⁞ West Oxfordshire ⁞ Windsor and Maidenhead ⁞ Wokingham.
Constituencies in Slough
Slough is divided into 2 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 Slough
Slough is divided into 21 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Baylis & Salt Hill
- Britwell
- Chalvey
- Cippenham Green
- Cippenham Manor
- Cippenham Village
- Colnbrook & Poyle
- Elliman
- Farnham
- Haymill
- Herschel Park
- Langley Foxborough
- Langley Marish
- Langley Meads
- Langley St Mary's
- Manor Park & Stoke
- Northborough & Lynch Hill Valley
- Slough Central
- Upton
- Upton Lea
- Wexham Court
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 Slough
Slough is part-parished: 3 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 1 unparished areas.
- Britwell
- Colnbrook with Poyle
- Wexham Court
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Slough
Below is a list of post towns in Slough, grouped by postcode area:
SL ▸ Slough (SL1 / SL2 / SL3 / SL95)
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 Slough
Slough covers 7 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Colnbrook *
- Eton *
- Eton Wick *
- Farnham Common and Farnham Royal *
- Hillingdon *
- Poyle *
- Slough *
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 Slough.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Slough
Slough 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 Slough Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Great Western Railway ▸ Slough (SL1 1XW)
- TfL Rail ▸ Burnham (SL1 6JT) ⁞ Langley (SL3 6DB)
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.
Slough compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Slough compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Slough has 21 electoral wards.
Slough has a population of 167,359 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Slough
This chart shows the population trend for Slough 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 Slough can be found on the ONS statistics for Slough.