South Tyneside
§ This page gives an overview of the South Tyneside 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 ⁞ South Tyneside lies at the mouth of the River Tyne, where the river meets the North Sea. South Shields is its main town, with golden beaches, the historic Arbeia Roman Fort, and cultural venues like The Customs House. Jarrow adds industrial and historic interest, being home to the medieval Jarrow Monastery, while smaller communities such as Hebburn provide suburban character. The coastline features rugged cliffs, bays, and coastal paths, while the riverside adds scenic charm. South Tyneside’s mix of maritime heritage, Roman history, and coastal beauty defines its appeal.
The administrative boundary of South Tyneside can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of South Tyneside.
Key Facts about South Tyneside
What region is South Tyneside in? South Tyneside is in the North East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is South Tyneside in? South Tyneside is located in the county of Tyne and Wear.
Is South Tyneside a city? No, South Tyneside is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs South Tyneside? The local government for this district is: South Tyneside Borough Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of South Tyneside Borough Council 🔗 southtyneside.gov.uk
Which police force covers South Tyneside? Policing in South Tyneside is provided by Northumbria Police 🔗 northumbria.police.uk, which serves 6 local authority districts: Gateshead ⁞ Newcastle upon Tyne ⁞ North Tyneside ⁞ Northumberland ⁞ South Tyneside ⁞ Sunderland.
Constituencies in South Tyneside
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 South Tyneside
South Tyneside is divided into 18 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Beacon and Bents
- Bede
- Biddick and All Saints
- Boldon Colliery
- Cleadon and East Boldon
- Cleadon Park
- Fellgate and Hedworth
- Harton
- Hebburn North
- Hebburn South
- Horsley Hill
- Monkton
- Primrose
- Simonside and Rekendyke
- West Park
- Westoe
- Whitburn and Marsden
- Whiteleas
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 South Tyneside
South Tyneside 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 South Tyneside
South Tyneside covers 11 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Boldon Colliery
- Cleadon
- East Boldon and West Boldon
- Follingsby *
- Gateshead *
- Hebburn *
- Jarrow
- South Bents *
- South Shields
- Sunderland *
- Whitburn (South Tyneside) *
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 South Tyneside.)
South Tyneside compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how South Tyneside compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
South Tyneside has 18 electoral wards.
South Tyneside has a population of 151,393 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for South Tyneside can be found on the ONS statistics for South Tyneside.