Southampton
§ This page gives an overview of the Southampton 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 ⁞ Southampton, on the south coast of Hampshire, is a historic port city with a rich maritime past. The city’s docks are central to its identity, serving as a major cruise terminal. The medieval Bargate and city walls highlight its heritage, while the SeaCity Museum explores its links to the Titanic. Southampton Common and riverside parks provide green areas, while the Rivers Test and Itchen frame the city with estuaries and wetlands. Its coastal and riverside setting gives it a distinctive character.
The administrative boundary of Southampton can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Southampton.
Key Facts about Southampton
What region is Southampton in? Southampton is in the South East of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Southampton in? Southampton is in the county of Hampshire.
Is Southampton a city? Yes, Southampton is a city. Southampton holds official city status as one of the 76 designated cities in the UK.
Who governs Southampton? The local government for this district is: Southampton City Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Southampton City Council 🔗 southampton.gov.uk
Which police force covers Southampton? Policing in Southampton is provided by Hampshire Constabulary 🔗 hampshire.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Basingstoke and Deane ⁞ East Hampshire ⁞ Eastleigh ⁞ Fareham ⁞ Gosport ⁞ Hart ⁞ Havant ⁞ Isle of Wight ⁞ New Forest ⁞ Portsmouth ⁞ Rushmoor ⁞ Southampton ⁞ Test Valley ⁞ Winchester.
Southampton in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Southampton is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) South East
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Hampshire and Isle of Wight
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Southampton
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 Southampton
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 Southampton
Southampton is divided into 17 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Banister & Polygon
- Bargate
- Bassett
- Bevois
- Bitterne Park
- Coxford
- Freemantle
- Harefield
- Millbrook
- Peartree
- Portswood
- Redbridge
- Shirley
- Sholing
- Swaythling
- Thornhill
- Woolston
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 Southampton
Southampton 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 Southampton
Southampton covers 4 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Chilworth (Test Valley) *
- Rownhams and Nursling *
- Southampton *
- West End (Eastleigh) *
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 Southampton.)
Southampton compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Southampton compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Southampton has 17 electoral wards.
Southampton has a population of 259,424 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Southampton can be found on the ONS statistics for Southampton.