Three Rivers
§ This page gives an overview of the Three Rivers 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 ⁞ Three Rivers district in south-west Hertfordshire takes its name from the rivers Chess, Colne, and Gade, which flow through its varied landscapes. Rickmansworth, the main town, is known for the Aquadrome with its lakes and nature trails, while Chorleywood and Croxley Green are attractive residential communities with village greens and historic charm. Canals, reservoirs, and woodlands define the area, including parts of the Chiltern Hills and Whippendell Woods. The Grand Union Canal weaves through, offering scenic towpaths and boating opportunities. The district balances countryside, waterways, and suburban living close to London.
Three Rivers Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Three Rivers 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 Three Rivers can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Three Rivers.
Key Facts about Three Rivers
What region is Three Rivers in? Three Rivers is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Three Rivers in? Three Rivers is located in the county of Hertfordshire.
Is Three Rivers a city? No, Three Rivers is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Three Rivers? The local authority for this district is: Three Rivers District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Hertfordshire is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Hertfordshire County Council.
▶ Official website of Three Rivers District Council 🔗 threerivers.gov.uk
Which police force covers Three Rivers? Policing in Three Rivers is provided by Hertfordshire Constabulary 🔗 herts.police.uk, which serves 10 local authority districts: Broxbourne ⁞ Dacorum ⁞ East Hertfordshire ⁞ Hertsmere ⁞ North Hertfordshire ⁞ St Albans ⁞ Stevenage ⁞ Three Rivers ⁞ Watford ⁞ Welwyn Hatfield.
Constituencies in Three Rivers
Three Rivers is divided into 1 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 Three Rivers
Three Rivers is divided into 13 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbots Langley & Bedmond
- Carpenders Park
- Chorleywood North & Sarratt
- Chorleywood South & Maple Cross
- Dickinsons
- Durrants
- Gade Valley
- Leavesden
- Moor Park & Eastbury
- Oxhey Hall & Hayling
- Penn & Mill End
- Rickmansworth Town
- South Oxhey
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 Three Rivers
Three Rivers is part-parished: 6 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 2 unparished areas.
- Abbots Langley
- Batchworth
- Chorleywood
- Croxley Green
- Sarratt
- Watford Rural
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 Three Rivers
Below is a list of post towns in Three Rivers, grouped by postcode area:
- WD ▸ Abbots Langley (WD5) ⁞ Rickmansworth (WD3)
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 Three Rivers
Three Rivers covers 16 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Abbots Langley and Kings Langley *
- Bedmond *
- Bricket Wood *
- Chandler's Cross
- Chipperfield *
- Chorleywood *
- Commonwood *
- Harrow *
- Hemel Hempstead *
- Hillingdon *
- Maple Cross
- Moor Park *
- Rickmansworth *
- Sarratt
- Watford (Watford) *
- West Hyde *
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 Three Rivers.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Three Rivers
Three Rivers 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 Three Rivers Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- London Overground ▸ Carpenders Park (WD19 7DT)
- London Underground ▸ Rickmansworth (WD3 1QY) ⁞ Chorleywood (WD3 5ND)
- West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway) ▸ Kings Langley (WD4 8LF)
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.
Three Rivers compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Three Rivers compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Three Rivers has 13 electoral wards.
Three Rivers has a population of 95,807 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Three Rivers
This chart shows the population trend for Three Rivers 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 Three Rivers can be found on the ONS statistics for Three Rivers.