Thurrock
§ This page gives an overview of the Thurrock 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 ⁞ Thurrock, on the north bank of the Thames in south Essex, combines industrial heritage, port facilities, and green spaces. Lakeside Shopping Centre is a major landmark, while historic sites such as Tilbury Fort and Coalhouse Fort highlight its role in defending the Thames. The River Thames estuary provides dramatic views and maritime character, while villages and countryside extend inland. Its geography is shaped by industry, transport links, and estuarine landscapes.
Thurrock Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Thurrock 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 Thurrock can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Thurrock.
Key Facts about Thurrock
What region is Thurrock in? Thurrock is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Thurrock in? Thurrock is in the county of Essex.
Is Thurrock a city? No, Thurrock is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Thurrock? The local government for this district is: Thurrock Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Thurrock Council 🔗 thurrock.gov.uk
Which police force covers Thurrock? Policing in Thurrock is provided by Essex Police 🔗 essex.police.uk, which serves 14 local authority districts: Basildon ⁞ Braintree ⁞ Brentwood ⁞ Castle Point ⁞ Chelmsford ⁞ Colchester ⁞ Epping Forest ⁞ Harlow ⁞ Maldon ⁞ Rochford ⁞ Southend-on-Sea ⁞ Tendring ⁞ Thurrock ⁞ Uttlesford.
Thurrock in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Thurrock is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) East of England
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Essex
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Thurrock
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 Thurrock
Thurrock 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 Thurrock
Thurrock is divided into 20 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Aveley and Uplands
- Belhus
- Chadwell St Mary
- Chafford and North Stifford
- Corringham and Fobbing
- East Tilbury
- Grays Riverside
- Grays Thurrock
- Little Thurrock Blackshots
- Little Thurrock Rectory
- Ockendon
- Orsett
- South Chafford
- Stanford East and Corringham Town
- Stanford-le-Hope West
- Stifford Clays
- The Homesteads
- Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park
- Tilbury St Chads
- West Thurrock and South Stifford
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 Thurrock
Thurrock 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Thurrock
Below is a list of post towns in Thurrock, grouped by postcode area:
- RM ▸ Grays (RM16 / RM17 / RM20) ⁞ Purfleet (RM19) ⁞ South Ockendon (RM15) ⁞ Tilbury (RM18)
- SS ▸ Stanford-le-Hope (SS17)
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 Thurrock
Thurrock covers 19 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Aveley *
- Baker Street
- Basildon *
- Bulphan
- Canvey Island *
- Chadwell St Mary
- Chafford Hundred
- Chafford Hundred and West Thurrock
- East Tilbury
- Fobbing *
- Grays
- Horndon on the Hill
- Orsett
- Purfleet-on-Thames
- South Ockendon
- Southfields
- Stanford-le-Hope
- Tilbury
- West Horndon *
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 Thurrock.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Thurrock
Thurrock 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 Thurrock Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- c2c ▸ Grays (RM17 6NQ) ⁞ Chafford Hundred (RM16 6QQ) ⁞ Tilbury Town (RM18 7BJ) ⁞ Ockendon (RM15 6PD) ⁞ Stanford-Le-Hope (SS17 0JX) ⁞ Purfleet (RM19 1PP) ⁞ East Tilbury (RM18 8SB)
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.
Thurrock compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Thurrock compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Thurrock has 20 electoral wards.
Thurrock has a population of 180,989 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Thurrock
This chart shows the population trend for Thurrock 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 Thurrock can be found on the ONS statistics for Thurrock.