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. One of 361 district 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.
The administrative boundary of Thurrock can 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
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.
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.
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.)
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)
More local statistics and data for Thurrock can be found on the ONS statistics for Thurrock.