Torbay
§ This page gives an overview of the Torbay 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 ⁞ Torbay, on Devon’s south coast, is known as the “English Riviera,” with a coastline of sandy beaches, cliffs, and harbours. It includes the towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham, each with its own character: Torquay with its palm-lined seafront and marina, Paignton with its pier and family attractions, and Brixham as a working fishing port with colourful cottages. The coast includes coves, headlands, and the UNESCO-recognised Geopark, reflecting its geological heritage. The blend of resort towns and natural scenery makes Torbay distinctive.
The administrative boundary of Torbay can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Torbay.
Key Facts about Torbay
What region is Torbay in? Torbay is in the South West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Torbay in? Torbay is in the county of Devon.
Is Torbay a city? No, Torbay is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Torbay? The local government for this district is: Torbay Council (Unitary Authority).
▶ Official website of Torbay Council 🔗 torbay.gov.uk
Which police force covers Torbay? Policing in Torbay is provided by Devon & Cornwall Police 🔗 devon-cornwall.police.uk, which serves 12 local authority districts: Cornwall ⁞ East Devon ⁞ Exeter ⁞ Isles of Scilly ⁞ Mid Devon ⁞ North Devon ⁞ Plymouth ⁞ South Hams ⁞ Teignbridge ⁞ Torbay ⁞ Torridge ⁞ West Devon.
Torbay in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Torbay is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) South West
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Devon
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Torbay
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 Torbay
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 Torbay
Torbay is divided into 16 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barton with Watcombe
- Churston with Galmpton
- Clifton with Maidenway
- Cockington with Chelston
- Collaton St Mary
- Ellacombe
- Furzeham with Summercombe
- Goodrington with Roselands
- King's Ash
- Preston
- Roundham with Hyde
- Shiphay
- St Marychurch
- St Peter's with St Mary's
- Tormohun
- Wellswood
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 Torbay
Torbay is part-parished: 1 civil parishes (listed A-Z below) alongside 2 unparished areas.
- Brixham
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.
Built-up Areas in Torbay
Torbay covers 5 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Brixham *
- Collaton St Mary
- Marldon *
- Paignton *
- Torquay *
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 Torbay.)
Torbay compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Torbay compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Torbay has 16 electoral wards.
Torbay has a population of 140,126 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Torbay can be found on the ONS statistics for Torbay.