Watford
§ This page gives an overview of the Watford 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 ⁞ Watford is a Hertfordshire town with a strong urban character, cultural venues, and surrounding green spaces. The town centre features shopping districts, the Palace Theatre, and the Watford Colosseum concert venue. Cassiobury Park provides one of the largest green spaces in Hertfordshire, with woodlands and canalside walks. The River Colne and Grand Union Canal add to the town’s landscape, while nearby Warner Bros. Studio Tour London draws visitors with its film-making heritage. Watford’s blend of busy urban centre, historic churches, and surrounding countryside creates a lively and diverse character.
What County is Watford in?
Watford is in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, in the East of England. It is administered by Watford Borough Council, which is responsible for local government services within the town. For official, geographic, and ceremonial purposes, Watford is recognised as being part of Hertfordshire, rather than Greater London or any neighbouring county.
Historically, Watford has long been associated with Hertfordshire and has not been transferred to another county under modern local government reforms. Its close proximity to London can sometimes cause confusion, but Watford is not in London. The correct and current answer is that Watford is in Hertfordshire, both historically and today.
Watford Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Watford 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 Watford can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Watford.
Key Facts about Watford
What region is Watford in? Watford is in the East of England of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Watford in? Watford is located in the county of Hertfordshire.
Is Watford a city? No, Watford is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Watford? The local authority for this district is: Watford Borough 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 Watford Borough Council 🔗 watford.gov.uk
Which police force covers Watford? Policing in Watford 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 Watford
Watford 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 Watford
Watford is divided into 12 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Callowland
- Central
- Holywell
- Leggatts
- Meriden
- Nascot
- Oxhey
- Park
- Stanborough
- Tudor
- Vicarage
- Woodside
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 Watford
Watford 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 Watford
Below is a list of post towns in Watford, grouped by postcode area:
- WD ▸ Kings Langley (WD4 / WD18) ⁞ Watford (WD17 / WD18 / WD19 / WD24 / WD25 / WD99)
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 Watford
Watford covers 3 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bushey *
- Rickmansworth *
- Watford (Watford) *
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 Watford.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Watford
Watford 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 Watford Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- London Overground ▸ Watford High Street (WD17 2NW) ⁞ Bushey (WD19 4EA)
- West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway) ▸ Watford Junction (WD17 1EU) ⁞ Watford North (WD24 7DS) ⁞ Garston (Hertfordshire) (WD25 9RT)
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.
Watford compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Watford compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Watford has 12 electoral wards.
Watford has a population of 107,171 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Watford
This chart shows the population trend for Watford 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 Watford can be found on the ONS statistics for Watford.