Wirral
§ This page gives an overview of the Wirral 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 ⁞ The Wirral Peninsula lies between the River Dee and the River Mersey, offering a mix of coastline, countryside, and suburban towns. Birkenhead, with its historic park designed by Joseph Paxton, is the largest town, while West Kirby and Hoylake provide seaside charm with sandy beaches and sailing. The Wirral Coastline includes dramatic cliffs at Thurstaston, marshes along the Dee Estuary, and the famous Hilbre Islands nature reserve. Villages such as Port Sunlight, a model village built by the Lever Brothers, highlight its unique heritage. The combination of estuaries, beaches, and countryside gives Wirral a diverse landscape.
Wirral Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Wirral 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 Wirral can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Wirral.
Key Facts about Wirral
What region is Wirral in? Wirral is in the North West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Wirral in? Wirral is located in the county of Merseyside.
Is Wirral a city? No, Wirral is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Wirral? The local government for this district is: Wirral Borough Council (Metropolitan District).
▶ Official website of Wirral Borough Council 🔗 wirral.gov.uk
Which police force covers Wirral? Policing in Wirral is provided by Merseyside Police 🔗 merseyside.police.uk, which serves 5 local authority districts: Knowsley ⁞ Liverpool ⁞ Sefton ⁞ St. Helens ⁞ Wirral.
Wirral in International Geographies
In the International Territorial Levels (ITLs) hierarchy, Wirral is an ITLs Level 3 area:
- (ITL 1) North West
- (ITL 2) ⇒ Merseyside
- (ITL 3) ⇒⇒ Wirral
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 Wirral
Wirral is divided into 4 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 Wirral
Wirral is divided into 22 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bebington
- Bidston and St James
- Birkenhead and Tranmere
- Bromborough
- Clatterbridge
- Claughton
- Eastham
- Greasby, Frankby and Irby
- Heswall
- Hoylake and Meols
- Leasowe and Moreton East
- Liscard
- Moreton West and Saughall Massie
- New Brighton
- Oxton
- Pensby and Thingwall
- Prenton
- Rock Ferry
- Seacombe
- Upton
- Wallasey
- West Kirby and Thurstaston
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 Wirral
Wirral 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 Wirral
Below is a list of post towns in Wirral, grouped by postcode area:
- CH ▸ Birkenhead (CH25 / CH41 / CH42) ⁞ Prenton (CH26 / CH43) ⁞ Wallasey (CH27 / CH44 / CH45) ⁞ Wirral (CH28 / CH29 / CH30 / CH31 / CH32 / CH46 / CH47 / CH48 / CH49 / CH60 / CH61 / CH62 / CH63)
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 Wirral
Wirral covers 12 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Barnston (Wirral)
- Bebington *
- Birkenhead
- Caldy
- Ellesmere Port *
- Greasby
- Heswall *
- Hoylake
- Meols
- Neston (Cheshire West and Chester) *
- Wallasey
- West Kirby
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 Wirral.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Wirral
Wirral 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 Wirral Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Merseyrail ▸ Birkenhead Hamilton Square (CH41 1AL) ⁞ West Kirby (CH48 4DZ) ⁞ New Brighton (CH45 2NY) ⁞ Birkenhead North (CH41 7AZ) ⁞ Bebington (CH63 7LA) ⁞ Rock Ferry (CH42 2AT) ⁞ Port Sunlight (CH62 4XB) ⁞ Birkenhead Park (CH41 8BT) ⁞ Birkenhead Central (CH41 9DB) ⁞ Conway Park (CH41 4PP) ⁞ Moreton (Merseyside) (CH46 8SD) ⁞ Bromborough (CH63 0JG) ⁞ Leasowe (CH46 1QN) ⁞ Wallasey Grove Road (CH45 8JX) ⁞ Hoylake (CH47 4AA) ⁞ Wallasey Village (CH45 8PD) ⁞ Meols (CH47 9RA) ⁞ Spital (CH62 2AD) ⁞ Green Lane (CH41 9AN) ⁞ Eastham Rake (CH62 9AL) ⁞ Bidston (CH43 7RF) ⁞ Manor Road (CH47 3DF) ⁞ Bromborough Rake (CH62 7AL)
- TfW Rail ▸ Heswall (CH60 1XQ) ⁞ Upton (Merseyside) (CH43 9RY)
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.
Wirral compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Wirral compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Wirral has 22 electoral wards.
Wirral has a population of 328,873 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in Wirral
This chart shows the population trend for Wirral 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 Wirral can be found on the ONS statistics for Wirral.