What Council Am I In?
Find your UK council instantly by postcode or automatic detection
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This tool covers UK councils. Enter a UK postcode below to find yours.
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What Council Is Your City In?
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Explore interactive council boundary maps and complete lists for each country in the United Kingdom.
UK Councils at a Glance
About UK Councils
The United Kingdom is divided into 348 councils and administrative areas across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Your council is the local authority responsible for services like waste collection, planning permission, council tax, housing and local roads.
England has 283 councils of various types including London boroughs, metropolitan districts, unitary authorities and non-metropolitan districts. Wales has 22 principal areas, Scotland has 32 council areas, and Northern Ireland has 11 districts.
Types of Council
There are several types of council in the UK. Unitary authorities provide all local government services in a single tier. London boroughs serve the 32 areas of Greater London plus the City of London. Metropolitan districts cover major urban areas like Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds. Non-metropolitan districts share responsibilities with county councils in two-tier areas.
How to Find Your Council
The quickest way to find which council you're in is to enter your postcode in the search box above. Every UK postcode maps to a specific council. You can also browse all councils by country using the links below, or let our tool auto-detect your council based on your internet connection.
Largest and Smallest Councils in England
By population, Birmingham is the largest council in England with over 1.1 million residents, making it the biggest local authority outside London. Leeds (845,000), Sheffield (582,000) and Bradford (563,000) follow. The City of London is by far the smallest with just over 15,000 residents, though it serves a much larger daytime population.
By area, North Yorkshire is the largest unitary authority at 8,654 km², while the Isles of Scilly is the smallest at just 16 km². In Scotland, Highland council area covers a vast 25,659 km², making it the largest council area in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many councils are there in the UK?
The United Kingdom has 348 local authority councils in total: 283 in England (including 32 London boroughs, 36 metropolitan districts, 58 unitary authorities and 156 non-metropolitan districts), 22 principal areas in Wales, 32 council areas in Scotland, and 11 districts in Northern Ireland.
What council is London in?
London does not have a single council. Greater London is divided into 32 London boroughs plus the City of London Corporation. Each borough (such as Westminster, Camden or Greenwich) is its own council responsible for local services.
What is the difference between a council and a county?
A county is a traditional geographic or ceremonial area (like Yorkshire or Kent), while a council is the local government authority responsible for services like planning, waste collection and council tax. A single county may contain several councils, and some councils (unitary authorities) combine county and district functions.
How does the council auto-detection work?
We use Cloudflare's global network to estimate your location from your IP address and match it to a UK council. No browser location permissions are needed. For the most accurate result, enter your full postcode.
What types of council are there in the UK?
The UK has several types of local authority: London boroughs (32), metropolitan districts (36), unitary authorities (58), non-metropolitan districts (156) in England; principal areas (22) in Wales; council areas (32) in Scotland; and districts (11) in Northern Ireland. Each type has different responsibilities depending on the local government structure.
How do I find what council I am in?
The easiest way is to enter your UK postcode in the search box above. Every postcode maps to a specific council. You can also let our tool auto-detect your council based on your internet connection, or browse all councils by country.
What does my council do?
Your local council is responsible for many everyday services including council tax collection, planning applications, waste collection, housing, local roads, parks and leisure, and environmental health. The exact services depend on whether your council is a unitary authority (handles everything) or a district council (shares responsibilities with the county council).
How do I contact my council?
Once you find your council using our tool, you can search for your council's official website which will have contact details, online forms and information about local services. Most councils offer phone, email and online chat support.