List of conurbations in the United Kingdom

"The definition of an urban area is an extent of at least 20 hectares and at least 1,500 residents at the time of the 2001 Census.

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A conurbation

Conurbation

A conurbation is an urban area or agglomeration comprising a number of cities, large towns and larger urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area....
 is formed when towns expand sufficiently that their urban areas join up with each other. This process has happened many times in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
. Green Belt

Green Belt (UK)

In United Kingdom urban planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail....
s were introduced in the 20th century to try to prevent urban sprawl

Urban sprawl

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is the spreading of a city and its suburbs over rural land at the fringe of an urban area. Residents of sprawling neighborhoods tend to live in single-family homes and commute by automobile to work....
 and so stop new conurbations forming.

In many cases, there are differences of interpretation as to the limits of a conurbation - where it begins and ends. For the purposes of consistency, the list on this page sets out urban areas as defined by the Office for National Statistics

Office for National Statistics

The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
 (ONS).

The ONS definition of an urban area is based on the continuously built-up area, and is as follows:-

"The definition of an urban area is an extent of at least 20 hectares and at least 1,500 residents at the time of the 2001 Census. The starting point is the identification by OS (Ordnance Survey) of areas with land use which is irreversibly urban in character. This comprises permanent structures and the land on which they are situated, including land enclosed by or closely associated with such structures; transportation corridors such as roads, railways and canals which have built up land on one or both sides, or which link built-up sites which are less than 200 metres apart; transportation features such as airports and operational airfields, railway yards, motorway service areas and car parks; mine buildings, excluding mineral workings and quarries; and any area completely surrounded by builtup sites. Areas such as playing fields and golf courses are excluded unless completely surrounded by builtup sites. The prerequisite for the recognition of an urban area is that the area of urban land should extend for 20 hectares or more. Separate areas of urban land are linked if less than 200 metres apart. Land between built-up areas is not regarded as urban unless it satisfies one of the conditions listed above."

List of major urban areas in the UK

The list below shows the most populous urban areas in the UK as defined by the Office for National Statistics

Office for National Statistics

The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
 (ONS).

Rank	Urban Area	Population (2001 Census)	Localities	Area (km²)	Density (People/km²)	Major localities
1	Greater London Urban Area Greater London Urban Area The Greater London Urban Area is the conurbation or continuous urban area based around London, in south east England with an estimated population of 8,505,000 in 2005 The urban area measured 1,623.3 km? as of the 2001 Census....	8,278,251	67	1,623.37	5,099.4	London London London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....  (dozens of localities of broadly similar size)
2	West Midlands Urban Area	2,284,093	22	599.72	3,808.6	Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Birmingham is the most populous of England's English Core Cities Group, and is the List of United Kingdom cities by population British city after London, with a population of 1,010,200 .... , Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Wolverhampton is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of the West Midlands , England. In 2004, the local government district had an estimated population of 239,100; the wider Urban Area had a population of List of English cities by population, which makes it the 13th most populous city in England.... , Dudley Dudley Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands , England, with a population of List of English cities by population. Since 1974 it has been the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Dudley; the original County Borough had undergone a lesser expansion in 1966.... , Walsall Walsall Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historic counties of England a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation, and is sometimes described as part of the Black Country....
3	Greater Manchester Urban Area Greater Manchester Urban Area The Greater Manchester Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics consisting of the large conurbation surrounding and including the Manchester in North West England....	2,240,230	57	556.72	4,024.0	Manchester Manchester Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. Manchester was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1853.... , Salford Salford Salford lies at the heart of the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. Salford is located by a meander of the River Irwell, which forms its boundary with the city of Manchester to the east.... , Bolton Bolton Bolton is a large town in Greater Manchester, in the North West England region of England.Situated close to the West Pennine Moors, north west of the city of Manchester, it is the largest and most populous settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, the former county borough of Bolton has a population of 139,403, though this figure d... , Stockport Stockport Stockport is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the influx of the rivers River Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, southeast of the city of Manchester.... , Oldham Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk and River Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester.... , Rochdale Rochdale Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester.... , Bury Bury Bury is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Irwell, east of Bolton, west-southwest of Rochdale, and north-northwest of the city of Manchester.... , Wilmslow Wilmslow Wilmslow is a town in the Borough of Macclesfield in Cheshire, England. It lies to the south of the city of Manchester between Alderley Edge and Handforth....
4	West Yorkshire Urban Area West Yorkshire Urban Area The West Yorkshire Urban Area is a term used by the Office for National Statistics to refer to a conurbation in West Yorkshire, England, based mainly on Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, but excluding towns such as Castleford, Halifax, West Yorkshire, Pontefract and Wetherby which though part of the county of West Yorkshire are consi...	1,499,465	26	370.02	4,052.4	Leeds Leeds Leeds is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England. It is the urban core and administrative centre of the wider metropolitan borough of the City of Leeds.... , Bradford Bradford Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield.... , Wakefield Wakefield Wakefield lies at the heart of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder, it had a population of 76,886 in 2001.... , Huddersfield Huddersfield Huddersfield is a large market town within the Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
5	Greater Glasgow Greater Glasgow Greater Glasgow is the conurbation that includes and surrounds the city of Glasgow in the west of Scotland. It has a population of 1,199,629 at the 2001 census making it the largest urban area in Scotland and the fifth List of conurbations in the United Kingdom in the United Kingdom....	1,168,270	48	368.47	3,171.0	Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's Scottish Lowlands.... , Paisley Paisley Paisley is a town and former burgh in the west-Central Lowlands of Scotland. It is situated on the northern edge of the Gleniffer Braes, straddling the banks of the River Cart.... , Coatbridge Coatbridge Coatbridge is a Lanarkshire town set in the central Lowlands of Scotland. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the stone age era. Foundations of the town can be traced back to the 12th century when the area was gifted by Royal Charter to the Monks of Newbattle Abbey by Malcolm IV.... , Clydebank Clydebank Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and Drumchapel districts of the adjacent City of G... , Motherwell
6	Tyneside Tyneside Tyneside is a conurbation in northern England, which is home to over 80% of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear. It includes Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Hebburn, Jarrow, North Shields, and South Shields — all settlements on the banks of the River Tyne, England....	879,996	25	210.91	4,172.4	Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Situated on the north bank of the River Tyne, the city developed from a Roman Empire settlement called Pons Aelius, though it owes its name to the Newcastle Castle built in 1080, by Robert Curthose, the eldest son of... , North Shields North Shields North Shields is a town on the north bank of the River Tyne, England, in the metropolitan borough of North Tyneside, in North East England. It is located eight miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne.... , South Shields South Shields South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne, England. The town has a population of about 90,000 and is part of the Metropolitan_borough of South Tyneside, which includes the riverside towns of Jarrow and Hebburn and the villages of Boldon, Cleadon and Whitburn.... , Gateshead Gateshead Gateshead is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It lies on the southern bank of the River Tyne, England, opposite Newcastle upon Tyne. Gateshead town centre and Newcastle city centre are very close to one another, and together they form the urban core of Tyneside.... , Jarrow Jarrow Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the River Tyne and has a population of around 27,000 ....
7	Liverpool Urban Area Liverpool Urban Area The "Liverpool Urban Area" is a term used by the Office for National Statistics to denote the urban area around Liverpool in England, to the east of the River Mersey....	816,216	8	186.17	4,384.4	Liverpool Liverpool Liverpool [] is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a History of borough status in England and Wales in 1207 and was granted City status in the United Kingdom in 1880.... , Bootle Bootle Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, in Merseyside, England. It is 4 miles  to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.... , Litherland Litherland Litherland is an area of Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. It is a northern suburb of Bootle and was formerly an urban district, which included also Seaforth, Merseyside and Ford, Merseyside.... , Huyton Huyton Huyton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, in Merseyside, England. It has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, Merseyside, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with Roby Urban District.... , Roby, Crosby Crosby, Merseyside Crosby is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, on Merseyside, England. The name Crosby is also used to cover a string of settlements along the Irish Sea coast north of Liverpool between Seaforth, Merseyside and Hightown, Sefton.... , Prescot Prescot Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley on Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool, and lies within the Historic counties of England of Lancashire.... , St. Helens, Haydock Haydock Haydock is a village and Ward within the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in Merseyside, England. The village is located roughly mid-way between Liverpool and Manchester, close to the junction of the M6 motorway and the A580 road....
8	Nottingham Urban Area	666,358	15	158.52	4,203.6	Nottingham Nottingham Nottingham is one of the three major city status in the United Kingdom in the East Midlands and is in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England.... , Beeston Beeston, Nottinghamshire Beeston is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is southwest of Nottingham City Centre.Although typically regarded as a suburb of the Nottingham, and officially designated as part of the Nottingham Urban Area, for local government purposes it is in the Borough of Broxtowe....  and Stapleford Stapleford, Nottinghamshire Stapleford is a town in the county of Nottinghamshire, England some 6 miles west of the centre of Nottingham.... , Carlton Carlton, Nottinghamshire Carlton is a suburb to the east of the city of Nottingham in the borough of Gedling. It is close to Sneinton, Bakersfield, Mapperley, and St Anns.... , Long Eaton Long Eaton Long Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about 7 miles Ordinal direction of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area....
9	Sheffield Urban Area Sheffield urban area The Sheffield Urban Area is a conurbation with a population of 640,720 making it the 8th largest conurbation in the United Kingdom and England's 6th largest....	640,720	7	162.24	3,949.2	Sheffield Sheffield Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England. It is so named because of its origins in a field on the River Sheaf that runs through the city.... , Rotherham Rotherham Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, South Yorkshire, close to its confluence with the River Rother, South Yorkshire, between Sheffield and Doncaster.... , Chapeltown Chapeltown, South Yorkshire Chapeltown is in northern Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England. It is forms part of the Ecclesfield civil parish. There are a wide variety of Retailing, pubs and restaurants as well as a supermarket.... , Mosborough Mosborough Mosborough ward — which includes the Districts of Sheffield of Halfway, Mosborough village, Waterthorpe, and Westfield — is one of the 28 electoral wards in Sheffield, England.... /Highlane
10	Bristol Urban Area	551,066	7	139.78	3,942.4	Bristol Bristol Bristol is a City status in the United Kingdom, unitary authority area and Ceremonial counties of England in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff.... , Kingswood Kingswood, South Gloucestershire Kingswood is a town in South Gloucestershire, England. It is on the eastern outskirts of the city of Bristol, on the A420 road, as this main road leaves Bristol for Oxford.... , Mangotsfield Mangotsfield Mangotsfield is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, situated north of the suburb of Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, bounded to the north by the M4 motorway and to the east by the Emersons Green housing estate.... , Stoke Gifford Stoke Gifford Stoke Gifford is a large village in South Gloucestershire, England, situated south of Bradley Stoke in the northern suburbs of Bristol. It has around 11,000 residents as of the United Kingdom Census 2001....
11	Greater Belfast Greater Belfast Greater Belfast is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern Ireland.It generally is taken to include North Down, Lisburn, Castlereagh and parts of South Antrim including Newtownabbey and Whiteabbey....	483,418	7	161.67	2,990.2	Belfast Belfast Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland.... , Castlereagh, Greenisland Greenisland Greenisland is a suburb in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and lies 3 miles to the south-west of Carrickfergus, 1 mile north-east of Jordanstown and its University of Ulster campus and lies 7 miles east of Belfast.... , Holywood Holywood Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the shores of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor, County Down. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby....
12	Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton The Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation has a population of 461,181 , making it the 12th largest conurbation in the United Kingdom and England's 10th largest....	461,181	10	94.09	4,901.5	Brighton Brighton Brighton is a city on the south coast of England and, with its neighbours Hove and Portslade, forms the Brighton and Hove.The ancient settlement of Brighthelmston dates from before the Domesday Book , but it emerged as a health resort during the 18th Century and became a destination for day-trippers after the arrival of the railway in... , Worthing Worthing Worthing is a large seaside resort town and a local government borough in West Sussex, England. Around 100,000 people live within the borough itself and 183,000 in the urban area.... , Hove Hove Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove.... , Littlehampton Littlehampton Littlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, located on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun.... , Shoreham Shoreham-by-Sea Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort, also being the major settlement in the Adur District of West Sussex in South East England.... , Lancing Lancing, West Sussex Lancing is a village and civil parish in the Adur district of West Sussex, England, on the western edge of the Adur Valley. It lies on the coastal plain between Sompting to the west, Shoreham-by-Sea to the east and the parish of Coombes to the north....
13	Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow....	452,194	2	120.11	3,765.0	Edinburgh Edinburgh Edinburgh ; is the Capital city of Scotland, a position it has held since 1437. It is the seventh largest city in the United Kingdom and the second largest Scottish City status in the United Kingdom after Glasgow.... , Musselburgh Musselburgh Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre. It also lays claim to the title of Scotland's oldest town.....
14	Portsmouth Urban Area Portsmouth Urban Area The Portsmouth Urban Area, in south-east Hampshire in southern England, includes the following components :*Fareham*Portchester*Gosport*Havant...	442,252	7	94.52	4,678.9	Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth city status in the United Kingdom located in the Counties of England of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is the UK's only island city and is located on Portsea Island.... , Gosport Gosport Gosport is a town and Non-metropolitan district in Hampshire with around 79,000 resident inhabitants , with a further 5-10,000 during the summer months, situated on the south coast of England.... , Waterlooville Waterlooville Waterlooville is a town in Hampshire, England approx 8 miles north of Portsmouth.The town has a population itself of about 10,000 and is surrounded by Purbrook, Blendworth, Cowplain, Lovedean, Clanfield, Hampshire, Catherington, Crookhorn, Denmead, Hambledon, Hampshire, Horndean and Widley.... , Fareham Fareham The market town of Fareham lies in the south east of Hampshire, England, between the cities of Southampton and Portsmouth, roughly in the centre of the South Hampshire conurbation....
15	Leicester Urban Area Leicester Urban Area The Leicester Urban Area is a conurbation based around the city of Leicester in Leicestershire, England. While it has no formal definition as an administrative area, the Office for National Statistics does define a Leicester Urban Area with a population of 441,213 at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001....	441,213	12	101.64	4,340.9	Leicester Leicester Leicester is a city status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is the county town of Leicestershire.... , Wigston, Oadby Oadby Oadby is a town within the Borough status in the United Kingdom of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester.... , Birstall Birstall, Leicestershire Birstall is a large village north of Leicester in Leicestershire, England....
16	Bournemouth Urban Area	383,713	5	108.15	3,548.0	Bournemouth Bournemouth Bournemouth is a large town in the Bournemouth in Dorset, England. The town has a population of 163,444 according to the United Kingdom Census 2001, making it the largest settlement in Dorset.... , Poole Poole Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east.... , Christchurch Christchurch, Dorset Christchurch is a borough and town in Dorset on the English Channel coast, adjoining Bournemouth in the west, with the New Forest to the east. Formerly in Hampshire, it is the most easterly borough in Dorset.... , New Milton New Milton New Milton is a market town in south west Hampshire, England. The town has a high street, which has various shops to suit all residents, and also holds a very successful market every Wednesday....
17	Reading/Wokingham Urban Area Reading/Wokingham Urban Area The Reading/Wokingham Urban Area is a name given by the Office for National Statistics to a conurbation in Berkshire, England, with a population of 369,804 , up 10.1% from the 1991 figure of 335,757....	369,804	5	93.17	3,969.1	Reading Reading, Berkshire Reading is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between London and Swindon off the M4 motorway.... , Bracknell Bracknell Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. It lies 18 km to the south-east of Reading, Berkshire, 16 km southwest of Windsor, Berkshire and 53 km west of London.... , Wokingham Wokingham Wokingham is a small market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England England approximately 33 miles west of London. It is east-southeast of Reading, Berkshire and west of Bracknell.... , Crowthorne Crowthorne Crowthorne is a small village and civil parish in the Bracknell Forest district of south-eastern Berkshire. It is best known for Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, which lies nearby....
18	Teesside Teesside Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the North East England of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements....	365,323	7	113.99	3,204.9	Middlesbrough Middlesbrough Middlesbrough is a town in the Tees Valley conurbation of North East England and sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire. It is the largest and most populous settlement within the Middlesbrough , which encompasses the town and several outlying villages which have become suburbs.... , Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in North East England England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority area and borough of Stockton-on-Tees.... , Redcar Redcar Redcar is a seaside resort in the North East England, and the principal town in the unitary authority of Redcar and Cleveland in the ceremonial counties of England of North Yorkshire.... , Billingham Billingham Billingham is a civil parish and town in the Stockton-on-Tees in North East England with a population of 35,765 . It was founded circa 650 by a group of Saxons known as Billa's people, which is where the name Billingham is thought to have originated....
19	The Potteries Urban Area The Potteries Urban Area The Potteries Urban Area is a conurbation in North Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England.It includes the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the towns of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Kidsgrove....	362,403	3	96.62	3,750.8	Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent is a City status in the United Kingdom in Staffordshire, England, which forms a linear conurbation almost 12 miles long, with an area of .... , Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme Newcastle-under-Lyme, known simply as "castle" to many local people, is a market town in Staffordshire, England, and is the principal town of the Newcastle-under-Lyme .... , Kidsgrove Kidsgrove Kidsgrove is a town in the Newcastle-under-Lyme , Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire. It forms part of The Potteries Urban Area in North Staffordshire, along with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme....
20	Coventry/Bedworth Urban Area	336,452	3	75.56	4,452.8	Coventry Coventry Coventry is a City status in the United Kingdom and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. With a population of 303,475 at the United Kingdom Census 2001 , Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom.... , Bedworth Bedworth Bedworth is a market town in the Nuneaton and Bedworth district of Warwickshire, England. It lies northwest of London, east of Birmingham, and north northeast of the county town of Warwick.... , Exhall Exhall Exhall is a village in Warwickshire, England situated 3.6 miles from south of Nuneaton and 6.3 miles north of Coventry city centre. It is within the Coventry/Bedworth Urban Area, the conurbation that includes Coventry and Bedworth....
21	Cardiff Urban Area Cardiff Urban Area The Cardiff Urban Area is the name given to the urban area around Cardiff. The vast bulk of the population and area are contributed by Cardiff which had a population of 292,150 as recorded at the 2001 census....	327,706	4	75.72	4,328.0	Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the Capital , largest city and most populous Unitary authority#Wales in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sport institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government .... , Penarth Penarth Penarth is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales 5.2 miles south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the River Severn at the southern end of Cardiff Bay.... , Dinas Powys Dinas Powys Dinas Powys is a large village and a community in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales. The village is 5.6 miles south-west of the centre of Cardiff and conveniently situated on the A4055 road Cardiff to Barry, Vale of Glamorgan main road.... , Radyr Radyr Radyr, including the administratively linked community of Morganstown, is an outer suburb within Cardiff, capital of Wales, situated in the Cardiff West of the city....
22	Birkenhead Urban Area Birkenhead Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool....	319,675	5	89.11	3,587.4	Birkenhead Birkenhead Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool.... , Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port is a large industrial town and cargo port in the borough of Ellesmere Port and Neston, Cheshire, England, situated in the south of the Wirral Peninsula on the estuary of the River Mersey, to the north of Chester.... , Wallasey Wallasey Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula.... , Bebington Bebington Bebington is a small town and Ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. It lies south of Liverpool and west southwest of Manchester, along the River Mersey on the eastern side of the Wirral Peninsula....
23	Southampton Urban Area	304,400	3	72.80	4,181.3	Southampton Southampton Southampton is the largest City status in the United Kingdom in the ceremonial county of Hampshire, on the south coast of England, and is sited around 100 km south-west of London and 30 km north-west of Portsmouth.... , Eastleigh Eastleigh Eastleigh is a former railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh . The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, Hampshire, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation.... , Bishopstoke Bishopstoke Bishopstoke, a village recorded in the Domesday Book,is a civil parish in the Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. Bishopstoke was also mentioned when King Alfred the Great's grandson King Eadred, granted land at "Stohes" to Thegn Aelfric in 948 A.D.....
24	Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a City status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England....	301,416	1	80.44	3,747.3	Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull , almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a City status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England....
25	Swansea Urban Area Swansea Urban Area The Swansea Urban Area is an area of land in Wales, United Kingdom defined by defined by the Office for National Statistics for population monitoring purposes....	270,506	4	79.81	3,389.0	Swansea Swansea Swansea is a City status in the United Kingdom and subdivisions of Wales in Wales. Swansea is in the Historic counties of Wales of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower peninsula and the Lliw uplands.... , Neath Neath Neath is a town and Community situated in the Principal areas of Wales of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001.... , Port Talbot Port Talbot Port Talbot is an Industry town in south Wales, United Kingdom, with a population of 35,633 in 2001. Port Talbot is now a part of the Local government in Wales#Principal areas of Wales of Neath Port Talbot county borough.... , Pontardawe Pontardawe Pontardawe is a town of some 5,000 inhabitants in the Swansea Valley in south Wales. The community of Pontardawe, comprising the electoral wards of Pontardawe and Trebanos , is served by an elected Community council#Community councils in Wales and forms part of the county borough of Neath Port Talbot.... /Clydach

Commentary

There is a spectrum that can be drawn between the conurbations that have a clear 'head' (such as Nottingham, Southampton) to those that do not - known as multi-centred conurbations (such as Bournemouth/Poole and Teesside) - via ones that are more borderline (West Midlands). In the case of the West Midlands, for example, the largest city, Birmingham did expand massively and is now considered to include areas that were formerly independent towns, such as Sutton Coldfield

Sutton Coldfield

Sutton Coldfield is a town within the Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham, in the northeast of the city, with a population of List of English cities by population recorded in the 2001 census....
 and Aston. However, here it stopped, with the Black Country and Wolverhampton retaining strong identities.

In various parts of the country are more borderline cases, where the areas expanded into did not necessarily have strong identities as towns. However, the areas do retain separate local government structures, and are therefore considered conurbations by the ONS

Office for National Statistics

The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
, on this basis :

• Bristol urban area - Bristol
  Bristol
  
  Bristol is a City status in the United Kingdom, unitary authority area and Ceremonial counties of England in South West England, west of London, and east of Cardiff....
  , Kingswood
  Kingswood, South Gloucestershire
  
  Kingswood is a town in South Gloucestershire, England. It is on the eastern outskirts of the city of Bristol, on the A420 road, as this main road leaves Bristol for Oxford....
  , Longwell Green
  Longwell Green
  
  Longwell Green is a suburb just outside the east fringe of Bristol. It is located within the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire and the unitary authority of South Gloucestershire ....
  , Mangotsfield
  Mangotsfield
  
  Mangotsfield is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, situated north of the suburb of Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, bounded to the north by the M4 motorway and to the east by the Emersons Green housing estate....
  , Frenchay
  Frenchay
  
  Frenchay is a suburb of Bristol, England, to the north east of the city, but located mainly in South Gloucestershire and the Civil Parish of Winterbourne....
  , Downend
  Downend, South Gloucestershire
  
  Downend and Bromley Heath is a civil parish and suburb of Bristol in South Gloucestershire, England. It is located to the North East of Bristol and bordered by the Bristol City suburb of Fishponds, Bristol to its south west and the South Gloucestershire suburbs of Staple Hill, Bristol to the south, Frenchay, Bristol to the west and Emerson...
  , Filton
  Filton
  
  Filton is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Bristol, about from the city centre. Filton lies in Bristol postcode areas BS7 and BS34....
  , Bradley Stoke
  Bradley Stoke
  
  Bradley Stoke is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the north side of the city of Bristol. Named after the local Bradley Brook and Stoke Brook streams, the town was planned in the 1970s and building began in 1987....
  , Patchway
  Patchway
  
  Patchway is a town in South Gloucestershire, England, situated some 10 km northwest of the city of Bristol. Its purpose was a housing overflow for Bristol....
  , Cribbs Causeway
  Cribbs Causeway
  
  Cribbs Causeway is a road just north of Bristol, England, which has given its name to a large out-of-town shopping centre. Cribbs Causeway is situated in Patchway, South Gloucestershire, near Filton Aerodrome....
  
• Greater Leicester
  Leicester
  
  Leicester is a city status in the United Kingdom and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is the county town of Leicestershire....
  , including Birstall
  Birstall, Leicestershire
  
  Birstall is a large village north of Leicester in Leicestershire, England....
  , Syston
  Syston
  
  Syston is a town and civil parish in the district of Charnwood in Leicestershire, England. The 2004 population was 11,847.There has been a settlement on the site for over 1000 years, the earliest records being in the Domesday book as Sitestone....
  , Oadby and Wigston
  Oadby and Wigston
  
  Oadby and Wigston is a Non-metropolitan district and borough in the England county of Leicestershire. It is composed of the areas of Oadby, Wigston Magna and South Wigston....
  , Glenfield
  Glenfield, Leicestershire
  
  Glenfield is a village and civil parish in Leicestershire, England. It is part of the Blaby district, and has a population of about 10,000. Its location at the northwestern fringe of the city of Leicester effectively makes it a suburb, although it is politically and administratively separate....
  , Braunstone
  Braunstone
  
  Braunstone is a suburb of the City of Leicester, England, to the south-west of the City Centre, parts of which were built on the grounds of Braunstone Hall, the remnant of the grounds of which are now Braunstone Park....
  
• Reading/Wokingham Urban Area
  Reading/Wokingham Urban Area
  
  The Reading/Wokingham Urban Area is a name given by the Office for National Statistics to a conurbation in Berkshire, England, with a population of 369,804 , up 10.1% from the 1991 figure of 335,757....
   - including Reading
  Reading, Berkshire
  
  Reading is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between London and Swindon off the M4 motorway....
  , Purley-on-Thames
  Purley-on-Thames
  
  Purley-on-Thames, , is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England. It forms part of the Reading, Berkshire urban area, but remains outside the borough, in West Berkshire....
  , Wokingham
  Wokingham
  
  Wokingham is a small market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England England approximately 33 miles west of London. It is east-southeast of Reading, Berkshire and west of Bracknell....
  , Bracknell
  Bracknell
  
  Bracknell is a town in the Bracknell Forest borough of Berkshire, England. It lies 18 km to the south-east of Reading, Berkshire, 16 km southwest of Windsor, Berkshire and 53 km west of London....
  

There are also various places where whilst not actually running into each other, the amount of development in a large area is substantial. Heavily built up areas of this type include :

• South Hampshire
  South Hampshire
  
  South Hampshire or Solent City is a term used mainly to refer to the metropolitan area formed by the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and their suburbs and commuter towns, in southern Hampshire, England....
  , consisting of the Portsmouth and Southampton areas mentioned above, was considered for metropolitan county
  Metropolitan county
  
  The metropolitan counties are a type of county-level administrative division of England. There are six metropolitan counties, which each cover large urban areas, typically with populations of 1.2 to 2.8 million....
   status in the 1970s
• West Yorkshire
  West Yorkshire
  
  West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population....
   and South Yorkshire
  South Yorkshire
  
  South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population....
  , which are both heavily built up but not entirely devoid of countryside (both are metropolitan counties)
• Cardiff
  Cardiff
  
  Cardiff is the Capital , largest city and most populous Unitary authority#Wales in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sport institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government ....
  /Newport
  Newport
  
  Newport is a City status in the United Kingdom and Administrative divisions of Wales in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, located roughly between Cardiff and Bristol, it is the cultural capital and largest urban area in the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire and is governed by the unitary authori...
  , consisting of the cities of Cardiff
  Cardiff
  
  Cardiff is the Capital , largest city and most populous Unitary authority#Wales in Wales. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for many national cultural and sport institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of Welsh Assembly Government ....
   and Newport
  Newport
  
  Newport is a City status in the United Kingdom and Administrative divisions of Wales in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, located roughly between Cardiff and Bristol, it is the cultural capital and largest urban area in the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire and is governed by the unitary authori...
  , Cwmbran
  Cwmbran
  
  Cwmbran is a new town in Wales within the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire , and county borough of Torfaen. It was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield....
  , much of the eastern South Wales Valleys with towns such as Risca
  Risca
  
  Alternate meanings: see Risca .Risca is a town of approximately 11,500 people in South Wales, within the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire ....
  , Ebbw Vale
  Ebbw Vale
  
  Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough....
  , Pontypool
  Pontypool
  
  Pontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the Historic counties of Wales of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
   and Caerphilly
  Caerphilly
  
  Caerphilly is a town in the county borough of Caerphilly , South Wales Wales, located at the bottom of the Rhymney Valley, with a population of approximately 31,000....
   and part of the Vale of Glamorgan
  Vale of Glamorgan
  
  The Vale of Glamorgan is an exceptionally rich agricultural area in the southern part of Glamorgan, Wales. It has a rugged coastline, but its rolling countryside is quite atypical of Wales as a whole....
   including Penarth
  Penarth
  
  Penarth is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales 5.2 miles south west from the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the River Severn at the southern end of Cardiff Bay....
   and Barry
  Barry, Wales
  
  Barry is a town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Located along the northern coast of the Bristol Channel less than 7 miles SSW of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, Barry is a seaside resort, with attractions including several beaches and the Barry Island Pleasure Park....
  .

The metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear is almost a quarter of the size of West Yorkshire, but the two main settlements (Newcastle/Tyneside and Sunderland/Wearside) are not part of the same conurbation due to the fact that a gap of countryside exists between South Tyneside and Sunderland, but this gap is fairly small. If these two conurbations were counted as one, the population would be 1,182,517 with Wearside containting the settlements of Sunderland

Sunderland

Sunderland is a city in Tyne and Wear, England. It was formerly a county borough but now forms part of the City of Sunderland. It is situated at the mouth of the River Wear....
, Washington

Washington

Washington is a U.S. state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute....
 and Seaham

Seaham

Seaham, formerly Seaham Harbour, is a small town in County Durham, situated six miles to the south of Sunderland and east of Durham City. It has a small parish church, St Mary the Virgin, with a late 7th century Anglo Saxon nave resembling the church at Escomb in many respects....
, population: 302,521. Newcastle's urban area also extends northwards into Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland is a Counties of England in the North East England of England. The non-metropolitan counties of England of Northumberland borders Cumbria to the west, County Durham to the south and Tyne and Wear to the south east, as well as having a border with the Scottish Borders council area to the north, and nearly eighty miles of Nort...
 with settlements such as Cramlington

Cramlington

The town of Cramlington in the county of Northumberland is situated nine miles north of the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in the north-east of England....
 and Blyth

Blyth

Blyth is the name of various cities, rivers, people and a corporation:...
 potentially increasing the Tyneside and Wearside urban area further.

Smaller examples of conurbations also exist on a more local level. For example, Harrogate

Harrogate

Harrogate is a large, wealthy spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a popular tourist destination; its spa waters and the Harlow Carr are among the visitor attractions....
 runs into Knaresborough

Knaresborough

Knaresborough is an historic market town and spa town in the Harrogate , North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of Harrogate....
, Warwick

Warwick

Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, Warwickshire, 18 km south of Coventry and 4 km west of Leamington Spa , with a population of 25,434 .....
 runs into Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa, properly Royal Leamington Spa, commonly Leamington , and "Leam" to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England....
, Luton

Luton

Luton is a large town in the East of England England, 32 miles north of London. Historically, Luton is within the county of Bedfordshire, and since 1997, the town has been a unitary authority....
 runs into Dunstable

Dunstable

Dunstable is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north....
, and Grimsby

Grimsby

Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996....
 runs into Cleethorpes

Cleethorpes

Cleethorpes is a town and unparished area in North East Lincolnshire, England, situated on the estuary of the River Humber....
.

See also

• List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population
  List of largest United Kingdom settlements by population
  
  This list is of the largest settlements in the United Kingdom in order of their population, according to the 2001 census data from the Office for National Statistics , the General Register Office for Scotland, and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency....
  
• Metropolitan areas of Ireland