Districts of Wales


In 1974, Wales was re-divided for local government purposes into thirty-seven districts. Districts were the second tier of local government introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, being subdivisions of the eight counties introduced at the same time. This system of two-tier local government was abolished in 1996 and replaced with the current system of unitary principal areas.
Each district was administered by an elected district council. The council was entitled to petition for a charter granting borough status, whereupon the district became a borough and the district council a borough council headed by a mayor. In addition, a district could be granted Letters Patent granting city status.
For the list of districts before 1974, see List of rural and urban districts in Wales in 1973.

Districts 1974–1996

CodeDistrictStatusCountyArea 1974Population estimate 1974Population estimate 1992HeadquartersSuccessor UA
GD4AberconwyBoroughClwyd49,73054,100LlandudnoConwy
C4Alyn and DeesideDistrictClwyd68,28074,500HawardenFlintshire
GD1Anglesey - Ynys MônBoroughGwynedd62,02069,300LlangefniIsle of Anglesey
GD3ArfonBoroughGwynedd53,64056,100BangorGwynedd
GT3Blaenau GwentBoroughGwent84,08076,900Ebbw ValeBlaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire
P3BrecknockBoroughPowys37,12041,500BreconPowys
SG1CardiffCitySouth Glamorgan285,760295,600CardiffCardiff
D4CarmarthenDistrictDyfed49,91056,200CarmarthenCarmarthenshire
D1CeredigionDistrictDyfed55,43067,900AberystwythCeredigion
C1ColwynBoroughClwyd45,99056,400Colwyn BayConwy, Denbighshire
MG3Cynon ValleyBoroughMid Glamorgan69,63065,600AberdareRhondda Cynon Taf
C3DelynBoroughClwyd59,44069,700FlintFlintshire
D6DinefwrBoroughDyfed36,14038,700LlandeiloCarmarthenshire
GD2DwyforDistrictGwynedd25,87027,300PwllheliGwynedd
C5GlyndŵrDistrictClwyd38,45042,000RuthinDenbighshire, Powys, Wrexham
GT2IslwynBoroughGwent66,14067,200BlackwoodCaerphilly
D5LlanelliBoroughDyfed76,72074,600LlanelliCarmarthenshire
WG2Lliw ValleyBoroughWest Glamorgan57,46064,200PenllergaerNeath Port Talbot, Swansea
GD5MeirionnyddDistrictGwynedd30,83032,900DolgellauGwynedd
MG4Merthyr TydfilBoroughMid Glamorgan61,49060,100Merthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil
GT5MonmouthDistrict
Borough from 1988		Gwent66,09076,700PontypoolMonmouthshire
P1Montgomery, renamed
Montgomeryshire 1986		DistrictPowys43,58053,700NewtownPowys
WG3NeathBoroughWest Glamorgan66,15066,300NeathNeath Port Talbot
GT1NewportBoroughGwent135,910137,200NewportNewport
MG1OgwrBoroughMid Glamorgan126,570134,200BridgendBridgend, Vale of Glamorgan
WG4Afan, renamed
Port Talbot on 1 January 1986		BoroughWest Glamorgan58,58051,100Port TalbotNeath Port Talbot
D2Preseli, renamed
Preseli Pembrokeshire on 1 April 1987		DistrictDyfed61,70071,200HaverfordwestPembrokeshire
P2Radnor, renamed
Radnorshire on 8 May 1989		DistrictPowys18,67024,000Llandrindod WellsPowys
MG2RhonddaBoroughMid Glamorgan87,71079,300PentreRhondda Cynon Taf
C2RhuddlanBoroughClwyd49,92055,000RhylDenbighshire
MG5Rhymney ValleyDistrictMid Glamorgan103,800104,000HengoedCaerphilly
D3South PembrokeshireDistrictDyfed37,06042,700Pembroke DockPembrokeshire
WG1SwanseaCityWest Glamorgan190,370189,400SwanseaSwansea
MG6Taff-ElyBoroughMid Glamorgan86,88099,700PontypriddCardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf
GT4TorfaenBoroughGwent88,87091,300PontypoolTorfaen
SG2Vale of GlamorganBoroughSouth Glamorgan106,490114,800BarryVale of Glamorgan
C6Wrexham MaelorBoroughClwyd106,800117,200WrexhamWrexham

Outside the district.