Our area

County Durham has a population of approximately 522,000 covering approximately 2700 km2. The County has a diverse mix of communities, semi-rural, rural and coastal areas. The rich industrial history of the county contributes to a variety of socio-economic dynamics with both significant wealth and deprivation often in neighbouring locations.

Durham itself is a historic city that straddles the River Wear and is the county town of County Durham in North East England. The cathedral and adjacent 11th century castle were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. The castle has been the home of Durham University since 1832, which has grown to over 21,000 students in recent years. Durham will soon become part of the North East Combined Mayoral Area.

Darlington is one of the youngest unitary authorities in the country with a population of approximately 108,000. Despite its youth, it is proud of its history, in particular in respect of the birth of the railways. It is part of the Tees Valley Mayoral area and has recently seen extensive investment with arrival of the northern home of HM Treasury and improvements to Teesside Airport. Darlington is a key rail hub with regular, fast services to Newcastle, London, York, Leeds, Edinburgh and Manchester.

Both local authority areas have seen a slight growth in population between 2011 and 2021 census periods, well below national increases, with slight increases in the diversity of those communities by ethnicity.

www.thisisdurham.com

www.thisisdarlington.com