Search for a town or city to see its built-up-area footprint drawn to shape, how big it is in square miles and kilometres, and where it ranks among 7,038 UK towns. Then compare it with another town, side by side and to scale.
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Pick a town above to see how big it really is.
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How town sizes are measured
This tool measures a town by its built-up area, the physical footprint of continuous development recorded by Ordnance Survey and the Office for National Statistics. It is the actual extent of houses, streets and buildings on the ground, not the council area or the postal town, both of which are drawn for other purposes and can include open countryside or leave out neighbouring suburbs. Measuring the built-up area is the fairest way to answer how big a place really is, and to compare one town with another.
The biggest and smallest towns
Among the 7,038 towns and cities covered here, Birmingham has the largest built-up area at around 219 square kilometres, followed by Glasgow, Leeds and Sheffield. At the other end are hundreds of small towns and large villages under one square kilometre. Because built-up area measures land rather than people, a compact, densely populated town can cover less ground than a sprawling one with fewer residents.
Frequently asked questions
How is a town's size measured here?
By its built-up area, the physical footprint of continuous development from Ordnance Survey and Office for National Statistics data. This is the actual extent of the town on the ground, not its council or postal boundary, so it reflects how large the place really is.
Which UK town has the largest built-up area?
Among the 7,038 towns and cities covered here, Birmingham has the largest built-up area at around 219 square kilometres, ahead of Glasgow, Leeds and Sheffield.
Why is the built-up area different from the town boundary?
Administrative and postal boundaries are drawn for governance and mail, and often include open countryside or exclude neighbouring suburbs. The built-up area only counts land that is actually developed, so it is the fairest way to compare how big two towns really are.
Does a bigger area mean more people?
Usually, but not always. A compact town can be densely populated while a sprawling one is spread thin, so built-up area measures physical size rather than population.