# Districts of Wales

The districts of Wales were a form of local government in Wales used between 1974 and 1996. There were thirty-seven districts, and they 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

| Code | District | Status | County | Area 1974 | Population estimate 1974 | Population estimate 1992 | Headquarters | Successor UA |
| GD4 | Aberconwy | Borough | Clwyd | 149,738 acres (605.97 km$^2$) | 49,730 | 54,100 | Llandudno | Conwy |
| C4 | Alyn and Deeside | District | Clwyd | 38,104 acres (154.20 km$^2$) | 68,280 | 74,500 | Hawarden | Flintshire |
| GD1 | Anglesey - Ynys Môn | Borough | Gwynedd | 176,638 acres (714.83 km$^2$) | 62,020 | 69,300 | Llangefni | Isle of Anglesey |
| GD3 | Arfon | Borough | Gwynedd | 101,207 acres (409.57 km$^2$) | 53,640 | 56,100 | Bangor | Gwynedd |
| GT3 | Blaenau Gwent | Borough | Gwent | 31,318 acres (126.74 km$^2$) | 84,080 | 76,900 | Ebbw Vale | Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire |
| P3 | Brecknock | Borough | Powys | 443,382 acres (1,794.30 km$^2$) | 37,120 | 41,500 | Brecon | Powys |
| SG1 | Cardiff | City | South Glamorgan | 29,633 acres (119.92 km$^2$) | 285,760 | 295,600 | Cardiff | Cardiff |
| D4 | Carmarthen | District | Dyfed | 291,192 acres (1,178.41 km$^2$) | 49,910 | 56,200 | Carmarthen | Carmarthenshire |
| D1 | Ceredigion | District | Dyfed | 443,182 acres (1,793.49 km$^2$) | 55,430 | 67,900 | Aberystwyth | Ceredigion |
| C1 | Colwyn | Borough | Clwyd | 136,566 acres (552.66 km$^2$) | 45,990 | 56,400 | Colwyn Bay | Conwy, Denbighshire |
| MG3 | Cynon Valley | Borough | Mid Glamorgan | 44,639 acres (180.65 km$^2$) | 69,630 | 65,600 | Aberdare | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| C3 | Delyn | Borough | Clwyd | 6,870 acres (27.8 km$^2$) | 59,440 | 69,700 | Flint | Flintshire |
| D6 | Dinefwr | Borough | Dyfed | 239,868 acres (970.71 km$^2$) | 36,140 | 38,700 | Llandeilo | Carmarthenshire |
| GD2 | Dwyfor | District | Gwynedd | 152,753 acres (618.17 km$^2$) | 25,870 | 27,300 | Pwllheli | Gwynedd |
| C5 | Glyndŵr | District | Clwyd | 238,686 acres (965.93 km$^2$) | 38,450 | 42,000 | Ruthin | Denbighshire, Powys, Wrexham |
| GT2 | Islwyn | Borough | Gwent | 24,362 acres (98.59 km$^2$) | 66,140 | 67,200 | Blackwood | Caerphilly |
| D5 | Llanelli | Borough | Dyfed | 57,737 acres (233.65 km$^2$) | 76,720 | 74,600 | Llanelli | Carmarthenshire |
| WG2 | Lliw Valley | Borough | West Glamorgan | 52,818 acres (213.75 km$^2$) | 57,460 | 64,200 | Penllergaer | Neath Port Talbot, Swansea |
| GD5 | Meirionnydd | District | Gwynedd | 374,912 acres (1,517.22 km$^2$) | 30,830 | 32,900 | Dolgellau | Gwynedd |
| MG4 | Merthyr Tydfil | Borough | Mid Glamorgan | 27,584 acres (111.63 km$^2$) | 61,490 | 60,100 | Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tydfil |
| GT5 | Monmouth | District Borough from 1988 | Gwent | 203,438 acres (823.28 km$^2$) | 66,090 | 76,700 | Pontypool | Monmouthshire |
| P1 | Montgomery, renamed Montgomeryshire 1986 | District | Powys | 510,109 acres (2,064.34 km$^2$) | 43,580 | 53,700 | Newtown | Powys |
| WG3 | Neath | Borough | West Glamorgan | 50,971 acres (206.27 km$^2$) | 66,150 | 66,300 | Neath | Neath Port Talbot |
| GT1 | Newport | Borough | Gwent | 49,558 acres (200.55 km$^2$) | 135,910 | 137,200 | Newport | Newport |
| MG1 | Ogwr | Borough | Mid Glamorgan | 70,444 acres (285.08 km$^2$) | 126,570 | 134,200 | Bridgend | Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan |
| WG4 | Afan, renamed Port Talbot on 1 January 1986 | Borough | West Glamorgan | 37,371 acres (151.24 km$^2$) | 58,580 | 51,100 | Port Talbot | Neath Port Talbot |
| D2 | Preseli, renamed Preseli Pembrokeshire on 1 April 1987 | District | Dyfed | 258,075 acres (1,044.39 km$^2$) | 61,700 | 71,200 | Haverfordwest | Pembrokeshire |
| P2 | Radnor, renamed Radnorshire on 8 May 1989 | District | Powys | 301,165 acres (1,218.77 km$^2$) | 18,670 | 24,000 | Llandrindod Wells | Powys |
| MG2 | Rhondda | Borough | Mid Glamorgan | 23,882 acres (96.65 km$^2$) | 87,710 | 79,300 | Pentre | Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| C2 | Rhuddlan | Borough | Clwyd | 26,860 acres (108.7 km$^2$) | 49,920 | 55,000 | Rhyl | Denbighshire |
| MG5 | Rhymney Valley | District | Mid Glamorgan | 43,522 acres (176.13 km$^2$) | 103,800 | 104,000 | Hengoed | Caerphilly |
| D3 | South Pembrokeshire | District | Dyfed | 134,640 acres (544.9 km$^2$) | 37,060 | 42,700 | Pembroke Dock | Pembrokeshire |
| WG1 | Swansea | City | West Glamorgan | 60,504 acres (244.85 km$^2$) | 190,370 | 189,400 | Swansea | Swansea |
| MG6 | Taff-Ely | Borough | Mid Glamorgan | 41,632 acres (168.48 km$^2$) | 86,880 | 99,700 | Pontypridd | Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf |
| GT4 | Torfaen | Borough | Gwent | 31,258 acres (126.50 km$^2$) | 88,870 | 91,300 | Pontypool | Torfaen |
| SG2 | Vale of Glamorgan | Borough | South Glamorgan | 73,198 acres (296.22 km$^2$) | 106,490 | 114,800 | Barry | Vale of Glamorgan |
| C6 | Wrexham Maelor | Borough | Clwyd | 90,569 acres (366.52 km$^2$) | 106,800 | 117,200 | Wrexham | Wrexham |
^a Outside the district.