Porthmadog

Porthmadog
Porthmadog Harbour was developed to export slate
Porthmadog
Location within Gwynedd
Area16.18 km2 (6.25 sq mi)
Population4,185 (2011)
 Density259/km2 (670/sq mi)
OS grid referenceSH565385
Community
  • Porthmadog
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townPORTHMADOG
Postcode districtLL49
Dialling code01766
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

Porthmadog (Welsh: [pɔrθˈmadɔɡ] ), originally Portmadoc until 1972 and known locally as "Port", is a coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, Wales, and the historic county of Caernarfonshire. It lies 5 miles (8 km) east of Criccieth, 11 miles (18 km) south-west of Blaenau Ffestiniog, 25 miles (40 km) north of Dolgellau and 20 miles (32 km) south of Caernarfon. The community population was 4,185 in the 2011 census and was put at 4,134 in 2019. It grew in the 19th century as a port for local slate, but as the trade declined, it continued as a shopping and tourism centre, being close to Snowdonia National Park and the Ffestiniog Railway. The 1987 National Eisteddfod was held there. It includes nearby Borth-y-Gest, Morfa Bychan and Tremadog.