City of Peterborough

City of Peterborough
Peterborough viewed from the top of the cathedral
City of Peterborough shown within Cambridgeshire
Coordinates: 52°34′21″N 00°14′35″W / 52.57250°N 0.24306°W / 52.57250; -0.24306
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionEast of England
Ceremonial countyCambridgeshire
City regionCambridgeshire and Peterborough
City status1541
Incorporated1 April 1974
Unitary authority1 April 1998
Named afterPeterborough
Administrative HQSand Martin House, Fletton
Government
  TypeUnitary authority
  BodyPeterborough City Council
  ExecutiveLeader and cabinet
  ControlNo overall control
  LeaderDennis Jones (L)
  MayorMarco Cereste
  MPs
Area
  Total
132 sq mi (343 km2)
  Rank105th
Population
 (2022)
  Total
217,705
  Rank88th
  Density1,640/sq mi (634/km2)
DemonymPeterborian
Ethnicity (2021)
  Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
  Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
  Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode areas
Dialling codes01733
ISO 3166 codeGB-PTE
GSS codeE06000031
Websitepeterborough.gov.uk

The City of Peterborough, is a district with city status in the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The district is named after its largest settlement, Peterborough, but also covers a wider area of outlying villages and hamlets. The district is administered by Peterborough City Council, a unitary authority.

The district's area covers parts of the historic counties of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, as well as a small part of Cambridgeshire. In 1965, the area became part of the short-lived county of Huntingdon and Peterborough before becoming a district of Cambridgeshire in 1974. Located in the East Anglia region of England, the area borders the surrounding counties of Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. The population of the district was 202,259 making it the second-largest district by population in East Anglia (after East Suffolk).

Most of the contemporary district was formerly part of the Soke of Peterborough, a liberty within the historic county of Northamptonshire. Between 1889 and 1965, Peterborough was governed by the Soke of Peterborough County Council, making the Soke of Peterborough a completely autonomous, self-governing part of Northamptonshire, while the rest of that county was governed by Northamptonshire County Council. Today, the City of Peterborough district holds a similar status as part of Cambridgeshire to that which the Soke of Peterborough had as part of Northamptonshire, in that the contemporary district is a Unitary Authority with its own council, and a self-governing part of Cambridgeshire while the rest of that county is governed by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Peterborough was a Saxon settlement during the Anglo-Saxon era. The district also includes outlying villages such as Thorney, Old Fletton, Werrington, Parnwell, Dogsthorpe, Eye Green, Glinton, Northborough, Maxey, Wittering, Wansford and Ailsworth.

The district borders North Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire, Fenland, South Kesteven and South Holland.