Leicester

Leicester
Motto(s): 
Latin: Semper Eadem, lit.'Always the Same'
Shown within Leicestershire
Shown within Leicestershire
Coordinates: 52°38′01″N 1°08′00″W / 52.6335°N 1.1334°W / 52.6335; -1.1334[1]
OS grid referenceSK 5874 0433[1]
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Ceremonial countyLeicestershire
Foundedc.47 AD as Ratae Corieltauvorum
City status restored1919
Unitary authority1997
Administrative HQCity Hall
Civic suiteLeicester Town Hall
Areas of the city
(2011 census BUASD)
List
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority with mayor and cabinet
 • BodyLeicester City Council
 • ControlLabour
 • Elected mayorPeter Soulsby (L)
 • Lord MayorSusan Barton
 • Chief ExecutiveAlison Greenhill
 • House of Commons
Area
 • Total28.32 sq mi (73.34 km2)
 • Rank225th
Population
 (2021)[4]
 • Total366,018
 • Rank22nd
 • Density12,930/sq mi (4,991/km2)
DemonymLeicestrian
Ethnicity (2021)
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode area
Dialling code0116
ISO 3166 codeGB-LCE
GSS codeE06000016
ITL codeTLF21
GVA2021 estimate[6]
 • Total£9.2 billion
 • Per capita£25,124
GDP (nominal)2021 estimate[6]
 • Total£10.2 billion
 • Per capita£27,848
Websiteleicester.gov.uk

Leicester (/ˈlɛstər/ LES-tər)[7] is a city, unitary authority area, unparished area and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a population of 366,018 in 2021.[4] The greater Leicester urban area had a population of 559,017 in 2021, making it the 11th most populous in England,[8] and the 13th most populous in the United Kingdom. In 2023, Leicester was named as the best place to live and work in the East Midlands.[9]

The city lies on the River Soar and is approximately 90 miles (140 km) north-northwest of London, 33 miles (53 km) east-northeast of Birmingham and 21 miles (34 km) northeast of Coventry. Nottingham and Derby lie around 21 miles to the north and northwest respectively, whilst Peterborough is located 37 miles (60 km) to the east. Leicester is close to the eastern end of the National Forest.[10]

Leicester has a long history extending into ancient times, it was the site of the Roman town of Ratae Corieltauvorum, which was later captured by the Anglo-Saxons, and then by the Vikings who made it one of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw. Leicester became an important town during the Middle Ages, and then an important industrial and commercial centre in the Victorian age, eventually gaining city status in 1919. Since the mid-20th century, immigration from countries of the British Commonwealth has seen Leicester become an ethnically diverse city, and one of the largest urban centres of the Midlands.

Leicester is at the intersection of two railway lines: the Midland Main Line and the Birmingham to London Stansted Airport line. It is also at the confluence of the M1/M69 motorways and the A6/A46 trunk routes. Leicester Cathedral is home to the tomb of King Richard III who was reburied in the cathedral in 2015 after being discovered nearby in the foundations of the lost Greyfriars chapel, more than 500 years after his death. In sporting terms, Leicester is the home to football club Leicester City and rugby club Leicester Tigers.

  1. ^ a b "Leicester, City of Leicester". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  2. ^ "Your council". Leicester City Council. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  5. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Leicester Local Authority (E06000016)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: local authorities". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  7. ^ "Leicester. Archived 19 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  8. ^ "UNITED KINGDOM: Urban Areas in England". City Population. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  9. ^ "City rated best in the region to live and work".
  10. ^ "The National forest". The National forest. Archived from the original on 28 December 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2017.