Wales has seven cities as of September 2022. Bangor is Wales' oldest cathedral city, [1] whereas St Davids is the smallest city in the United Kingdom. [1] Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and its most-populous, followed by Swansea the second most-populous. Since 2000, Welsh towns have submitted bids to be awarded city status as part of jubilees of the reigning British monarch or for other events, such as the millennium celebrations, with Newport, St Asaph and Wrexham awarded city status through these contests. Wrexham is the newest to hold the status, being awarded it in September 2022 as part of the Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours of Queen Elizabeth II.
Name in English | Name in Welsh |
Principal area
(Welsh name) |
Year granted
or confirmed |
Cathedral | Image | Administrative Population [1] | Urban Population (2021) [2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiff | Caerdydd |
City and County of Cardiff (Dinas a Sir Caerdydd) |
1905 [3] |
Llandaff Cathedral |
Cardiff Castle |
359,512
(county) |
348,535 |
Swansea | Abertawe |
City and County of Swansea (Dinas a Sir Abertawe) |
1969 [4] |
St Joseph's Cathedral |
Swansea Beach and The Tower, Meridian Quay |
237,834
(county) |
170,085 |
Newport | Casnewydd |
Newport (Casnewydd) |
2002 [5] |
Newport Cathedral (St Woolos Cathedral) |
Celtic Manor Resort |
159,658
(county borough) |
130,890 |
Wrexham | Wrecsam |
Wrexham County Borough (Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam) |
2022 [6] |
Wrexham Cathedral |
Wrexham city centre (Hope Street) |
135,132
(county borough) |
44,785 |
Bangor | Bangor | Gwynedd | Cathedral city since 6th century.
[1] Officially conferred in 1974 [7] |
Bangor Cathedral |
Bangor from Port Penrhyn |
15,060 | 16,990 |
St Asaph | Llanelwy |
Denbighshire (Sir Ddinbych) |
2012 [8] |
St Asaph Cathedral |
Kentigern Arms |
3,485 | |
St Davids | Tyddewi |
Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro) |
1994 [9] |
St Davids Cathedral |
Porth Brâg |
1,348 |
Since 2000, Welsh towns have competed in a contest to be awarded city status, as part of civic honours in notable celebrations, like the millennium celebrations or the Jubilee of the reigning monarch. The 2000 contest was criticised for having no Welsh bid be successful. [10] [11] [12]
Merthyr Tydfil councillors voted against a proposal to bid for city status for 2022 which followed feedback. [18]
In 2024, Llanelli Town Council announced that they'll submit a bid later in the year, for Llanelli to potentially get city status. [19]
THE QUEEN has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm dated 1 September 2022 to ordain that the County Borough of Wrexham shall have the status of a City.