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Our data sources

The data presented throughout this website is compiled from a number of trusted public datasets and geographic reference sources. We process and combine these datasets to provide detailed information about postcodes, towns, villages, cities and administrative areas across the United Kingdom.

Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory (ONSPD)

  • Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
  • Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026
  • Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026

The Office for National Statistics Postcode Directory (ONSPD) is our primary source for postcode geography. Produced by the UK’s Office for National Statistics, it links every current postcode to a wide range of geographic and administrative areas, including:

  • Countries and regions
  • Counties and local authorities
  • Parliamentary constituencies
  • Statistical geographies
  • Census areas

The ONSPD allows us to accurately associate postcodes with the various administrative and statistical areas used throughout the UK.

National Records of Scotland Postcode Directory (NRSPD)

  • Contains NRS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026
  • Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026

For Scottish postcode geography, we also utilise data from the National Records of Scotland Postcode Directory (NRSPD). This dataset provides postcode-level geographic references specific to Scotland and helps ensure our Scottish postcode data remains comprehensive and accurate.

Office for National Statistics Digital Boundaries

  • Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0
  • Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026

Maps and geographic area information are derived from official boundary datasets published by the Office for National Statistics. These datasets define the boundaries of local authorities, counties, regions, constituencies and other statistical areas.

By using official boundary data, we can accurately display and analyse geographic relationships between places across the UK.

OpenStreetMap Highway Data

Highway geography is derived from OpenStreetMap, distributed under the Open Database License (ODbL).

GeoNames Place Data

Some place name and geographic coordinate data is derived from GeoNames and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licence. Data has been processed and combined with other sources for presentation on this website.

Dialling codes

Phone dialling codes and their geographical distribution are derived from open data provided by Chris Bell.

Accuracy and updates

We regularly update our datasets to reflect changes to postcodes, administrative boundaries and geographic information. While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information presented, postcode allocations, boundaries and place information can change over time.