Wales has seven cities as of September 2022. Bangor is Wales' oldest cathedral city, whereas St Davids is the smallest city in the United Kingdom. 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.
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List of Welsh cities Name in EnglishName in WelshPrincipal area (Welsh name)Year granted or confirmedImageAdministrative populationUrban population (2021)Within the dataset under 1d.CardiffCaerdyddCity and County of Cardiff()1905Cardiff Castle359,512 (county)348,535 (built-up area)SwanseaAbertaweCity and County of Swansea()1969Swansea Beachand The Tower, Meridian Quay237,834 (county)170,085 (built-up area)NewportCasnewyddNewport()2002Celtic Manor Resort159,658 (county borough)130,890 (built-up area)WrexhamWrecsamWrexham County Borough()2022135,132 (county borough)44,785 (built-up area)BangorBangorGwyneddCathedral city since 6th century.Officially conferred in 1974Bangor from Port Penrhyn15,06016,990St AsaphLlanelwyDenbighshire()2012Kentigern Arms3,485St DavidsTyddewiPembrokeshire()Cathedral city, officially conferred in 1994Porth Brâg1,348
City bids 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.
Successful
Newport — 2000 (lost); 2002 (won) St Asaph — 2000 (lost); 2002 (lost); 2012 (won) Wrexham — 2000 (lost); 2002 (lost); 2012 (lost); 2022 (won)
Unsuccessful Aberystwyth — 2000 (lost); 2002 (lost) Machynlleth — 2000 (lost); 2002 (lost) Newtown — 2000 (lost); 2002 (lost) Merthyr Tydfil councillors voted against a proposal to bid for city status for 2022 which followed feedback.
Future In January 2024, Llanelli Town Council announced that they would submit a bid later that year, for Llanelli to potentially get city status. In March 2024, the Llanelli Chamber of Trade and Commerce launched the campaign and bid for city status.
Unrecognised cities
Llandaff – now within the city of Cardiff since 1922, it has been described and signposted locally as the "City of Llandaff" and "a city within a city". It is informally referred to as a "city" because it was the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff, however the status is not formally recognised, nor was official city status awarded to it.
See also List of built-up areas in Wales by population List of towns in Wales List of cathedrals in Wales
References