Blackpool

Blackpool
Town, borough and unitary authority
Blackpool Illuminations and Tower
Coat of Arms of the Borough Council
Blackpool shown within Lancashire
Coordinates: 53°48′51″N 03°03′01″W / 53.81417°N 3.05028°W / 53.81417; -3.05028
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	North West England
Ceremonial county	Lancashire
Admin. HQ	Blackpool
Government
• Type	Blackpool Borough Council
• Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
• Executive:	Labour
• MPs:	Paul Maynard (C) Gordon Marsden (L)
Area
• Total	13.46 sq mi (34.85 km2)
Area rank	302nd
Elevation	16 ft (5 m)
Population (mid-2015 est.)
• Total	142,065
• Rank	Ranked 147th
• Density	11,000/sq mi (4,100/km2)
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Postcode	FY1-FY4
Area code(s)	01253
ONS code	00EY (ONS) E06000009 (GSS)
Ethnicity	95.5% White 2.0% South Asian 0.9% Mixed 0.8% Black 0.6% Chinese 0.2% Other Asian Estimate
Website	visitblackpool.com blackpool.gov.uk

Blackpool ⁱ/ˈblækpuːl/ is a seaside resort and unitary authority area in Lancashire, England, on England's northwest coast. The town is on the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Preston, 27 miles (43 km) north of Liverpool, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Bolton and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manchester. It had an estimated population of 142,065 at the 2011 Census.

Throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, Blackpool was a coastal hamlet in Lancashire's Hundred of Amounderness, and remained such until the mid-18th century when it became fashionable in England to travel to the coast in the summer to improve well-being. In 1781, visitors attracted to Blackpool's 7-mile (11 km) sandy beach were able to use a new private road, built by Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Hoghton. Stagecoaches began running to Blackpool from Manchester in the same year, and from Halifax in 1782. In the early 19th century, Henry Banks and his son-in-law John Cocker erected new buildings in Blackpool such that its population grew from less than 500 in 1801 to over 2,500 in 1851. St John's Church in Blackpool was consecrated in 1821.