Southport
| Southport | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Lord Street, Southport |
|
 Southport
|
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| Southport shown within Merseyside | |
| Population | 90,381 (2011 Census) |
| Demonym | Sandgrounder |
| OS grid reference | SD333170 |
| • London | 191 mi (307 km) SE |
| Metropolitan borough | |
| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SOUTHPORT |
| Postcode district | PR8, PR9 |
| Dialling code | 01704 |
| Police | Merseyside |
| Fire | Merseyside |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | |
Southport (/ˈsaʊθpɔːrt/) is a large seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census, Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. The statistics for the 2011 Census were maintained on a ward basis.
Southport lies on the Irish Sea coast of North West England and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. The town is situated 16.7 miles (26.9 km) to the north of the city of Liverpool and 14.8 miles (23.8 km) southwest of the city of Preston.
Historically a part of Lancashire, the town in its present form was founded in 1792 when William Sutton, an innkeeper from Churchtown, built a bathing house at what now is the south end of Lord Street, the town's main thoroughfare. At that time, the area, known as South Hawes, was sparsely populated and dominated by sand dunes. At the turn of the 19th century, the area became popular with tourists due to the easy access from the nearby Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and the town quickly grew. The rapid growth of Southport largely coincided with the Industrial Revolution and the Victorian era. Town attractions include Southport Pier with its Southport Pier Tramway, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street, once home of Napoleon III of France.
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