The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2011 estimated population of 2.74 million. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The county itself is a NUTS 2 region within the wider NUTS 1 region of the same name. The county consists of seven metropolitan boroughs: the City of Birmingham, the City of Coventry, and the City of Wolverhampton, as well as Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, and Walsall. The West Midlands County Council was abolished on 31 March 1986, and so its districts (the metropolitan boroughs) are now effectively unitary authorities. However, the metropolitan county continues to exist in law and as a geographic frame of reference.
West Midlands Travel Guide
Top Destinations in West Midlands
Walsall, England
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located 8 miles northwest of the City of Birmingham and 6 miles east of the City of ... more
West Bromwich, England
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands county of England. Historically in Staffordshire, it is situated 5 ... more
Wolverhampton, England
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. In the 2011 census, the local government district had population of 249,470. ... more
Bromsgrove, England
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about 16 miles (26 km) north east of Worcester and 13 miles (21 km) south west of Birmingham city ... more
Stourport-on-severn, England
Stourport-on-Severn, often shortened to Stourport, is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of North Worcestershire, England, a few miles to the ... more
Kidderminster, England
Kidderminster is a town in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) south-west of Birmingham city ... more
Evesham, England
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It... more
Malvern, England
Malvern is a spa town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council.As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749 and ... more
Solihull, England
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles (14.5 km) ... more
Worcester, England
The City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some 17 ... more
Bewdley, England
Bewdley is a town and civil parish in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster. It ... more
Droitwich, England
Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe. The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been ... more
Broadway, England
Broadway is a village and civil parish in the Worcestershire part of the Cotswolds in England. Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds", Broadway ... more
Coventry, England
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the centre of England. It has been the capital of England more than once in the 15th century when the seat of ...
Birmingham, England
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England, United Kingdom. It is the most populous British city outside London with 1,092,... more
Redditch, England
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately 15 miles (24 km) south of Birmingham. The district had a ... more