The eight cities of Yorkshire

Ancient and modern, large and small, Yorkshire places granted city status

Ripon was Yorkshire's second city York - a city on Roman foundationsYorkshire now has eight cities with the naming in 2022 of Doncaster as one of the Jubilee Cities in honour of the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Yorkshire's oldest city is of course York, which has been a city since it was a Roman capital and, for a time, the seat of the Roman Emperor.

The next to be recognised as cities were Ripon and then Wakefield.

In 1836, Ripon became the cathedral city of a huge new diocese taking most western parts of Yorkshire from the Diocese of York.

In 1888, as the population of industrial towns expanded, Wakefield became the cathedral city of a new Diocese of Wakefield which took over the southern part of the huge Diocese of Ripon. The Local Government Act that year also made the West Riding an administrative county from the following year, with Wakefield the location of its County Hall.

Neither Ripon nor Wakefield had the largest populations of the West Riding and there continues to be larger towns in Yorkshire, particularly in the case of Ripon, which is among the smaller cities of the UK.

Four other expanded towns were recognised as cities in the final decade of the 19th century - Leeds and Sheffield in 1893 and Bradford and Kingston upon Hull in 1897.

Below are the eight cities of Yorkshire in alphabetical order.

Which towns are bigger than the smaller cities?
Here are the eight Largest towns and cities of Yorkshire.
Since 1897

Bradford West Yorkshire

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Since 2022

Doncaster South Yorkshire

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Since 1897

Kingston upon Hull Hull

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Since 1893

Leeds West Yorkshire

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Since 1836

Ripon North Yorkshire

Did you know? Ripon is the third-smallest city in England by population, the lowest populated city being the City of London and second-lowest Wells in Somerset.

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Since 1893

Sheffield South Yorkshire

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Since 1888

Wakefield West Yorkshire

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Since Roman times

York City of York

Did you know? The Roman Empire was governed from York for two short periods.

Find out more about York

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