Blackpool is a large town and seaside resort on the north west coast of England. The town is on the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, 15 miles (24 km) west of Preston, 27 miles (43 km) north of Liverpool, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Bolton and 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Manchester. At the 2011 Census, the unitary authority of Blackpool had an estimated population of 139,720, while the official Blackpool urban subdivision, which also includes additional areas of the town in other districts, had a population of 147,633. This made it the most populous settlement in Lancashire, as well as the fourth most populous settlement in the larger North West England region, after Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington.
