Ipswich

This article is about the town in Suffolk, England. For other uses, see Ipswich (disambiguation).

Ipswich
Borough of Ipswich
Town and borough
Christchurch Mansion
Christchurch Mansion
St Mary-le-Tower
St Mary-le-Tower
The Ipswich Waterfront
Ipswich Waterfront
The Orwell Bridge
Orwell Bridge
The Ipswich High Street
Ipswich Town Centre
Coat of arms of Ipswich
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Munia civitatis decus civium
(The functions of citizenship are the glory of the citizens)
Location within Suffolk
Location within Suffolk
Ipswich is located in England
Ipswich
Ipswich
Location within England
Ipswich is located in the United Kingdom
Ipswich
Ipswich
Location within the United Kingdom
Coordinates: 52°3′34″N 1°9′20″E / 52.05944°N 1.15556°E / 52.05944; 1.15556
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionEast of England
CountySuffolk
DistrictIpswich
Areas of the town
List
Government
 • TypeLeader and Cabinet
 • BodyIpswich Borough Council
 • MPsJack Abbott
Patrick Spencer
Area
– District ranked 262nd
 • Total
15.22 sq mi (39.42 km2)
Population
 • Total
District ranked 166th
133,384
 • Density9,130/sq mi (3,524/km2)
 • The town, 2011 census
144,957[1]
 • Built up area, 2011 census
178,835[2]
Ethnicity (2021)
[3]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[3]
 • Religion
List
Postcode
IP
Area code01473
Vehicle registration area codeAV, AW, AX, AY
ONS code42UD
Websiteipswich.gov.uk

Ipswich (/ˈɪpswɪtʃ/ ⓘ) is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, after Peterborough and Norwich. It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of London and in 2011 had a population of 144,957. The Ipswich built-up area is the fourth-largest in the East of England and the 42nd-largest in England and Wales. It includes the towns and villages of Kesgrave, Woodbridge, Bramford and Martlesham Heath.[4]

Ipswich was first recorded during the medieval period as Gippeswic, the town has also been recorded as Gyppewicus and Yppswyche.[5] It has been continuously inhabited since the Saxon period,[5] and is believed to be one of the oldest towns in the United Kingdom.[6] The settlement was of great economic importance to the Kingdom of England throughout its history, particularly in trade,[7] with the town's historical dock, Ipswich Waterfront, known as the largest and most important dock in the Kingdom.[7][8]

Ipswich is divided into various quarters, with the town centre and the waterfront drawing the most footfall. The town centre features the retail shopping district and the historic town square, known as the Cornhill. The waterfront, south of the town centre on a meander of the River Orwell, offers a picturesque setting with a marina, luxury yachts, high-rise apartment buildings, and a variety of restaurants and cafes. The waterfront is also home to the University of Suffolk campus.

Ipswich is surrounded by two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB): the Suffolk Coast and Heaths and Dedham Vale. The town has a tourist sector, with 3.5 million people reported to have visited the town in 2016.[9] In 2020, Ipswich was ranked as an emerging global tourist destination by TripAdvisor.[10]

  1. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Ipswich Built-up Area sub division (E35001385)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  2. ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Ipswich Built-up Area (E34004730)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Ipswich Local Authority (E07000202)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Mid-year population estimates by built-up areas (Including subdivisions) by age groups, 2001 to 2019 - Office for National Statistics".
  5. ^ a b Wilson, John Marius (1870–1872). "Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Ipswich". Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  6. ^ Hills, Catherine. "England's Oldest Town". Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  7. ^ a b K. Wade, 'Gipeswic - East Anglia's first economic capital, 600-1066', in N. Salmon and R. Malster (eds), Ipswich From The First To The Third Millennium (Ipswich, 2001), 1-6.
  8. ^ "Ipswich Port is a success story but we must protect old waterfront too" Archived 17 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Ipswich Star
  9. ^ Howlett, Adam (30 August 2017). "Ipswich sees boom in tourism - with visitor numbers up 2.5%". Ipswich Star. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  10. ^ "The top 25 emerging travel destinations". The Independent. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.