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Administrative county · England

Cambridgeshire

Explore Cambridgeshire through the Fenland Collection and the documented history of the University of Cambridge.

Quick facts

Type of place
Administrative county
Nation
England
Official identifier
gss:E10000003

Overview

Cambridgeshire is an administrative county in the East of England. The county council’s Fenland Collection covers a wider geographical area: the Fens, including the Isle of Ely, West Norfolk and South Lincolnshire. The University of Cambridge’s documented history provides a separate strand of local context through its colleges and buildings.

Cambridgeshire is a administrative county in England.

Population and demographics

Land area
3,046.19 km²

Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.

Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE5!D164 (binary spreadsheet decimal rounded to 6 dp). Released 29 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Population
716,983 people

Figures for . ONS EW MYE25 workbook geography: Notes April 2024; landing edition 2023 boundaries.

Office for National Statistics · ons-mid-2025 · MYE2 - Persons!D164. Released 29 July 2026.

Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Population density: 235.4 people per km²

Calculated from the population and land area for 30 June 2025, using figures from the same release and covering the same boundaries.

The Fens and local collections

The Fenland Collection is based at Wisbech Library, with related collections at Ely and March. It covers the geographic Fens, which extend beyond Cambridgeshire; this landscape should not be confused with Fenland district. Wisbech’s collection includes material on the anti-slavery campaigner Thomas Clarkson, while Ely’s includes the history of its cathedral. These collections offer different ways to investigate local history through the material they preserve.

Cambridge’s university history

The University of Cambridge dates its establishment to 1209. Peterhouse, established in 1284, is identified as the first Cambridge college, while the foundation stone for King's College Chapel was laid later in 1446. Today, the university's buildings, museums and collections form part of the city's historic character.

Sources

  1. Fenland Collection — Cambridgeshire County Council. The council's Fenland Collection is based at Wisbech Library, with related collections at Ely and March. (Opening description; Our special collections). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. History — University of Cambridge. The University of Cambridge dates its establishment to 1209. (Opening history; timeline entries for 1209, 1284 and 1446). Accessed 2026-09-28.

  3. ONS administrative counties December 2025

    Office for National Statistics · counties-2025 · Open Government Licence v3.0 · Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0