Preston Directory

Preston is the administrative centre of Lancashire, England, located on the north bank of the River Ribble. It is an urban settlement and unparished area that, when combined with its surrounding suburban and rural hinterland, forms part of the City of Preston local government district of Lancashire, which obtained city status in 2002, becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. The settlement, or unparished area, of Preston has a population of 114,300, and the whole City of Preston district has a population of 132,000.