What County is Belfast in? Belfast County

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland, and the most popular city to visit in the country.

But there’s a pretty common question amongst both tourists and locals, and it’s “What county is Belfast in?”

It’s a common question because Belfast kind of lies on the boundaries of two counties.

Luckily for you, I was brought up in Belfast, and I’m here to provide an answer as to what county Belfast is in.

So without further ado, let’s get right into it.

What county is Belfast in?

Belfast is in a pretty awkward position, as Belfast lies close to the border of County Antrim and County Down.

And then some people will argue that a capital city doesn’t have a county, it’s in a county of its own.

But speaking purely in terms of geography, Belfast is in County Antrim.

Although it is close to the border with County Down, it’s well within the county of Antrim. On a map of Northern Ireland, County Down is anything underneath Belfast Lough.

So it makes sense why there is some confusion about which county Belfast is in, as it is level with Belfast Lough. The boundaries of the counties of Northern Ireland dictate that Belfast is in County Antrim though, and there’s no real debate to be had if you look on a map.

The confusion also comes when you consider what is Belfast and what is “Greater Belfast”. Just like how London isn’t actually that big, but Greater London is huge.

I suppose you could argue that parts of Greater Belfast are in County Down. Dundonald, for example, is considered part of Greater Belfast, and it is in County Down.

But there is no arguing that the city centre of Belfast is in County Antrim. Whether you wish to count Belfast as the actual Belfast City or Greater Belfast will depend on what the answer to the question is. In my opinion, though, you should only consider the actual city of Belfast.

And if you ask anyone from here which county Belfast is in, they’ll either say Antrim… or more likely, “dunno”.

To clarify, the answer to “What County is Belfast in?” is Belfast is in County Antrim.

Is Belfast in County Antrim?

Yes, Belfast is in County Antrim.

Belfast is level with Belfast Lough – hence the name – and anything level and north of the lough is in County Antrim.

The boundaries of the counties of Northern Ireland show that Belfast officially lies in County Antrim. All of the city centre is in County Antrim.

Some parts of Greater Belfast do extend into County Down, but the centre of Belfast is in County Antrim.

Is Belfast in County Down?

While the centre of Belfast is clearly in County Antrim, parts of Greater Belfast do pass into County Down.

The likes of Hollywood and Dundonald, for example, are in County Down. But in my opinion, you can’t count these as Belfast.

It would be like saying things to do in Newtownabbey are things to do in Belfast, which I see travel blogs do all the time, and it’s just wrong.

So while parts of Greater Belfast are in County Down and there’s no debating that, the city of Belfast is not in County Down. It is in County Antrim.

Where is Belfast?

Belfast is in the northeastern part of Northern Ireland. Which without getting political, is on the island of Ireland, but is part of the United Kingdom.

The city is level with Belfast Lough, which is easy to spot on a map of Northern Ireland as the big indent halfway up the coast on the right-hand-side, or the east of the country.

Belfast is right at the end of the lough.

In terms of capital cities, Belfast is relatively small, and that’s why I consider it in County Antrim rather than counting Greater Belfast.

Counties of Northern Ireland

The counties of Northern Ireland have caused great controversy over the years, and Republicans believe the counties do not exist and belong to Ireland. I would like to make it clear that I am taking a purely factual approach here and am remaining neutral.

There are six counties in Northern Ireland. They are:

• County Antrim
• County Down
• County Armagh
• County Derry/Londonderry
• County Tyrone
• County Fermanagh

As you know by now, Belfast is in County Antrim. And some parts of Greater Belfast are in County Down.

The controversy of these counties is shown perfectly through Derry/Londonderry. The fact that there are two names for one city and one county perfectly sums up the two-sided history of Northern Ireland.

I loved history in school and I think it’s fascinating to learn about, and that’s why I encourage anyone visiting the city to take a Belfast tour to learn more about the history of Belfast and NI.

What county is Belfast in: FAQ

Below are some questions related to “What county is Belfast in?” along with my answers.

What county is Belfast in: Conclusion

And there you have it, a complete guide to “What county is Belfast in?“

Remember, the answer is County Antrim.

The centre of Belfast is in County Antrim, but parts of Greater Belfast do go into County Down.

Nonetheless, most people consider Belfast to solely be in County Antrim.

Hopefully, this post has taught you a bit about Belfast’s geography and what county it’s in. If you’re visiting, enjoy your trip to Belfast. You’ll have a blast!