City limits

City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined

municipal corporations. In some countries, the limit of a municipality may be expanded through annexation

United Kingdom

In the

combined authority. London, the largest city, is the original model for this in the UK: almost all of the metropolitan area (known as Greater London) is governed by the Greater London Authority. However, as a regional administration its powers are limited, and the 32 boroughs plus the ancient City of London

contained within it are responsible for the majority of services.

Although British city (or borough) boundaries are often important for defining local services such as refuse collection and planning (zoning), in most places they form a low level of local government. Law enforcement, education and other services are generally defined by county boundaries (or larger areas), and central government is responsible for the National Health Service (NHS Scotland or NHS Wales outside of England).

Planning (zoning) law around British cities is generally determined by green belt laws, which prevent building on the countryside surrounding large and medium-sized towns and cities.

United States

In the

freeways, highways, and arterial roads

.

Property within a city limit is subject to city

city services. Areas outside any city's limit are considered to be unincorporated, and in most U.S. states they are by default regulated and taxed by the county. In others, areas outside a city's limit fall within another type of local government, such as the civil township (a division of a county). Cities and towns may have extraterritorial jurisdiction beyond their limits, typically for zoning

purposes. The distance this extends varies based on the population or area of the city, or which "class" it is considered to be under state law.

police departments take arrested persons to, and guards the courthouse for the county's state court even though it is usually within the city limit of the county seat. Elections and health departments

are also common county responsibilities which include all cities. (City residents still pay some county taxes for these reasons.)

If a city chooses to have its own

public-safety answering point, if the city operates a PSAP separate from the county. Calls from mobile phones are usually routed based on the location of the base station rather than the calling party, so these (along with landline calls to non-emergency telephone numbers) must be handled manually by the telephone operator or dispatcher

, determining whether the caller or incident is within a particular city limit or not so that the proper authorities may be sent.

A city's limit may extend into more than one county, which can complicate certain matters of policing and taxation. (For example, sales tax revenue collected in a city by one county may not be spent in another part of the city outside that county.) Where a city merges its government with that of its county to become a consolidated city-county, the city limit is usually considered to be expanded to occupy all of the previously unincorporated area of the county, while other existing municipalities continue to exist but are permanently locked into their city's limit without the possibility of annexation (except possibly into a neighboring county). An independent city's limit separates it from being in any county at all. Similarly, cities and towns may or may not be considered part of the township[s] they are in.

City limits or boundaries in California are regulated by Local Agency Formation Commissions (LAFCO).

Anaheim.^[2]

City, town, and village limits are not usually coterminous with post office locations or

special-purpose districts

may be overlaid on cities, or cities may choose to have their own — however, these are often under other authorities.

A Town's limit was often a

train depot

, and several still remain this way.

References

^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2014-02-03.

[1] "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2014-02-03.

[2] "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2014-02-03.

[2]

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See also

References