Hartlepool, a municipal borough and seaport in the county of Durham, is situated on a small peninsula north of the estuary of the Tees, 12 miles NNE. of Stockton, and 18 ESE. of Durham. Its ancient sea-fishing industry has recently extended. The ancient boundaries were in 1883 extended so as to take in the township of Throston and part of Stranton. The local industries are iron shipbuilding, marine engineering, and cement-manufacture. The former considerable shipping trade is now almost entirely transferred to West Hartlepool. The harbour entrance is safe, and communicates by a channel direct to the more modern port. A substantial sea-wall and delightful promenade, completed in 1889, have added much to the attractive appearance of the town on the seaward side. Pop. of municipal borough (1851) 9503 ; (1901) 22,723.

West Hartlepool, a municipal borough and seaport, is situated to the south as Hartlepool is to the north of Hartlepool Bay, and practically forms one town with Hartlepool. It was founded in 1847 by Ralph Ward Jackson, an enterprising railway projector, afterwards M.P. It possesses a theatre, athenaeum and mechanics' institute, custom-house, market-house, exchange, a municipal hall opened by Prince Albert Victor in 1889, a school of art, etc. The first harbour was constructed here in 1847, of 12 acres, and has since been greatly enlarged. The dock area of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool together, including the timber and shipbuilding yards, etc, is over 300 acres in extent. Extensive iron-shipbuilding yards, cement-works, wood-pulp works, and marine-engine building establishments have been founded. There are graving-docks leased by the North-Eastern Railway Company, and also one extensive graving-dock open to public use. The imports include coal, flax and hemp, grain, timber, butter, cheese, fruit, cattle, tallow, and iron ; the exports, woollen and cotton goods, copper, cement, drugs, machinery, earthenware, yarn, hides, etc, the trade being carried on for the most part with the Baltic ports, and with Hamburg and Rotterdam. Governed from 1854 by a local commission, the town was created a municipal borough in 1887. Pop. of municipal district (1861) 12,603 ; (1881) 28,167 ; of municipal borough (1901) 62,227. In 1867 'The Hartlepools' were constituted a parliamentary borough, returning one member. Pop. (1901) 86,305.