Hartlepool is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of County Durham, north-east England. In 2003 it had a resident population of 90,161, increasing to 92,028 at the 2011 Census. It borders the non-metropolitan county of County Durham to the north, Stockton-on-Tees to the south and Redcar and Cleveland to the south-east along the line of the River Tees. It is centred on the town of Hartlepool and forms part of the Tees Valley area.