It is the most senior of the five districts into which the church divides the region of Galicia.

[1][2] The seat of the archdiocese is the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, dedicated to the Apostle James.

The archdiocesan jurisdiction covers most of the parishes the central part of Galicia, including the cities of A Coruña and Pontevedra.

As per 2014, it pastorally served 1,178,000 Catholics (88.9% of 1,324,741 total) on 8,546 km2 in 1,071 parishes and 3 missions with 732 priests (536 diocesan, 196 religious), 4 deacons, 1,052 lay religious (400 brothers, 652 sisters) and 22 seminarians.

Covers all Galicia, with four suffragan sees : On 5 December 1095 Pope Urban II issued the bull Veterum sinodalia transferring the diocese of Iria to Compostela.