In the Middle Ages, Copenhagen was defined as the area enclosed within the city walls.

The city centre lies in the area originally defined by the old ramparts, which are still referred to as the Fortification Ring (Fæstningsringen) and kept as a partial green band around it.

In 1901 the city expanded to include Amager and Valby, while Frederiksberg became an enclave within the municipality.

On 1 January 2007, the municipality lost its county privileges and became part of the Capital Region of Denmark.

Copenhagen Municipality is a political division covering the central city (Indre By) and certain additional areas.

Neighboring municipalities are Gentofte, Gladsaxe and Herlev to the north, Rødovre and Hvidovre to the west, and Tårnby to the south.

Christiansborg Palace, which houses the Danish parliament, is located on the islet of Slotsholmen.

The municipality is divided into ten administrative, statistical and tax districts (Danish: bydele):[6] Official districts:[6] Other areas: The suffix -bro in the names Østerbro, Nørrebro, Vesterbro and Amagerbro should not be confused with the Danish word for bridge, which is also bro.

The apparent decline since the 1960s are due to the figures not including the suburban and urban areas – notably Frederiksberg – outside Copenhagen municipality.

[8] They discuss a range of issues including labour and employment, business growth, economics, international cooperation and IT, urban planning, housing and construction, and young, old, and disabled peoples' issues, healthcare, and traffic, with a central focus on making the city sustainable and meeting environmental and health targets.

[10][11] In the 2021 elections, the Red-Green Alliance secured a higher vote total than the Social Democrats.