[5] The council is based at Number One Riverside in Rochdale town centre, which was opened in 2014.

It serves as a public library, includes a café, private meeting areas, a conference centre and a workplace.

The more urban areas centre around the town and neighbouring boroughs of Bury, Oldham and Manchester.

The towns of Heywood, Littleborough and Milnrow form an urban area with Rochdale.

Three were originally twinned with a place within the Metropolitan Borough boundaries prior to its creation in 1974.