The district had a high level of car ownership, at 83.1% of households compared to 73.2% in England.

The main settlements in West Dorset were Dorchester, Sherborne and Bridport.

Dorchester, in the south of the district, is the county town of Dorset and has been an important settlement since Roman times.

Sherborne, in the north, is an important market town which was, for a time, the capital of Wessex.

Bridport, in the west, is popular with tourists visiting the Jurassic Coast, as is the smaller coastal town of Lyme Regis at the county border with Devon.