Newcastle upon Tyne (, locally /njuːˈkæsəl/ (listen)), often shortened to simply Newcastle, is the most populous city and metropolitan borough in North East England. It forms the core of the Tyneside conurbation, the eighth most populous urban area in the United Kingdom. Newcastle is one of the UK Core Cities, as well as part of the Eurocities network of European cities. It is situated on the northern bank of the River Tyne, approximately 8.5 mi (13.7 km) from the North Sea. Newcastle was part of the county of Northumberland until 1400, when it became a county of itself, a status it retained until it became a part of the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear in 1974. The local authority is Newcastle City Council, a member of the North of Tyne Combined Authority. The regional nickname and dialect for people from Newcastle and the surrounding area is Geordie. In 2018, the city was declared as the best place to visit in the world by travel experts Rough Guides.

The city developed around the Roman settlement Pons Aelius and was named after the castle built in 1080 by William the Conqueror’s eldest son Robert Curthose. In the 14th century, the city grew as an important centre for the wool trade and later became a major coal mining area. The port developed in the 16th century and, along with the shipyards lower down the River Tyne, was amongst the world’s largest ship-building and ship-repairing centres.

Newcastle’s economy includes corporate headquarters, learning, digital technology, retail, tourism, and cultural centres, from which the city contributes £13 billion towards the United Kingdom’s GVA.

Among the city’s architectural icons are the Tyne Bridge; the Swing Bridge; the Millennium Bridge; Newcastle Castle; Grey’s Monument; and the Theatre Royal. Modern cultural icons include the city’s nightlife, awarded third place in Europe and seventh in the world by Tripadvisor; the UK’s largest bakery chain – Greggs, a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index; British TV personalities Ant & Dec; the Great North Run, the largest half-marathon in the world; and Newcastle United FC.