Harrogate, town and borough (district), administrative county of North Yorkshire, historic county of Yorkshire, northern England. Besides the town of Harrogate, the borough includes an extensive rural area, the market town of Knaresborough, and the ancient cathedral city of Ripon. Harrogate town is the administrative centre of the borough.
The town originated in the 17th century as a spa with chalybeate, sulfur, and saline springs. It originally consisted of two settlements: High Harrogate, with the Queen Hotel (1687), and Low Harrogate, where the majority of the 88 springs were eventually discovered. The Royal Baths (1897, extended 1939) still provide some spa amenities, but since the mid-20th century the economic base of the town has been diversified with the introduction and growth of light industry and research establishments. The large hotels and public buildings are used for conferences and trade fairs.
Lying between York and Leeds, within easy reach of Yorkshire Dales National Park, Harrogate is increasingly important as both a tourist centre and a residential town. Local attractions include the Valley Gardens and the extensive common, called the Stray, permanently preserved from development by act of Parliament. Studley Royal Water Garden, just southwest of Ripon and containing the ruins of Fountains Abbey, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. Area borough, 505 square miles (1,308 square km). Pop. (2001) town (including Knaresborough), 85,128; borough, 151,336; (2011) town, 73,576; borough, 157,869.