Newport is a city and county borough in Wales, on the River Usk near its confluence with the Severn Estuary, approximately 12 mi (19 km) northeast of Cardiff. The population grew significantly between the 2011 and the 2021 census, increasing from 145,700 to 159,587, the largest growth of any unitary authority in Wales. Newport is the third-largest principal authority with city status in Wales and the sixth most populous overall. Newport became a unitary authority in 1996 and forms part of the Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area, and the Cardiff Capital Region.