Ormskirk was an urban district

Urban district

In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....

 in the county of Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

 from 1894 to 1974. It was named after the town of Ormskirk

Ormskirk

Ormskirk is a market town in West Lancashire, England. It is situated north of Liverpool city centre, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston.-Geography and administration:...

, which constituted its main settlement.

The district was merged with Lathom and Burscough Urban District

Lathom and Burscough Urban District

Lathom and Burscough was an urban district in the county of Lancashire from 1894 to 1931. It constituted the civil parishes of Burscough and Lathom, and apart from these two villages also included Newburgh....

 in 1931, taking in the villages of Burscough

Burscough

Burscough is a village and civil parish within West Lancashire in North West England, to the north of both Ormskirk and Skelmersdale.-Growth:...

, Newburgh

Newburgh, Lancashire

Newburgh is a rural village and civil parish in Lancashire, England.Newburgh is located about five miles from Ormskirk. Its history can be traced back to 1304 when a licence was granted to start a weekly market. The village has a conservation area at its centre and includes many historic ...

 and Lathom

Lathom

Lathom is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England, about 5 km northeast of Ormskirk. It is in the district of West Lancashire, and with the parish of Newburgh forms part of Newburgh ward...

.

It was abolished in 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972

Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....

, merging with Skelmersdale and Holland

Skelmersdale and Holland

Skelmersdale and Holland was an urban district in Lancashire, England from 1968 to 1974. It was created by the merger of Skelmersdale and Upholland urban districts. In 1974 it was itself merged into the new non-metropolitan district of West Lancashire, under the Local Government Act 1972....

, part of West Lancashire Rural District

West Lancashire Rural District

West Lancashire was a rural district from 1894 to 1974 in Lancashire, England. It was created with other rural districts in 1894, based on the Ormskirk rural sanitary district...

 and part of Wigan Rural District

Wigan Rural District

Wigan was a rural district in Lancashire, England from 1894 to 1974. It comprised an area to the north, but did not include the town Wigan.The district was created by the Local Government Act 1894 as the successor to the Wigan Rural Sanitary District....

 to form West Lancashire

West Lancashire

West Lancashire is a non-metropolitan district with the status of a borough in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Ormskirk. The other town in the borough is Skelmersdale....

District Council.