Ards Peninsula is in the easternmost part of Northern Ireland. The northwestern part of the peninsula connects with the mainland. Strangford Lough (Strangford Lake) lies west of the peninsula, and the North Channel of the Irish Sea lies to the east.
Newtownards, the peninsula’s largest town, is a center for manufacturing and service industries. Traditional industries in the area include textile manufacturing and boat building. Donaghadee, on the peninsula’s northeast coast, and Portaferry, in the southwest, are seaside resorts. Vegetable farming and dairy farming prosper in the area’s mild climate.
The Ards Peninsula is part of the traditional County Down, one of the six historic counties of Northern Ireland. County Down ceased to be used as an administrative area when local government was reorganized into smaller districts in 1973. From 1973 to 2015, Ards was the name of a district council area centered on the peninsula. In 2015, the Ards district joined with North Down to form the Ards and North Down local government district.
