Derry City and Strabane District Council is the local government district that was created on 1 April 2015 by merging Derry City Council and Strabane District Council.

The Review of Public Administration was launched by the Northern Ireland Executive in June 2002 with the remit of reviewing the arrangements for the accountability, development, administration and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.  Reform of local government in Northern Ireland sees the replacement of the twenty-six districts created in 1973 with a smaller number of "super districts". The review process began in 2002, with proposals for either seven or eleven districts made before it was suspended in 2010. On 12 March 2012, the Northern Ireland Executive published its programme for government, which included a commitment to reduce the number of councils in Northern Ireland to 11. The first elections to these new councils were held on 22 May 2014 and the new Councils came into force on 1st April 2015.

The rural catchment of Derry City and Strabane District Council area comprises 49,500 people across three DEAs, namely Derg, Faughan and Sperrin; this equates to 33.5% of the population of the council area.

·     Rural area of Derry City & Strabane District Council Area.

The rural Derry City & Strabane District Council area takes in the Faughan District Electoral Area, Sperrin District Electoral Area (excluding Strabane town) and the Derg District Electoral Area.

These include the electoral wards of Artigarvan, Castlederg, Claudy, Donemana, Eglinton, Enagh, Finn, Glenderg, Glenelly Valley,  Newbuildings, Newtownstewart, Park, Sion Mills & Slievekirk, .