Leeds stretches along both sides of the River Aire in West Yorkshire in northern England, with a rich history that date back to the Roman occupation days. The best things to do in Leeds, city guide. Hidden gems, cultural highlights, and learn how to visit Leeds with a personalised tour from Expedition Yorkshire. Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Yorkshire in England. It has a population of over 811,000 people that live in the metropolitan borough as of the 2021 United Kingdom census. [4] Leeds has four universities: University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds Trinity University and the University of Law. Leeds is located on the River Aire. The city's football team is Leeds United AFC. Sign in here to apply for our taught postgraduate and pre-sessional English courses