Haxby Town Council serves a population of about 8,750 in a compact area of around 8.5 sq km, 4 miles to the north of the City of York.

Until 1996, the town formed part of Ryedale District within the County of North Yorkshire. As part of local government reorganisation, City of York became a Unitary Authority and extended its boundaries to include a much wider area around the City, including Haxby.