Startforth Rural District is a former rural district in the Pennines of northern England. It is traditionally part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, but for administrative and ceremonial purposes was transferred to Teesdale district in County Durham in 1974.
It comprises the area south of the River Tees between Cow Green Reservoir and Gainford, and north of the modern border between County Durham and North Yorkshire.
The area is hilly and fairly sparsely populated. Places within it include:
Villages
Dales
Reservoirs and lakes
Fells and moors
Forests
Rivers and becks
Roads
The Pennine Way also passes through the area.
