Ryde is a British seaside town and civil parish, and the most populous urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of about 32,250, reducing to 23,999 at the 2011 Census. It lies on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort after the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower Ryde were merged in the 19th century. The influence of this era is still strongly visible in the town's central and seafront architecture.