This city runs into Newcastle-under-Lyme, which is administered separately. Together they form a conurbation known as The Potteries with a population of 362,403.Unlike most English cities, its council is led by a directly-elected mayor; the first was Mike Wolfe (independent) then, from May 2005 to date, Mark Meredith (Labour Party). The city is the only one of the eleven English districts with elected mayors to use the mayor and council manager system rather than the mayor and cabinet system.

Stoke-on-Trent is home to two Football League teams, Stoke City F.C. (the Potters), whose ground is in Stoke, and Port Vale F.C. (the Valiants) based in Burslem. Football fans may also like to visit the shrine to Sir Stanley Matthews in Stoke-upon-Trent churchyard.
Stoke-on-Trent has a reputation of being something of a "student city", with a particular bias towards those taking media & creative courses. Stoke-on-Trent College is the largest college in England and has two sites; one in Burslem and the main centre in nearby Shelton. The Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College is based in Fenton, while Staffordshire University has its main site in Shelton (the other is in Stafford). Stoke-on-Trent city centre is also popular with students from Keele University and from the huge Alsager-based Art & Design campus of Manchester Metropolitan University. Nearby Leek, Crewe, and Newcastle-under-Lyme all have excellent Colleges. There is also a Workers' Educational Association residential college at Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent.