| Election Name: | 1978 Colchester Borough Council election |
| Country: | Essex |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1976 Colchester Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 1976 |
| Next Election: | 1979 Colchester Borough Council election |
| Next Year: | 1979 |
| Seats For Election: | 19 out of 60 seats to Colchester Borough Council |
| Majority Seats: | 31 |
| Turnout: | 42.7% |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 39 seats, 55.9% |
| Seats1: | 10 |
| Seats After1: | 37 |
| Seat Change1: | 2 |
| Popular Vote1: | 17,478 |
| Percentage1: | 53.1% |
| Swing1: | 2.8% |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 18 seats, 31.7% |
| Seats2: | 8 |
| Seats After2: | 21 |
| Seat Change2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 13,720 |
| Percentage2: | 41.7% |
| Swing2: | 10.0% |
| Party4: | Tiptree Residents Association |
| Last Election4: | 2 seats, 3.1% |
| Seats4: | 0 |
| Seats After4: | 1 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 740 |
| Percentage4: | 2.2% |
| Swing4: | 0.9% |
| Party5: | Independent politician |
| Last Election5: | 1 seat, 1.5% |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 0 |
| Percentage5: | 0.0% |
| Swing5: | 1.7% |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | Conservative |
| After Election: | Conservative |
Elections to Colchester Borough Council were held in 1978 alongside local elections across the United Kingdom.
No Conservative candidate as previous.
No Liberal candidate as previous (–12.1).
No Liberal candidate as previous (–22.3).
No Liberal candidate as previous (–16.9).
No Independent candidate as previous (–3.7).