105 samples of Cepaea nemoralis (L.) were made in rural locations around the city of Wrocław in 2008–10. Variation in the shell colour and banding polymorphism showed no relationship to habitat, nor were there any large-scale geographical patterns. In some morphs, there were strong frequency correlations between samples close to one another, but these never extended beyond 20 km, and usually involved much shorter distances. Relative to populations within the city, these populations vary more among themselves, but are individually less polymorphic. Linkage disequilibria in common between city and country suggest a common origin. These results suggest that rural populations have a more recent origin, and that they are more isolated from one another than those in the city. A process of recent passive dispersal by humans, with some local spread appears to account for the pattern of variation observed.